How To Create And Manage Folders In Yahoo Mail On Web, iPhone & Android

Written by Sandy Writtenhouse

Folders in Yahoo Mail work like those on your computer. But rather than holding files, they hold emails. This helps you keep your mailbox tidy and find messages you need quickly. Let’s look at how to add a folder in Yahoo Mail and then view, manage, and move emails to it.

How to Create a New Folder in Yahoo Mail

Creating a folder in Yahoo Mail is a simple and straightforward process. Whether you’re using the web application or mobile app on iPhone or Android, you can add a folder in less than a minute.

How to Create a Folder in Yahoo Mail on the Web

  1. Visit Yahoo Mail on the web and log in.
  2. Expand Folders in the left-hand menu.
  3. Select New Folder.
  4. Enter a folder name and click Add or press Enter or Return.

How to Create a Folder in Yahoo Mail on iPhone

  1. Open the Yahoo Mail app.
  2. Tap Inbox in the bottom toolbar.
  3. Scroll to the bottom and pick Create new folder.
  4. Enter a folder name and tap Save.
How to create a folder in Yahoo Mail on iPhoneHow to create a folder in Yahoo Mail on iPhone

📌 Note: Follow the same steps on iPad.

How to Create a Folder in Yahoo Mail on Android

  1. Open the Yahoo Mail app.
  2. Access the menu using your profile icon on the top left.
  3. Scroll to the Folders section and tap New folder.
  4. Enter a folder name and tap Create.

⚠️ Why can't I create a new folder in Yahoo Mail? Because you can create an unlimited number of folders in Yahoo Mail, the issue may be a weak internet connection, outdated mobile app, or full mailbox. Check your connection, update the app, and confirm your available Yahoo Mail storage.

How to Move Emails to Folders in Yahoo Mail

Once you complete the steps above, you can start moving emails to your folder in Yahoo Mail. This gets the organization of your inbox underway.

How to Move Emails to Folders in Yahoo Mail on the Web

  1. Hover over an email in the message list or open the email.
  2. Click the Move icon (folder).
  3. Choose a folder from the list.

💡 Tip: You can also drag an email from your inbox to a folder in the left-hand menu.

How to Move Emails to Folders in Yahoo Mail on iPhone

  1. Open the email.
  2. Select Move in the bottom toolbar.
  3. Choose a folder from the list.

📌 Note: Follow the same steps on iPad.

How to Move Emails to Folders in Yahoo Mail on Android

  1. Open the email.
  2. Tap the Move icon (folder with arrow) in the bottom toolbar.
  3. Choose a folder from the list.

💡 Tip: With Clean Email’s Smart Folders, you can see related emails automatically filtered into folders for you. You have over 30 Smart Folders for things like Travel, Social Notifications, and Online Shopping that you can quickly access without extra work!

Automatically filter and categorize messages into folders using Clean EmailAutomatically filter and categorize messages into folders using Clean Email

How to View Folders in the Yahoo Mail App

Folders in Yahoo Mail are only helpful if you can access them easily, right? So, if you’re wondering, “Where are my folders in Yahoo Mail,” it’s super simple on all your devices.

Then, simply select a folder to view its contents.

How to Create Automatic Folders in Yahoo Mail

If you want to effortlessly organize your messages, you can set up automatic folders. To do this, you’ll simply create a filter with rules in Yahoo Mail. The filter works in the background to match incoming emails and then automatically move them to a folder of your choice.

How to Create Automatic Folders in Yahoo Mail on the Web

  1. Select More in the left-hand menu and pick Settings.
  2. Choose Filters on the left and click Add new filters.
  3. How to add new filters in Yahoo Mail on the webHow to add new filters in Yahoo Mail on the web
  4. Enter a Filter name.
  5. Select or enter the conditions for the matching messages.
  6. Choose an existing folder or enter a name for a new folder.
  7. Click Save.
How to create automatic folders in Yahoo Mail on the webHow to create automatic folders in Yahoo Mail on the web

How to Create Automatic Folders the Yahoo Mail on iPhone and Android

Unfortunately, you cannot currently set up filters in the Yahoo Mail mobile app.

💡 As an alternative consider using Clean Email and its Auto Clean rules.

Tidy Up Shared Calendar Notifications With Clean EmailTidy Up Shared Calendar Notifications With Clean Email

You can create Auto Clean rules on both iPhone and Android the same way as the web app. Plus, you can automatically move incoming emails to an existing or new folder just like Yahoo Mail’s web filters.

How to Manage Folders in Yahoo Mail

Curious how to organize your Yahoo Mail inbox after you add folders? Fortunately, the folders you create aren’t set in stone. This means that as you work through your mailbox, you can make a few adjustments to your folders.

💡 Note: If you want to delete a folder, the folder must be empty. Check out how to delete folders in Yahoo Mail for complete steps in both the web and mobile apps.

How to Transfer Folders From Yahoo Mail to Gmail

Do you have a Gmail account along with Yahoo Mail and want to manage both in the Gmail app? While you can import your data from Yahoo Mail into Gmail, this only includes the emails and not your folders.

💡 Instead, consider Clean Email for managing both accounts with a single app.

Along with the Clean Email features mentioned earlier, you can enjoy a simpler unsubscribe process with Unsubscriber and remove yourself from multiple mailing lists in bulk.

Unsubscriber feature in Clean EmailUnsubscriber feature in Clean Email

And check out Screener which isolates messages from unknown senders until you approve them.

Mark Emails From Safe Sender as Not Spam in Clean EmailMark Emails From Safe Sender as Not Spam in Clean Email

Clean Email is safe to use, is available on the web, Mac desktop and mobile (iOS and Android), and provides consistent functionality and privacy regardless of your device.

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

Conclusion

Now that you know how to make a new folder in Yahoo Mail, move messages to it, and manage it with ease, check out other tips for effectively using Yahoo Mail.

And keep in mind that Clean Email can help you further organize and automate your Yahoo Mail inbox and easily access it along with emails from Gmail or another service provider — for a robust and convenient unified solution.


Managing Folders in Yahoo Mail – FAQs

Why can’t I create a folder on iPhone?

If you can’t create a folder in the Yahoo Mail app on your iPhone, check that your app is updated and synced properly. To do this, open the Yahoo Mail app. Then, tap the Menu icon → Folders → tap New Folder. If the option doesn’t appear, reinstall the app or try creating the folder from a web browser at mail.yahoo.com.

Where did my folder go in Yahoo Mail?

Folders may disappear temporarily if the app isn’t synced or if you’re using filters that hide them.Fix it by refreshing or closing and reopening Yahoo Mail. You can also try checking under More → Folders, or logging in via the web, since folders often reappear there.

Can you create a folder within a folder in Yahoo Mail?

Yahoo Mail doesn’t support subfolders (nested folders). You can, however, use naming conventions like “Work/Clients” or “Work_Clients” to keep related folders grouped alphabetically.

What is the Done folder in Yahoo Mail?

The Done folder is a built-in system folder Yahoo introduced to help you mark messages as completed or handled. Emails you move there aren’t deleted — they’re simply archived for reference.

Where is the Trash folder in new Yahoo Mail?

In the left sidebar, scroll down and click More. Then, select Trash to open deleted messages. On mobile, tap the Menu icon → scroll → tap Trash. If you can’t see it, check that the Yahoo Mail app is up to date.

How to create a folder rule in Yahoo Mail?

You can set filters that automatically move emails to a folder. Go to mail.yahoo.com → click the Settings icon. Choose More Settings → Filters → Add new filters. Enter a name, define criteria (like sender or subject), and select the destination folder. Click Save.

How do I make certain emails go to a folder automatically?

On Yahoo Mail web, open Settings → More Settings → Filters. Create a filter and choose which folder to send matching emails to. Save your rule. You can also do this automatically in Clean Email with Auto Clean rules.

How many folders can I have in Yahoo Mail?

Yahoo doesn’t specify an exact limit, but users can typically create hundreds of folders without issues. Performance may slow slightly if too many folders are active.

How do I add a mailbox in Yahoo Mail?

Go to your Yahoo Inbox → Settings → More Settings → Mailboxes. Then, click Add mailbox. There, you can select your email provider and sign in.

How do I organize my mailboxes on iPhone?

Open the Mail app → tap Edit in the top-right corner. After that, reorder or hide mailboxes by checking or unchecking them. Tap Done to save changes.

Is Yahoo Mail down?

If folder actions aren’t working, check Yahoo Mail status or Yahoo’s official X (Twitter) account. A temporary outage can prevent folders from syncing or showing correctly.

What is the shortcut for making a new folder?

In Yahoo Mail on desktop, there’s no specific keyboard shortcut. You must click New Folder in the left panel. Mac users can press Command + Shift + N in Finder for system folders, but not in Yahoo Mail.

How do I create a new folder on my iPhone?

If you mean a device folder (not email), then you need to hold any app on the Home screen until it jiggles. Then, drag one app over another. Your iPhone will automatically create a folder — name it whatever you like.

How do I move files into a folder on iPhone?

Open the Files app. There, tap Select, choose your files, then tap Move. Choose the target folder. This process doesn’t affect email folders — it’s for device file management.

Where is Mail in settings on iPhone?

Go to Settings → Mail. Under Accounts, tap Add Account to manage or add your Yahoo Mail account. Adjust Mail sync options or notification preferences here.

How do Yahoo Mail folders compare to Gmail labels?

Yahoo Mail uses traditional folders, meaning an email can exist in only one folder at a time.Gmail uses labels, which let you tag one message with multiple categories. If you prefer label-style organization, consider tools like Clean Email, which groups messages similarly using Smart Folders.

Can I import Gmail folders into Yahoo Mail?

Not directly. Yahoo Mail and Gmail use different systems — Gmail’s labels don’t transfer as folders. However, you can forward or import your Gmail emails into Yahoo Mail using POP/IMAP settings, then organize them into new Yahoo folders manually.

How do I move emails from Gmail to Yahoo Mail folders?

In Gmail, enable IMAP under Settings → Forwarding and POP/IMAP. Add your Gmail account to Yahoo Mail via Settings → Mailboxes → Add mailbox. Once connected, move messages from Gmail’s inbox into your Yahoo folders.

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