How Does an Email Get Archived in Gmail?
There are a few ways your messages can get archived. On the desktop, you can select a message and click the Archive button which appears as a box with an arrow down symbol. You can also archive a message by using the keyboard shortcut and pressing E.
If you’re on mobile, you can also archive emails by selecting it and then tapping the Archive button on the upper toolbar or by swiping left on the email. But watch out—swiping is often the reason why people don’t notice that they’re accidentally archiving emails!
Changing Swipe Function on Android
If you don’t want to swipe and archive your mail, you can also change the swipe command on Gmail, depending on what’s most convenient for you:
- Open the Gmail App on your Android phone.
- Tap Menu → Settings.
- Then, go to General Settings → Mail Swipe Actions.
- Tap Right Swipe or Left Swipe.
- You can change it from Archive to Trash, Mark as read/unread, Snooze, Move, Mute, or None (to perform no action).
- Tap Done at the top right.
Changing Swipe Function on iPhone/iPad
Here’s what to do to edit the swipe feature on iOS:
- Open Gmail on your iPhone or iPad.
- Tap Menu and scroll down to Settings.
- Tap Inbox customizations.
- Select Mail swipe actions option.
- Choose your preferred commands for Right Swipe or Left Swipe.
- Here, you can replace the swipe command with the Archive action. Other options are: Trash, Mark as read/unread, Snooze, Move, Mute, or None (no action).
- Tap Done at the top right to save.
How Do I Retrieve Archived Emails in Gmail?
When Gmail archives an email, it doesn’t get deleted from the system. Instead, it simply removes the message from your inbox.
You can retrieve archived emails by heading to your All Mail folder, which is on the left panel of your Gmail browser or app. By the way, archived emails won’t stay archived forever—they can automatically go back to your Inbox if someone replies to the thread.
While Gmail's current features do help with organizing your email, it can be confusing for users who want to see all their archived emails in one folder. Luckily, there is a workaround: inbox organizers like Clean Email. It automatically comes with a dedicated Archive folder that keeps all your previously archived emails in Gmail, making it easier to access and sort everything at once.
How to Retrieve Archived Emails Easier in Clean Email
- Go to https://app.clean.email and sign in with your Gmail account.
- Expand the Mailbox section in the left-hand menu and choose Archive.
- Find the archived email you would like to retrieve, and click the arrow next to Trash on the right.
- From the drop-down menu, select Move.
- Choose Inbox from the list of folders.
- Confirm the action.
What’s great about Clean Email is that these actions are just as simple to perform on desktop as they are on mobile. Since Clean Email works on virtually any platform, you can easily download it for your Android or iOS device.
Let’s explore another method to retrieve Gmail archived emails with Clean Email that you can use on both desktop and mobile:
- From the left-hand menu, choose Archive.
- Select the message(s) you want to retrieve to your inbox.
- Tap More in the bottom right corner.
- Select Labels from the menu.
- Under Add label, click the Choose or create Label… field and select Inbox from the options.
- Tap Confirm.
Where Do I Find Accidentally Archived Emails in Gmail?
Here’s where you can access your archived messages:
On the Gmail web service
- Log into your Gmail account on your computer.
- On the left panel, click the downwards arrow labeled More.
- Click All Mail.
- You can easily spot archived emails because they won't have the Inbox label next to them.
On the Gmail app (Android and iPhone/iPad)
- Open the Gmail app on your phone or tablet.
- Tap Menu on the top left, then All Mail.
On Clean Email (web and mobile)
Finding the All Mail folder is simple, but if you want to find old archived emails in Gmail, you might have to scroll through hundreds or even thousands of messages.
That’s why it’s worth it to rely on a handy inbox-cleaning app like Clean Email. It manages your inbox with features more convenient than Gmail has, such as a dedicated Archive folder where you can easily find accidentally archived emails, preview them quickly, and apply actions based on your preferences.
How Do I Search for My Archived Emails?
So, you know your archived emails are in the All Mail folder. But how do you find it in a sea of old emails? Luckily, Gmail has an advanced search bar that can help. It’s best if you remember the email’s subject line, a few keywords, or even the sender’s email address to narrow the search. The more specific terms you input, the fewer results you’ll have to sort through.
You can input details such as:
- From (sender)
- To (receiver)
- Email Subject
- Keywords the email has or doesn’t have
- File size
- Date range selector
- Whether or not there’s an attachment
How to Retrieve Deleted Archived Emails in Gmail
Remember that archived emails are never deleted from your inbox on their own. But if you accidentally delete archived emails, they’re sent to the Trash folder and you can retrieve them within 30 days.
Here’s how to locate your archived emails in the Trash folder:
On Desktop
- Open your mail account.
- On the left panel, select Trash.
- Find the email you’d like to retrieve and tick the check box.
- Click the folder with an arrow on the upper toolbar that says Move to.
- Move the selected email back to your Inbox or any other desired folder.
On Android
- Open the Gmail app on your Android phone or tablet.
- Tap the Menu icon on the upper left.
- Select Trash.
- Find the email you’d like to recover and tap the sender’s profile image.
- At the top right, tap More(the three stacked dots) → Move to.
- Move the selected email back to your Inbox or any other desired folder.
On iPhone/iPad
- Open the Gmail app on your iPhone or iPad.
- Tap the Menu icon on the upper left.
- Select Trash.
- Find the email you’d like to retrieve and long-press it to select.
- With the email selected, tap the three dots on the upper right and select Move.
- Move the selected email back to your Inbox (Primary), or any other desired folder.
Manage Your Inbox Easier with Clean Email
Gmail has the basic email functions covered, but if you’re looking for more advanced inbox-cleaning solutions, consider Clean Email. With Cleaning Suggestions, Smart Folders, and Auto Clean features, you have a triple threat when it comes to sorting out an overloaded inbox.
Cleaning Suggestions
The Cleaning Suggestions feature is designed to make inbox management effortless. It analyzes your email patterns and offers tailored suggestions for cleaning up clutter, such as deleting old emails, archiving irrelevant messages, or unsubscribing from newsletters.
Smart Folders
Smart Folders in Clean Email automatically group your emails based on shared metadata and sender infromation, making it easy to view, sort, and manage messages in organized bundles. This feature helps organize your inbox by allowing you to quickly handle similar emails together.
Auto Clean
Create rules to automatically archive old emails or unarchive those that have been accidentally archived. Customize your inbox management preferences and let Clean Email handle all the daunting tasks for you, freeing up your time for more important activities.
You can Archive emails in bulk, view them all in one folder, and even sort or group them according to different filters. Organizing archives is more convenient with the Select All option that lets you move, group, or delete all archived emails in just a few clicks.
With Clean Email, you can say goodbye to random, missing emails, and hello to a more organized inbox!
FAQs
Are there any limitations on viewing or retrieving archived emails in Gmail?
You can retrieve archived emails in the Gmail app at any time—they’re never deleted from the Google server on their own. Archived emails are stored in the All Mail folder. If you accidentally deleted an archived email, it can be retrieved from the Trash folder within 30 days. Once an email is permanently deleted from the Trash folder, it can no longer be restored by users or admins unless you turn on your Gmail backup.
How do I ensure my important emails are easily accessible even after archiving them in Gmail?
Gmail does not have a separate folder for Archived emails, but they are easily accessible through the Search feature in the All Mail folder. Alternatively, you can use Clean Email to simplify your email archives.
Is it possible to sort archived emails by the date they were archived in Gmail?
Yes, you can do this by going to the Gmail search bar and typing: in:archive. The results will show you all previously archived emails with the latest ones on top.
How do I differentiate between archived and non-archived emails in Gmail?
In the All Mail folder, archived messages will appear without any labels before the subject line. Non-archived emails will have their folder indicated in a gray label (e.g. Inbox) before the subject.
Are there any tools or extensions to help manage archived emails in Gmail?
Clean Email is an inbox-cleaning app that can help you declutter and manage your archived emails. Its features like the dedicated Archive folder, Cleaning Suggestions, and Auto Clean make archiving a breeze.
