How to Set Up Swipe Left to Delete Email on iPhone
If you’re like most, you’ve explored the settings for Swipe Options in the Mail app on iPhone to use the Delete action. And like most, you didn’t find a Delete option and are wondering how to set iPhone email for swipe to delete, not archive.
Rather than in the Swipe Options, this is a somewhat hidden feature buried in the advanced settings for the particular email account. These steps apply to the most common account types including Gmail, Outlook, and Exchange.
- Open the Settings and select Apps → Mail.
- Choose Mail Accounts.
- Pick an account and tap Account Settings.
- Select Advanced (Settings).
- Choose Deleted Mailbox in the Move Discarded Messages Into section.
For an iCloud email account, follow Steps 1 and 2 above and pick Mailbox Behaviors to choose Deleted Mailbox.
You should then see the Delete option when you swipe left on an email. Note that if you’re using a Gmail account, you must swipe right instead and be sure to adjust the Swipe Options described below.
💡Tip: Deleting emails one by one is a time consuming, tedious task. Instead, turn to Clean Email which allows you mass delete or even archive thousands of messages in just a few taps. Plus, you can enjoy this same time-saving feature on iPhone, iPad, and Mac!
Delete Versus Archive
While Apple’s intentions are good by providing the archive option versus delete, it doesn’t work for everyone.
When you archive an email, this tucks it away in the Archive folder where you can retrieve it any time you like. But when you delete an email, this sends it to the Trash folder where it’s normally removed automatically after a certain time period (timing can depend on your account type and settings).
One notable exception is for Gmail which doesn’t provide an official Archive folder. Instead, you must search for emails labeled “Archive” when you pick that option. For more details, check out our article on Gmail Archive vs Delete.
💡 Tip: Do you tend to delete email subscriptions regularly? These might be promotional or marketing messages that seem to never stop rolling in. With Unsubscriber in Clean Email, you can remove yourself from multiple mailing lists at once and even pause subscriptions temporarily.
How to Change the Swipe Gestures in Mail on iPhone
The swipe gestures in Mail on iPhone are all-encompassing which means they apply to emails in your message list for all accounts.
- Open the Settings and select Apps → Mail.
- Choose Swipe Options in the Message List section.
- Tap Swipe Left and pick the action.
- Tap Swipe Right and pick the action.
- Use the Apps arrow on the top left to exit the Mail settings.
One thing to keep in mind when changing the swipe gestures is if you’re using a Gmail account. Because the Delete action currently appears when you swipe right instead of left, you must set the Swipe Right option to Archive. If you pick a different action, you won’t see the Delete option.
💡Tip: Swipe gestures are fine for one-off situations, but if you find yourself constantly removing emails from the same sender or with certain keywords, why not automate this task? With Clean Email’s Auto Clean feature, you can create mailbox rules to automatically delete or archive messages on iPhone as they arrive.
Gmail and Outlook Email Apps
If you use the Gmail or Outlook mobile app instead of or in addition to Apple Mail, you can change the iPhone email swipe to delete option in just a few steps.
Gmail App Swipe to Delete
Open the Gmail app on your iPhone and follow these steps:
- Access the menu and select Settings.
- Pick Inbox customizations.
- Choose Mail swipe actions.
- Select Trash for the Right swipe or Left swipe setting.
- Tap Done.
Outlook App Swipe to Delete
Open the Outlook app on your device and do the following:
- Display the menu and select Settings.
- Pick Mail.
- Choose Swipe Options.
- Select Delete for the Swipe Right or Swipe Left setting.
Troubleshooting
If you’re certain that you should see the delete option when you swipe an email in Mail on iPhone, but it’s nowhere to be found, double-check the following:
📌 For all accounts: Confirm that you pick Deleted Mailbox in the Move Discarded Messages Into section.
📌 For iCloud accounts: Make sure you head to Mailbox Behaviors to choose Deleted Mailbox.
📌 For Gmail accounts: Verify that the Swipe Right gesture is set to Archive and that you are indeed swiping right, not left.
If none of the above appear to work, try closing and reopening the Mail app or restarting your iPhone.
Consider Adding Clean Email
If you’re still in the “why can’t I swipe to delete email on iPhone” club, consider adding Clean Email to your mailbox management routine. Along with the features mentioned throughout this guide, the app offers even more tools for handling messages and works as a superb supplement to your email client.
You can use Smart Folders to view and manage related messages. These folders are pre-made for you and contain emails related to Online Shopping, Travel, Food Delivery, Job Search, and more. Similar to but less invasive than using categories in iPhone Mail, these folders give you quick access to the messages.
Additionally, you can check out the Screener feature which filters emails from unknown senders into a dedicated mailbox section. Then, Allow or Block future messages from a sender with a simple tap for a fast and easy way to keep your inbox clear of unwanted emails.
Again, you can use Clean Email on your mobile phone (iPhone or even Android) as well as your computer (on Mac desktop or via the web app), and enjoy seamless syncing between devices for all features and settings.
Wrap-Up
With email so crucial to our everyday lives, it’s important to have the right tools to manage our messages. Hopefully this guide helps you change the iPhone email swipe to delete option to remove those unwanted emails.
Remember, you can also change the default email app (and web browser) on your devices. Keep this in mind if you can’t seem to get Mail to work effectively, or better yet, give Clean Email a try!
