Why Delete Unread Emails in Gmail?
Getting email from all the companies you do business with (and some you don’t!) seems to be the norm these days. In fact, the average person receives 121 emails every day! And while each email might mean well, the fact is that you don’t want to read them all. So, what’s the easy way to delete all emails in Gmail and get them out of your way?
It’s actually quite simple and takes a lot less time than reading and deleting each one. Let us be your guide on how to delete all unread messages in Gmail with just a few quick clicks.
How to Delete All Unread Emails in Gmail
By default, most Gmail users sort their emails via the time in which they were received, starting with the most recent. If you look on your left side bar where your email folders are located, you will see a number beside the Inbox folder that tells you how many Unread emails you have. However, this only applies to the messages in your primary inbox, not your Social or Promotions tabs, junk mail, or other folders.
You can filter your inbox to see all of your unread Gmail emails at a glance. Once you’ve filtered your Unread emails, you can remove them all with a couple of clicks. Check out this video to learn how to do it fast.
Or follow these steps:
- In the Search mail bar, type is:unread.
- Alternatively, you can click the Show search options icon on the right from the Search mail bar.
- At the bottom of the list, click the dropdown menu for the Search field.
- Select Unread Mail.
- Click the blue Search button.
- Once you have the list of Unread emails, click the checkbox at the top of the list to select all messages.
- Click the trashcan icon and confirm to delete all selected messages.
Once you delete all your unread emails, they will be moved to your trash bin for 30 days. However, you can click on your Trash folder and click the Empty Bin Now link in the top right corner to remove these messages immediately.
If you only want to delete promotional messages (found in the Promotions tab), you can follow this guide on how to delete all promotions in Gmail.
How to Delete All Unread Emails in Gmail Using Third-Party Cleaning Apps
Once you learn how to delete unread emails in Gmail, it’s easy to keep a cleaner inbox. However, the downside about doing it manually is that it does take a few extra steps. There’s no Gmail Delete All Unread button, so unless you put in the effort, your inbox will stay cluttered and inefficient.
That’s why an email cleaning app like Clean Email can be such a powerful productivity tool. It cleans up your inbox on your behalf — set up the rules once and let your app do the rest.
Third-party email cleaning apps can automate the way you delete unread emails. You can set up rules and filters so that none of your important messages get deleted. If you’re like the average Gmail user that gets 121+ emails every day, then it’s easy to see how much time automation can save you.
Follow our guide on how to delete multiple emails on Mac and how to delete old emails in Gmail.
How Clean Email Can Help Keep Your Inbox Tidy
Clean Email is one of the most comprehensive, user-friendly email tools for Gmail.
Its intuitive features let you organize your emails in groups and take bulk actions. For example, the Smart Folders are custom filters that allow users to view specific types of emails based on their characteristics (such as messages from social networks or online shopping emails). Smart Folders let you fly through your inbox in minutes.
By using your past cleaning history and the collective data of other users, the app’s Cleaning Suggestions can recommend similar messages for you to clean. This convenient shortcut saves you time and hassle, making it easy to keep your inbox tidy and clutter-free. And should you change your mind about how you want to organize your inbox, you can change your labels and rules with just a couple of clicks.
For example, let’s say you get several promotional emails each week from your favorite clothing store. Instead of having these offers scattered throughout your inbox, Clean Email can apply a filter or rule that groups all of these emails together. This way, all your sales, discounts, and even shipping notices from that store are collected and stored in one easy location.
Or, maybe you get several unwanted email newsletters every day. Clean Email’s Unsubscriber feature can help you automate your unsubscribe requests. You no longer have to open every email and follow their Unsubscribe processes, which can sometimes be lengthy, confusing, and painful.
What’s more, Clean Email is fully compliant with Gmail API requirements. It takes privacy and security just as seriously as you do. In fact, in 2019 Gmail severely limited the types of apps that are allowed to access Gmail. This app is one of the few of its kind that meet stringent privacy requirements and protect your email data.
If you want to learn how to delete all unread emails in Gmail at once, Clean Email has you covered. Here’s how easy it is:
- With the Clean Email app installed, click the Unread Mail folder on the left side bar.
- All your unread mail from all folders (except Spam) will be displayed. Click Select... located under the search bar.
- Choose Select All.
- Then click on the Trash button located in the action bar at the bottom of the screen.
- In the next pop-up window, press Confirm.
You can try Clean Email for free to see how it works and watch how it transforms your inbox!
Wondering how to delete AOL emails or how to delete multiple emails in Outlook? Check out our blog section to become an email guru!
FAQs on How to Delete All Unread Emails in Gmail
How do I delete thousands of emails in Gmail?
An inbox cleaning app like Clean Email is the fastest way to delete thousands of messages in Gmail. It automates how 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 one bulk action to delete all emails.
How do you mass delete emails on Gmail?
First, you need to filter your list of emails to delete. Use the Search Mail bar to search for 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 trashcan icon to delete. A faster way is to use an inbox cleaning tool like Clean Email.
How do I select all unread emails in Gmail?
Type is:unread in your Search Mail bar at the top of your inbox, then click Enter. All unread emails will be displayed. To select them, click the checkbox at the top of the email list. You can now take bulk actions with the selected messages, including archive, delete, or mark as spam.
