Gmail Folder Basics

Google doesn’t use the term folders, but instead offers Gmail labels. These labels work in a similar way to folders, but they allow you to apply multiple labels to the same message, meaning you can find it in each label’s view. Because these labels aren’t true folders, though, you can also still find each message in your main inbox.

Learning how to create folders in Gmail is very easy, and you can always edit or remove the labels at any time. Below, we will explain how to delete folders in Gmail and explore how Clean Email can help you organize your inbox even more efficiently.

How To Delete Gmail Folders

When you delete Gmail folders, you won’t actually trash the messages. Instead, it will simply remove the label from any corresponding messages and leave the message in your inbox. If you want to remove your messages, you’ll need to learn how to mass delete emails on Gmail.

Delete Gmail folders on web

If you use this mail provider through your web browser, you can easily delete folders in Gmail by following these steps:

Go to https://mail.google.com/ and login to you mail account.
On the left side, scroll down to Labels.
Find the folder you wish to get rid of, and hover over it.
When the three vertical dots appear, click the dots.
Select Remove Label.

You will then be asked if you want to get rid of the label. Click Delete.

💡 Note: When you delete a folder in Gmail, it will remove the label from any messages you have assigned it to. However, these messages will remain in your inbox unless you trash the messages themselves.

How to delete a Gmail folder on iPhone

If you use Gmail on your iPhone or iPad, you can also erase labels in the iOS Gmail app. Here’s how:

Open the app on your iPhone.
Tap on the three vertical lines (hamburger menu).
Scroll down the menu and tap Settings and select the correct mail account.
Scroll down to Inbox customisations.

Tap Labels. From here, select the folder (label) you want to erase.
Tap Delete [Folder Name].

You will be asked to confirm. Simply select Delete to finalize.

How to delete a whole folder in Gmail on Android phone

According to Google, there is not currently a way to delete Gmail folders from the Android app. Instead, you will need to follow the directions on how to delete a folder in Gmail on the web. You can use Chrome on your Android device to do this.

If you wish to delete Gmail labels from your Android device, simply:

Go to mail.google.com in Chrome.
Tap the hamburger menu (three horizontal lines).
At the bottom, look for View Gmail In, and select Desktop.
Find Labels on the left side menu, then tap Edit Labels.
Find any labels you’d like to erase, and press Remove.

💡 Note: This version will not ask you to confirm your changes, so double check you are pressing Remove on the correct item before doing so. Otherwise, you could erase a folder you didn’t intend to.

Looking for information on folder deletion for other email providers? Check out our guides on how to delete folders in Yahoo Mail or how to delete folders in Outlook.

Level Up Your Email Organization with Clean Email

As previously mentioned, you can delete folders in Gmail, but it will not remove any of the messages with that assigned label.

How to delete folders (labels) in Gmail

Launch the Clean Email app and connect your mail account.
Select the email group that you’d like to unlabel or search for it using the search bar on the top. Then click Labels on the action bar at the bottom.

💡 Note: Email group includes all messages from the same sender. To delete the label from one message, click the group to open the full list of the messages and select the necessary email.

Go to the Remove label section, select the label and click Confirm.

If you’d like to know how to delete all emails in a folder in Gmail, the app can help you as well. Here’s how:

Launch the Clean Email app and select All Mail from the left panel.
Click the funnel button at the top.

Choose Labeled As and choose the folder/label you need from the drop-down list.
Now, click Select and Select All to choose all messages in the selected folder.
Click the Trash button at the action panel at the bottom of the screen.
Confirm your action.

Advance Your Email Management

Additionally, you can use the app’s Smart Folders feature to sort messages in specific ways. The tool automatically groups messages based on the commonalities it notices (ex. Online shopping). From here you can easily set up the automated rules, mass delete messages, move emails to a new folder, archive them after a certain age automatically, and more.

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The app offers a dozen unique tools to help you organize and manage your inbox so you don’t spend hours maintaining your email each day. You can use Auto Clean to automate any routine email task, Unsubscriber to remove yourself from newsletters and promotional emails, and Privacy Monitor to ensure your inbox hasn’t been breached.

You can also use Clean Email to perform routine tasks you’d do directly in Gmail. For example, the app lets you create folders, label and trash messages automatically, block unwelcome senders to stop spam, and more. Unless you are replying to messages, which is not possible in Clean Email, it can handle just about any inbox organization task you need covered.

The app is completely safe to use, and we take your privacy seriously. Clean Email will never store or sell your data, and we go to great lengths to ensure that no one else has access to anything inside your mailbox. With Clean Email, you can rest easy and maintain a well-organized inbox — and that’s something we all need!

How To Delete Folders In Gmail - FAQs

Can I delete the All Mail folder in Gmail?

Gmail only lets users delete folders they have added themselves. This means you cannot delete All Mail (inbox), Sent, Drafts, or Trash. However, you can delete the messages in each of these folders.

How do I delete a folder in Gmail on Android?

Unfortunately, the Gmail Android app does not support deleting folders or labels at this time. Instead, you must login to the webmail inbox to do this.

How to delete a folder in Gmail on Mac?

To do this, you simply need to login to your inbox, scroll to the Labels section, and select the label (folder) you wish to delete.

Are Gmail labels the same as folders?

Gmail labels work in a slightly different manner than most other email providers’ folder system. However, you can still trash them at any time, assuming you know how to delete folders in Gmail.

How do I edit my folders in Gmail?

To edit folders (labels), click on the gear icon, then choose "See all settings". In the "Labels" tab, you can edit or remove existing labels.

How to delete multiple folders in Gmail?

Gmail does not have a direct option to delete multiple folders at once. You'll need to remove each folder individually.

How can I remove a folder without deleting its contents?

To remove a folder (label) without deleting its contents, navigate to Settings → See all settings → Labels. Then, click "Remove" next to the unwanted label. This action will remove it from the emails but won't delete the emails themselves.