Want to keep an email for reference—and keep it out of sight? Find out here how to archive all emails in Gmail (or, of course, individual messages), whether you use it in a browser, app or email program using IMAP or POP.
First, Joseph Fortunin François
Joseph Fortunin François is born still early into October 1813 near Busseto in—France, with a French name and as a French citizen.
As Giuseppe Verdi, he is to become an Italian composer with an Italian name instrumental to Italian unity, of course.
So, there you have it: for history’s odd turns, Verdi was by birth French—another fact to archive away like an email. Like an email in Gmail? Speaking of which, how does one archive in Gmail?
How to Archive All Emails in Gmail
Time needed: 4 minutes
To move all emails in your Gmail Inbox (or all read messages, or all Gmail email) to the archive:
- Click in the Search mail field.
- Gmail keyboard shortcut: With keyboard shortcuts enabled in Gmail, you can press / (forward slash) to go directly to the search fields.
- Type
in:inbox.- Type
- Other searches for archiving: You can also archive all read emails, for example, only in the Inbox or across your account with the following searches:
– read emails in your inbox:in:inbox AND is:read
– read emails:is:read
– read and not starred:is:read AND not starred
– all messages:in:anywhere - Press Enter.
- Click the Select checkbox (
).Gmail keyboard shortcut: You can also press * followed by A to select all emails on the current page.
- Click the Select checkbox (
- Now click Select all conversations that match this search if it appears above search results.
Here’s why: This selects all matching emails in Gmail.
- Click Archive (
).Gmail keyboard shortcut: You can also press E to archive all, of course.
- Click Archive (
How to Archive Individual Emails in Gmail
To move a message to the archive in Gmail:
- Click the Archive toolbar button () while reading a message or conversation.
Gmail keyboard shortcut: For speedy archiving, press E.
To archive multiple emails in one go:
- Make sure all emails you want to archive are checked.
Gmail search: You can use Gmail search, of course, to focus and mass-select certain emails for archiving, or visit a specific folder. - Click the Archive button or press E.
Alternative: Use Labels
You need not use the Archive button or archiving keyboard shortcut to archive in Gmail. As alternative, you can use labels; to archive an email using Gmail labels:
- Click the ⨉ next to the Inbox label as it appears after the message’s subject line.
How to Archive using the Gmail App (Android and iOS)
To move an email to the archiving folder using the Gmail apps for Android and iOS:
- Open the message you want to archive.
Select multiple emails: You can also tap the circles bearing initials or sender photos to select multiple emails for archiving in any message list. - Tap the archiving button () in the toolbar.
Note: You cannot easily archive all emails using the app. Open desktop Gmail in a mobile browser instead and archive in bulk with it (see above).
Swipe to Archive in the Gmail App
To archive an email in the apps by swiping:
- Make sure swiping to archive is enabled for the account in the app. (See below.)
- Swipe over the message from either left or right until the green archiving bar appears.
How to Enable Swiping to Archive
To set up archiving as the action that takes place for swiping over a message in the Gmail apps:
- Tap the hamburger menu button.
- Select Settings from the menu that has appeared.
- Now choose the desired Gmail account.
- Tap When removing messages, I prefer to… under General.
- Make sure Archive is selected.
How to Archive via IMAP in an Email Program
To move an email to the archive if you have set up Gmail as an IMAP account in an email program:
- Move the message to the [Gmail]/All Mail folder.
Different names: Your email program may have renamed the folder as Archive or offer an Archive button that moves messages in the background.
If the “All Mail” folder is not visible in the email program:
- Set When a message is marked as deleted and expunged from the last visible IMAP folder to Archive the message in your Gmail settings.
- Delete the message from the inbox and, optionally, other folders.
Not all mail: Without the [Gmail]/All Mail folder, you cannot access the Gmail archive in the email program; do open Gmail in a web browser to access and search archived emails.
How to Archive via POP in an Email Program
To have Gmail automatically remove from the inbox messages downloaded to an email program using POP:
- Make sure archive Gmail’s copy is selected for When messages are accessed with POP in your Gmail account’s settings.
Important: This is the only way to move messages to the archiving folder in Gmail if you access it via POP. Having the email program delete messages while downloading or at another occasion has no effect.
How to Archive Emails in Gmail: FAQ
What does “Archive” mean in Gmail?
Archiving essentially removes an email from the Inbox label.
Can Gmail archive emails automatically?
Yes, you can set up Gmail filters for automatically archiving certain emails as they arrive (and never have them show up in your inbox but still be available for search, for instance).
Where can I find archived Gmail emails?
You can typically find archived emails in the All mail label that collects all your Gmail emails, but you can also view archived Gmail emails exclusively.
Can I unarchive emails in Gmail?
Yes, you can restore messages you have archived to the inbox and effectively unarchive Gmail emails in a few simple steps.
(How to archive all emails in Gmail tested in a desktop browser, the Gmail app for iOS, and in email programs; updated January 2024)