Want an email to show up in an additional Gmail folder so you can find it with more ease or group it with related messages? Find out here how to “copy” an email to a folder (label) in Gmail.
First, Chill to Burn Calories
Though “burning” is the wrong word, letting pasta, potatoes and rice sit to cool is a way to reduce their caloric content. For cooling down cooked starch lets it crystallize in part to an indigestible form.
The difference is minimal, of course. Now that we have saved and subtracted a few kcal, though, how about saving emails in Gmail to additional folders?
How to Copy an Email in Gmail
Move instead of copy? How to Move an Email to a Folder (Label) in Gmail
In a Desktop Browser
Time needed: 1 minute
To copy an email to a folder (label) in Gmail in a desktop browser:
- Open the email you want to copy.
Copying multiple emails: To copy more than one message, check them in their current folder or in Gmail search results.
- Click Labels in the toolbar.
Gmail keyboard shortcut: You can also press L to open the menu.
No “copy to” button: While Gmail includes a Move to button, there is none labelled Copy to. - Check all labels to wich you want to copy the email.
Label search: You can type in the search field to limit labels to the search term.
Create on the spot: Type a label name in the search field, then click “<label name>” (create new) to create a new Gmail folder (label…) on the fly. - Click Apply.
Gmail folders vs labels: Gmail uses labels instead of folders; they work like hashtags and let you find each email under every label that is applied to it.
Important: Copying an email in Gmail will not create a physical copy of the message in the new folder; see below.
In the Gmail App for iPhone and Android
To copy a message to an additional label using the Gmail apps for Android and iPhone:
- Open or check the message (or messages) you want to copy.
- Tap the three-dots menu in the top toolbar.
- Select Label from the menu.
- Check all labels you want applied to the email (or emails).
- Tap the checkmark (✓).
How to Copy an Email in Gmail: FAQ
What does it mean to copy an email in Gmail?
If you copy a message to a folder or label in Gmail,
- Gmail sticks the new label (together with any existing labels) on the message, and
- the email shows up in the new label (in addition to showing up in all existing labels or folders).
That means email copies do not have a life of their own in Gmail:
- You cannot act on the copy independently from the original, the original simply shows up in the new folder as well.
- If you delete the original message, it will also disappear from all folders to which you copied it.
This is true also if you copy an email to a different folder in an email program that accesses Gmail through IMAP. Behind the scenes, Gmail applies the label to the only copy (though that message does show up in your email program as two different emails in different folders).
Can I drag and drop to copy an email?
No.
While you can drag messages onto folders in Gmail (using a desktop browser) to move them, you cannot copy by dragging and dropping.
Can I copy an email using basic HTML Gmail?
Yes.
To copy a message to a new labe in Gmail’s basic HTML version:
- Open the message you want to copy.
Multiple emails: To label more than one message, check all messages in their current folder or search result instead. - Click More Actions….
- Now select the label you want to add to (i.e., the folder to which you want to copy) the email under Apply label:.
Multiple labels: Repeat to copy to another label.
(How to copy an email in Gmail tested in a desktop browser as well as the Gmail app for iOS; first published October 2021, last updated June 2024)