Is Gmail keeping something from you? Not if you know how to include the “Trash” and “Spam” in your searches. Find out here how to have Gmail show you all mail in your inbox.
First, Waggle to Your Own Tune
When a bee scout has found and remembered a promising source of nectar, it waggles and dances, of course, to communicate the location, and all the other bees fly there to collect the nutrients.
All bees? Of course not.
Some 5 percent (but, depending on the season up to a quarter) continue their scouting behavior. Ignoring their own and others’ own waggling advice, they keep looking for new fields of nectar every day so the colony does not become dependent on a few sources or misses out on as-yet unfound riches.
Want to gather all emails in Gmail (including the unruly ones in the Spam folder)? Here’s how to waggle and shake keyboard and mouse:
How to Show All Mail in the Gmail Inbox
Time needed: 2 minutes
To have Gmail show all mail in the inbox (disregarding inbox tabs altogether) quickly:
- Open Gmail in a browser or the Gmail app for Android and iOS.
- Click in the Search mail field.
Gmail keyboard shortcut: You can press / (slash) to focus the Gmail search field fast using a desktop browser.
- Type
in:inbox.Here’s why: This Gmail search term collects all messages with Gmail’s inbox label; all emails in the inbox automatically carry it.
- Press Enter.
What you’ll see: This brings up all emails in the Gmail inbox sorted by date.
Gmail shortcut: You can open (and bookmark) https://mail.google.com/mail/… to go to this tab-less Gmail inbox quickly.
Turn Off Gmail Inbox Tabs
You can also disable tabs for your Gmail inbox, of course, to have it show all mail in one consolidated view:
- Click the Settings gear icon (⚙︎) in Gmail.
- Now click Customize for Default under Inbox type.
- Turn off all tabs except Primary.
- Click Save.
Show (Absolutely) All Mail in Gmail
To get an overview of all mail (all emails including those in the Trash and Spam folders) in your Gmail account:
- Click in the Search mail field in Gmail. (See above.)
- Type
in:anywhere.
Find it all: This search is the shortest to include all mail; it collects emails that are either in the All Mail label, in the Trash or in Spam.
Alternative: You can be more explicit and typein:(all|spam|trash)instead. - Press Enter.
What you get: This takes you to a reverse chronological list of all messages currently in Gmail.
Show All Mail Excluding Spam (or All Mail Excluding the Trash)
To find all emails in your inbox, any custom Gmail folder, All Mail and the Gmail Trash (but not emails labeled as spam):
- Focus the Gmail search field. (See above.)
- Type
in:(all|trash).
Junk alternative: For all mail including spam but not deleted emails, usein:(all|spam). - Press Enter.
How to Show All Mail in Gmail: FAQ
Can I see all mail in Basic HTML Gmail?
Yes, showing all mail works essentially the same way in basic HTML Gmail.
To load all messages:
- Type
in:anywherein the search field in Basic HTML Gmail. - Click Search Mail.
Can I select and work on all the emails in Gmail?
Yes.
In the desktop browser version of Gmail, you can use the Select checkbox (or press * followed by A), the click Select all conversations that match this search to select all email in Gmail (and, for instance, empty your Gmail account).
(How to show (absolutely) all mail in Gmail tested in a desktop browser as well as Gmail for iOS 6.0; updated December 2023)