Want to keep your email lean and Gmail’s archive nimble? Looking to save space in your Google account? Find out here how to delete all emails from a sender fast in Gmail.
First, Wolf on Snowy Background
When you train artificial intelligence to classify, you never quite know what goes on behind the scenes and what characteristics the model uses for its classifications.
Three researchers from University of Washington have famously demonstrated this by knowing quite well what goes on behind the scenes and what characteristics the model uses for its classifications.
In 2016, they taught a linear regression model classifier to tell huskies from wolves—no easy feat, and certainly not with high precision. The AI excelled at it.
The model had a little help, though: by sheer luck, every wolf was pictured on a snowy background while the dogs were all in the green and woods. Of course, the model picked up the clue. The model’s analysis started and ended with—the background. To the model, anything with a white background was a wolf.
Now, want Gmail to help you tell apart some huskies against typically white background? No training or machine learning needed:
How to Delete All Emails from a Sender in Gmail
Time needed: 2 minutes
To mass-delete all email from a particular sender in Gmail:
- Click the Search mail field in Gmail.
Gmail keyboard shortcut: In Gmail in a desktop browser, press / to focus the Search mail field.
- Type
in:anywhere AND from:<sender>replacing “<sender>” with the person’s email address or name.In and out: Use
in:anywhere AND (from:<sender> OR to:<sender>)to find all email sent to and received from the person.
Partial match: You can also use part of the email address (say the part preceding @) or the sender’s name of course, or, conversely, use a domain name (e.g,from:@ladedu.com) to find all messages from all senders at a domain.
Other operators: Using additional Gmail search operators, you can filter emails further.
Example: To search for all emails exchanged with heinz@ladedu.com, typein:anywhere AND (from:heinz@ladedu.com OR to:heinz@ladedu.com). - Hit Enter.
- Click the Select checkbox (
) to check all currently visible results. Keyboard shortcut: With Gmail keyboard shortcuts enabled, you can also press * followed by A.
- If Select all conversations that match this search appears under the toolbar, click it.
Here’s why: Without all conversations that match selected, only the first page of emails from the sender will be deleted.
- Now click Delete (
). Here’s what happens: This will move all emails from and to the contact to the Trash folder in Gmail; messages already in the Trash will not be moved or immediately deleted.
- Optional: Empty the Trash in Gmail.
Important: This will permanently delete all messages in the Trash folder, not only those exchanged with the unwanted sender; with a little bit of effort, you can permanently delete only those messages.
Why it’s optional: Gmail will automatically remove the messages from the Trash after a certain time in that folder.
Delete more:
How to Delete (Absolutely) All Messages from Gmail
How to Select and Delete All Unread Emails in Gmail
Delete All Incoming Emails from a Sender
To set up Gmail to continuously delete all emails from a particular sender as they arrive using a filter:
- Click the Show search options in the Search mail field in Gmail.
- Type the sender’s name or email address (or parts) under From.
Match closely: Since Gmail will delete all emails that match this sender, do make sure only emails you want to go to the Trash automatically match the rule; a full email address is safest.
Looking more closely: Using the other fields for search options or Gmail search operators (under Has the words), you can further refine which emails are deleted. - Click Create filter.
- Check Delete it.
Optional: You can add further actions, of course (e.g, Forward it to: to keep a copy at a different email address).
Delete and filter: To have Gmail delete all previously received emails from the sender as well, check Also apply filter to matching conversations.. - Click Create filter.
Like deleting more forcefully: How to Block an Email Address in Gmail
How to Delete All Emails from a Sender in Gmail: FAQ
Can I delete all emails from a sender in the Gmail apps for iOS or Android?
No.
The apps, alas, include no way to quickly select all emails that match a search.
To delete all emails from a sender on a mobile device:
- Open the Gmail desktop version in a mobile browser.
- Use the steps above to mass-delete.
(How to delete all emails from a sender in Gmail tested in a desktop browser; updated March 2024)