How to Delete Unread Emails in Gmail
If you have hundreds or even thousands of unread emails in your inbox, it can take quite a bit of time to review them one by one. And in most cases, the messages remain unread because you didn’t want to open them in the first place, right?
Let’s look at how to delete specific unread messages along with all of them at once in Gmail.
Clean up Old unread emails in Gmail
Removing older messages that you’ve never opened is one of the most common and sensible mailbox cleanup methods.
First, determine how old those unread emails should be and then follow these steps to remove emails in Gmail based on age.
- In Gmail on the web, select All Mail in the left-hand menu.
- At the top, use the Any time drop-down menu to pick the age or enter a custom date range.
- Mark the Select checkbox on the top left and pick Unread in its drop-down box.
- Click Delete (trash can) in the top toolbar.
Note that you won’t be asked to confirm but will see a brief Undo option if you immediately change your mind.
💡 Tip: To delete unopened emails based on criteria other than age like sender, attachment, or keyword, choose the corresponding filter or Advanced search at the top of your inbox.
Clean up All unread emails in Gmail
If you prefer to simply remove all messages you haven’t read yet, this is another option for cleaning your Gmail inbox.
- In the search bar at the top, type is:unread and press Enter. All unseen messages across all your folders and categories will be displayed.
- Click the checkbox at the top left to select all emails on the page, then click "Select all messages that match this search" to select all unread emails in your account.
- Click on the Trash bin icon to erase all selected emails.
- Optionally, go to the Trash folder on the left sidebar and click Empty Trash now to permanently delete the messages immediately; otherwise, Gmail will automatically remove them after 30 days.
💡 Tip: If you’d like to sort Gmail by unread to quickly view your unread messages before deleting them, go to your Inbox, click the Settings (gear) icon, and pick Unread first below Inbox Type.
Delete All Unread Emails in the Gmail Mobile App
To clear your mailbox of unread messages in the Gmail mobile app on your Android phone, iPhone, or iPad, follow the steps below.
- Open the Gmail app on your phone.
- Tap the search bar at the top and type is:unread to filter your inbox and show only unseen messages.
- Long-press any unread message to select it. You will then see the option to Select all.
- Once you have selected all the unread messages, tap the trash bin icon to get rid of them.
📌 Note: The Gmail mobile app doesn't provide an option to select all unread messages in one go. You will see only 30 emails at first and need to scroll to the bottom to load more messages and tap Select all again.
💡 Tip: The drawback of deleting all unread messages in the Gmail mobile app is the necessity to first search for them manually and load all of your messages (which can be cumbersome if you have hundreds). To simplify the process, you can use an email management app like Clean Email, which we will discuss in detail in the next section.
How to Delete Unread Emails in Clean Email
For more intuitive selection options for deleting unread messages, look to Clean Email. Because this tool automatically filters unread, large, and old emails into sections for you, you can delete unopened emails in Gmail much faster.
What’s more, the guides below work the same way in the Clean Email web, desktop, and mobile apps.
Erase Old unread emails in Clean Email
To remove old unseen messages in Clean Email, follow these steps:
- Select Old Mail below Favorites in the menu.
- In the drop-down menu at the top, pick the age for the messages.
- Click the Unread filter for all unopened emails in the age range.
- Choose Select at the bottom and then Select All.
- Pick Trash to move them to the Trash, then confirm. Or tap More and choose Delete to permanently clear out the messages.
💡 Tip: To delete unopened emails based on a condition other than age, for instance, large emails, select Large Mail in the menu for Step 1 instead.
Clean out All unread emails in Clean Email
Like Gmail, you can easily delete all unimportant unread emails in Clean Email. However, this can also lead to removing something you later need. With advanced filter and sort features, you can avoid erasing an important message in Clean Email.
- Select Unread below Favorites in the menu.
- Optionally use the Group By menu to group conversations by sender or other criteria or the Newest on Top menu to sort by number or size.
- Choose Select at the top and mark multiple groups or messages. Alternatively, you can use Select All.
- Pick Delete or Trash per your preference and confirm.
💡 Tip: Unlike Gmail, Clean Email asks you to confirm before deleting messages, which prevents you from performing the action by mistake. You can also check out the History in the menu to see all actions taken and double-check.
Delete All Read Emails in Gmail and Clean Email
Maybe it’s messages you’ve already opened and read that you want to delete instead. Here’s how to find and remove read emails in both Gmail and Clean Email.
⚠️ Warning: You’ll likely only want to remove certain read messages, not all of them! So, the following guides provide filter and sort suggestions.
Delete read emails in Gmail
- Select a location or label in the menu or a tab like Promotions or Updates.
- Use the filters at the top to find the messages. For example, choose From for those from a particular sender.
- Mark the Select checkbox and pick Read in its drop-down box to select all read emails from that sender.
- Click the trash can icon in the toolbar to remove selected messages.
📌 Note: Again, Gmail does not ask you to confirm, so if you remove a message by mistake, open the Trash using the left-hand menu within 30 days to recover it.
Delete read emails in Clean Email
- Select a location in the menu. We recommend checking out our Smart Folders and choosing the one you don’t need, like Social notifications.
- Tap the funnel icon and choose Status… to select only the read messages. You can also specify email size, age, or other criteria.
- Choose Select at the bottom and then Select All to select all read messages.
- Pick Trash, then confirm. Or tap More and choose Delete to permanently remove all messages.
Time-Saving Inbox Management With Clean Email
As mentioned, Clean Email provides dedicated mailbox areas for unread and old messages along with advanced options to delete the exact emails you want. What you may not know is that Clean Email offers enhanced control and management over deleting mass Gmail messages and more.
Plus, you can use these Clean Email features on all your devices, including Android and iOS and the app works with any IMAP-based email service.
Use Auto Clean to set up regular mailbox cleanup rules to auto-delete Gmail emails. For instance, you can automatically move unread emails older than one year to the Trash or Delete them. This keeps your inbox tidy and saves you time from manually deleting read or unread messages.
Visit History in the menu to see all automatic and manual actions taken. For example, if you aren’t sure why an email is in the Trash folder, you’ll quickly find out there. You can then select the message and move it back to your inbox.
Take advantage of the preset Smart Folders to remove messages you no longer need. With folders for Travel, Seasonal Sales, Job Search, Online Shopping, and more, you can easily review and remove emails that are read or unread.
Wrap-Up
Whether you have unopened emails by default or take the time to mark them as unread, you can end up with a lot of old or unimportant messages that stand out more than new ones. Use the guides you see here to bulk delete those emails and then consider auto-deleting spam along with stopping unwanted messages to clear your Gmail inbox too.
FAQs
Is there a way to delete all unread emails in Gmail?
Yes, you can erase all unread mail by using Gmail on the web, searching for is:unread, selecting all conversations that match the search, and then deleting them. For a more automated and efficient approach, utilize the Clean Email app to declutter your inbox.
How to see only unread emails in Gmail?
For viewing unread emails, you can adjust the Gmail inbox settings to display all unread messages at the top. Additionally, to show unread emails in Gmail using a different method, use the search bar at the top and type is:unread to display all unread messages across all folders. Both methods provide quick ways to focus on your new emails.
How do I delete thousands of emails in Gmail?
An inbox cleaning app like Clean Email provides the fastest way to delete thousands of messages in Gmail. It automates the way emails are filtered and grouped based on your user history and any rules you set. Quickly review groups of messages that Clean Email has selected for deletion, then take a single bulk action to clean up all emails.
How to mass delete unread emails in Gmail?
First, you need to filter your list of emails to delete. Use the 'Search Mail' bar to find all messages you want to delete (by unread status, by sender, etc.). Once the list populates, click the checkbox to select all emails, and then click the trash can icon to delete them. A quicker alternative is using an inbox cleaning tool like Clean Email.
How to select all unread emails in Gmail?
Type is:unread in your 'Search Mail' bar at the top of your inbox and then press Enter. All unseen messages will be displayed. To select them all, mark the checkbox at the top of the email list and click ‘Select all conversations that match this search’. Now, you can take bulk actions with the selected messages, including archiving, deleting, marking them as spam, and more.
