How To Archive Email On iPhone

Archiving emails after they've been read is one of the quickest and simplest ways to prevent important messages from being buried beneath the clutter. In this guide, we'll cover how to archive email on iPhone using a number of fast and easy methods. We'll also look at Clean Email, an incredibly handy service that can automate email archiving so that your inbox is always in great shape.

How To Archive And Find Archived Email on iPhone

It's easier than you think to get into good archiving habits — especially if you manage your email on iPhone, which gives you a number of ways to archive email in an instant. And that's true whether you use the built-in Mail client, or a third-party mail app like Gmail or Outlook.

No matter which mail client you're using, the process for archiving emails is very similar. To archive a message you have open, simply tap the archive button — which usually looks like a bankers box. In Mail and Gmail, this button can be found in the top-right corner. In Outlook, it's down at the bottom.

To archive emails in bulk, follow these steps:

  1. Head to your inbox and tap and hold one of the messages you want to archive.
  2. Once your first message is selected, tap all the other emails you want to archive.
  3. Tap the Archive button, which appears at the bottom of the screen in Mail and Gmail and at the bottom in Outlook.
  4. How to archive emails in Mail app

The emails you selected will now end up in your iPhone email archive. They will no longer clutter up your inbox, but they can be easily found if you need them later.

How to find archived emails in Mail

One of the simplest ways to find archived emails in Mail is to simply search for it. Mail will search your archive folder as well as your inbox (learn more about Mac mail archiving). Alternatively, you can trawl through your iPhone email archive folder manually by following these steps:

  1. From your inbox, swipe right to access the Mailboxes screen.
  2. Scroll down to the appropriate mail account if you have more than one set up.
  3. Tap the Archive folder to open it.

How to find archived emails in Gmail

You can also use the search function inside the Gmail app to find archived emails in Gmail. But if you want to view the archive folder, you can follow these steps:

  1. Tap the menu button — which shows three lines — in the top-left corner.
  2. Select the appropriate mail account if you have more than one.
  3. Tap the All mail or Archive folder to open it.

How to find archived emails in Outlook

Like Gmail and Mail, Outlook also lets you search for archived messages. But to locate its iPhone email archive folder, follow these steps:

  1. Tap the home button — which looks like a house — in the top-left corner.
  2. Select the appropriate mail account if you have more than one.
  3. Tap the Archive folder.

How To Retrieve Archived Emails on iPhone

If you've archived a message and you want to put it back into your inbox where it's a little easier to find later, you can retrieve it from the archive folder. To do this, follow the steps above to locate and open the message you want to retrieve, then follow these steps:

Retrieve archived emails in Mail

  1. Tap the Folders button at the bottom of the screen.
  2. Tap Move Message...
  3. Tap Inbox.

Retrieve archived emails in Gmail

  1. Tap the options button — which shows three dots — in the top-right corner.
  2. Select Move to Inbox.

Retrieve archived emails in Outlook

  1. Tap the options button — which shows three dots — at the top of the screen.
  2. Tap Move to Folder.
  3. Tap Inbox.

How To Delete Archived Email on iPhone

One of the downsides to archiving emails is that archived email on iPhone still takes up the storage space you've been allocated by your mail provider. While it's great for holding onto important messages, then, it's not ideal for junk and other emails you don't need to keep.

To delete emails from your archive folder, simply find and open the message using the steps outlined above, then tap the delete button — which looks like a trash can. To delete multiple archived emails at once, follow these steps:

  1. Tap and hold one of the messages you want to delete
  2. Once your first message is selected, tap all the other emails you want to delete
  3. Tap the delete button — which appears at the top of the screen in Mail and Gmail and at the bottom of the screen in Outlook — to delete them

Email Archiving Software For iOS 15

To make archiving email on iPhone even easier, you can use a third-party tool. They can help you manage an inbox that has already become overloaded and would take too much time to declutter manually. The best email archiving solutions, such as Clean Email, also include an automated archiving feature, which takes care of archiving automatically so you never have to worry about it.

When choosing archiving software, it's important to select one that meets your own email needs. Some work better with certain mail providers, while others cost extra if you want to use them with more than one mail account. Some can also take care of archiving without reading the content of your messages, while others can't — something to bear in mind if you're privacy-conscious.

Use Clean Email To Automate iPhone Mail Archive Tasks

Clean Email is one of the best email archiving solutions because it won't read the content of your messages, it works with all mail providers, and it offers a whole host of powerful archiving features designed to suit different email needs — whether you're a casual or power email user.

Clean up your inbox with Clean Email on iPhoneClean up your inbox with Clean Email on iPhone

Clean Email packs a wonderfully handy feature called Auto Clean, which automates routine email cleaning tasks. You can use it not only to archive old messages automatically, but also to organize emails by folders if you need to.

Archive old emails on iPhone with Clean EmailArchive old emails on iPhone with Clean Email

You can also ask it to send certain messages — like spam — directly to the archive, and to block, mute, or unsubscribe from certain senders.

Archive emails with Clean Email automaticallyArchive emails with Clean Email automatically

Another great feature is Smart Views, which organizes your messages into bundles to make them significantly easier to find and manage. For instance, you can use Smart Views to group together all social media notifications, all "finance" emails, all messages older than a year, and more.

Smart Views in Clean Email on iPhoneSmart Views in Clean Email on iPhone

What's more, Clean Email also offers a free trial that allows you to try out its features and find out if it works for you without paying a penny.

Wondering to know more about archiving tricks in your mail provider? Check out our guides on how to archive Yahoo mail and how to archive and unarchive emails in Gmail.


How To Archive Emails On iPhone - FAQs

Where do archived emails go on iPhone?

Archived emails go to your archive folder on iPhone, where they're easy to find later. From here, you can send them back to your inbox, or delete them when they're no longer needed.

Can you archive messages on iPhone?

Yes, there are a number of easy ways to archive emails on iPhone. Our helpful guide will show you how the iPhone email archive works in Mail, Gmail, and Outlook.

How do you unarchive email on iPhone?

You can unarchive an email on iPhone by finding the message in the archive folder, then moving it back to your inbox.

How long do emails stay in archive on iPhone?

Archived emails stay in the archive folder for as long as you want them, unlike deleted messages, which are usually removed after 30 days. However, you can automate the deletion process using third-party tools like Clean Email.

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