Can You Pin Emails in Gmail?
If you remember the Inbox by Gmail app, available from 2014 to 2019, then you may expect that the current Gmail application offers the same popular Pin tool. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case.
⚠️ Gmail does not currently offer a Pin feature.
For users moving to Gmail from apps like Outlook that let you Pin emails or that simply want a way to pin messages to the top of the Inbox, you can use a few workarounds.
Use the Starred First Inbox
Starring an email tags it and makes it easy to spot in your Inbox. For a message that you want to pin, start by adding a star to the email in Gmail. You can then use the Starred First inbox type to see those emails pop to the top.
Before using this inbox type, keep in mind that it removes the Category tab view.
- Go to Settings → See all settings → Inbox → Inbox type → Starred first.
- Open Options to select the number of items to display.
- Choose Save Changes at the bottom.
Use Multiple Inboxes
Another workaround (likely the best organizational option) for pinning emails in Gmail is using Multiple Inboxes. You can also add stars to the messages you want to pin, and can then set up this inbox type to display the emails you need in sections.
Before using Multiple Inboxes, know that it removes the Category tab view and message reading pane.
Go to Settings → See all settings → Inbox → Inbox type → Multiple Inboxes.
For Section 1, add the starred email query is:starred and then give it a name like “Pinned”. These messages appear at the top of your Inbox.
For the remaining sections, add queries and section names for the emails you want to see next. You can use a status or label with a Gmail search operator.
Examples:
- is:drafts
- label:work
- is:important
💡 Tip: If you create a custom label for your pinned emails, you can use its query and name in Section 1 instead of Starred messages.
Mark Messages as Important
One more way to pin messages in Gmail is using the Important status/marker and Important First inbox type.
Unlike Stars that you assign yourself, Gmail assigns importance to an email based on interactions and keywords.
Although you can teach the system what’s important to you by marking and unmarking important messages, the downside is that you’ll likely see many emails mixed in that Gmail chooses.
If you’re interested in this option, learn how to mark emails as important in Gmail, adjust certain settings, and create importance filters.
Pinning in Gmail on Mobile
Just like the web application, Gmail on mobile does not offer a native Pin feature. This means you can try the Starred First workaround mentioned above, open Starred in the menu, or create a custom Pinned label. (Multiple Inboxes isn’t available on mobile.)
To pin email in Gmail on iPhone using the inbox type:
- Go to Menu → Settings → Inbox type and pick Starred first.
To pin email in Gmail on Android using the inbox type:
- Go to Menu → Settings → [account] → Inbox type and pick Starred first.
Note that users have experienced issues with the reliability of this inbox type on mobile.
Automatically Surface Priority Mail with Clean Email
To save time from manually marking messages with a star in order to pin them in Gmail, consider an automation that does it for you.
With Clean Email, you can automatically star emails from particular senders. Plus, you can sign up for Clean Email and set this up using both the desktop and mobile apps.
Go to Senders → [sender] → Add Star to New Messages.
You can then save a custom view or label to your Favorites for quick and easy access if you like.
📌 Note: While Clean Email does provide a Pinned Messages feature, this works differently in that it protects emails from being affected by Auto Clean rules.
FAQs
Can you pin an email in Gmail?
Gmail does not offer a feature to Pin emails.
How do I keep an email at the top of Gmail?
You can use the Star or Important markings with the corresponding inbox types to place those emails at the top of your Inbox.
Did Gmail ever have a pin feature?
Yes, the discontinued Inbox by Gmail app provided a Pin tool. That application was only available from 2014 to 2019, and Gmail did not carry the feature over to the current app.
Can I pin emails without losing the Gmail category tabs?
If you use Starred First, Multiple Inboxes, or Important First inbox type, you do lose the Gmail Categories. As an alternative, consider creating and using a custom label such as Pinned.
Can I pin an email in the Gmail mobile app?
The Gmail mobile app does not provide a Pin feature. Instead, you can use the Star and Important markers with those particular inbox types or create a custom label. Note that there have been issues with these inbox types in Gmail on mobile.
