How to Find and Delete Old Messages
Navigating a crowded inbox to locate and delete old messages can often feel like a challenging task. Fear not—with the right techniques and tools, this job can become a breeze. In the following section, we will outline the simple steps needed to find and eliminate those outdated messages easily and effectively.
Select your email client below to obtain detailed instructions:
- Gmail
- Outlook
- Yahoo
- Mail App (iPhone)
- AOL
How to find and delete old emails in Gmail
Find old emails in Gmail on the web with these quick steps:
Step 1. Log into your Gmail account.
Step 2. Click on the options button in the search box at the top of the page to show the Advanced Search Options.
Step 3. In the pop-up window, you can specify the details of the emails you’re looking for. To search for older messages, fill in the Date within field with your desired time frame.
Step 4. After you’ve entered your search criteria, click on the Search button at the bottom of the window.
For more details, check out our guide on How to Sort Gmail by Date, Subject, and Name.
How to delete old emails in Gmail:
Step 5. Your search results will appear in the main inbox view. Click the checkbox in the top left corner above your emails to select all messages in the search result.
Step 6. With your emails selected, click the trash can icon to delete old messages.
📌 Tip: You can also view the oldest emails in your Gmail inbox by hovering over the message count above your mail and clicking on Oldest. This allows you to select them and delete in batch.
However, the drawback of this approach is that you can only select up to 100 conversations per page. So, if you have thousands outdated and irrelevant emails, viewing them from the oldest will not help you delete them all at once. Read on to discover how the Clean Email app addresses this issue.
How to find and delete old email in Outlook
To find old emails in Outlook on the web:
- Sign in to your Outlook.com account and open your inbox.
- Located at the top of your inbox, click on the search bar to access the advanced search options.
- The quickest method to locate older messages is to focus on completing the Date from section. Simply click on the Select a date options, and choose the start and end dates corresponding to the timeframe when the emails you’re searching for were sent or received.
- Click Search to display your results.
- Once your search results or sorted list is displayed, check the boxes next to the messages you want to delete. If you want to select all emails, press Ctrl + A (for Windows) and Command + A for Mac.
- After selecting the messages you want to delete, click the Delete icon at the top of the page. This will move these messages to the Deleted Items folder.
To delete old emails in Outlook:
📌 Tip: To view the oldest emails first in Outlook, especially if you aim to delete the earliest ones individually, click the Filter menu button above your messages. Then, hover over Sort, and in the Sort order section, choose Oldest on top.
📌 Tip: If you use a Hotmail address with Outlook, check our guide on how to delete Hotmail emails.
Find and delete old emails in Yahoo Mail
Here is how to remove old emails in Yahoo Mail on the web:
- Click on the search bar that says Find messages, documents, photos or people in your Yahoo inbox on web.
- On the right, select the Advanced downwards arrow.
- Fill out the Date field.
- Press the Search button and all the messages within that timeframe will show up.
- Click the Select all checkbox above the messages to select all search results.
- Once you’ve thoroughly reviewed the messages you wish to clean up, click on the Delete trash can icon.
Learn how to delete multiple emails in Yahoo Mail in our other post.
If you wish to view your emails starting from the earliest ones, click Sort above your messages and choose to sort by Date: Oldest on top. Then, you will be able to delete them as you wish.
How to delete old messages on iPhone
- Access your mailbox or mailboxes by opening the Apple Mail app on your iPhone.
- In the Search bar, enter the specific month and year, or only the year, and then tap the Search button on the keyboard.
- Select the row with the calendar icon and the specified date under Suggestions. All email threads from that specific timeframe will then appear in your search results.
- If you wish to delete email threads one by one, simply swipe from right to left on each message and tap the Trash icon, or select More → Trash.
- To delete multiple messages at once, tap the Edit button located in the bottom-right corner. Then, mark the checkboxes for each email thread you wish to send to the trash, and click the trash can icon at the bottom when you’re done.
Deleting old emails in the Apple Mail app on mobile has several drawbacks: you can’t select all messages at once within a chosen filter, and setting the needed date range is difficult if you’re unsure of when your oldest emails were sent. Additionally, you cannot change the email order to view them starting from the oldest ones.
Thus, the guide provided is most effective if you want to learn how to delete emails from a specific time range. For more flexibility and a better user experience, we recommend using the Clean Email app available for iPhone users.
How to delete old emails on iPhone with Clean Email
- Download the app and log in with your email.
- Search for the Old Mail filter in Favorites section on the left side panel, and click it.
- You will see all your mail automatically filtered by date, older than 6 months. If you wish to adjust the age of the emails, click on the filter above and select according to your preferences.
- Choose how the app groups the messages (Group By… button), then sort them as desired (tap Newest on Top button to see options).
- Click Select at the bottom and choose the unwanted messages. The app allows you to select individual messages, message groups from one sender in batch, or delete all old emails at once (Select all).
- To move messages to the Trash folder, click the Trash button below. To permanently delete them, tap More → Delete.
📌 Tip: If you can’t find the Old Mail filter, go to the Inbox or All Mail folder, and click the Old Mail button above your messages.
Learn more about how to delete all emails on iPhone.
How to access old AOL emails
Knowing how to delete old mail in AOL emails can be a lifesaver for many email users who have lost important files from months or years ago in their AOL inbox.
- Go to your AOL Mail Inbox.
- Click the Search your mail or the web bar.
- Click on the Advanced button and ensure you will be searching in your Mail.
- Click on the Any option in the Date parameter field, select Custom Dates in the dropdown menu, choose the desired time period, and then click the Search button.
- After your search results appear, select the checkboxes next to the messages you want to delete. Alternatively, you can click the checkbox in the top left corner above your emails to and pick the All option to select all messages in the search results.
- At the top of the page, click the Delete button.
You can also view your Inbox emails with the oldest messages first by selecting the Sort option and choosing Date: Oldest on Top. Then, you can select and delete the old emails individually or in groups.
Clean Email’s Power: How to Get Rid of Old Emails in a Flash
Curious if there’s a simpler method to access and delete your unused emails in just a few taps? Well, the answer is yes, and it’s called Clean Email. This secured application for email organization is free to try, and it’s compatible with all the leading email services such as Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, AOL, and others.
The Auto Clean feature of this app lets you create rules to automatically handle messages beyond a certain age. It’s like having a personal assistant that removes outdated emails. Although it’s a premium feature of the app, you can try it for free during a 14-day trial period and see how much value it adds to your inbox management routine.
Here’s how to use Clean Email for automatic deletion of old emails:
- Navigate to https://app.clean.email/ and sign in with your mail account.
- Opt for the All Mail folder in the left-hand menu. Apply the Old Mail filter present above the search bar.
- Adjust the default Older than 6 months filter to suit your needs and select the email messages to manage.
- To delete all old emails beyond your chosen timeframe, hit Select All. Alternatively, choose specific senders.
- Press the Create Rule button on the action bar in blue. In the Apply Action segment, choose either Trash to move the messages to the Trash folder or Delete for permanent removal.
- Hit Create Rule once more for confirmation.
Your rule is now established and added to the Auto Clean panel, where you can conveniently modify it as needed.
Working with aged emails, you might require extra filtering options. Clean Email has your back with its Smart Folders. These preset filters are the ultimate organizational tool of the app, sorting your messages into relevant categories like Top senders, Social notifications, Online shopping, and more.
You might also find the Keep Newest feature handy. If you like to retain the latest email from a sender while eliminating the rest, this function is perfect for you. It ensures you have the freshest correspondence at your disposal, unhampered by previous threads.
Seeking more guidance? Check out our guide on How to Delete All Emails from One Sender for additional useful tips.
Conclusion
By following these steps, your old messages will be removed from your inbox in no time. You’ll get the space back from those large files and have a clean and organized inbox. If you feel that manually deleting messages is too time-consuming, Clean Email is ready to help with our safe and secure email management software.
How To Delete Old Emails - FAQs
Should I delete old emails?
Yes, it will free space for new important messages, attachments, and files. Deleting old messages will also help keep your inbox clean and organized.
How do I delete old emails?
To effectively manage and delete outdated messages, you could use Clean Email. This app allows you to create rules that automatically manage emails older than a specific period, thereby simplifying the process of inbox cleaning.
Where are my old emails in Gmail?
Your old unused emails in Gmail are generally located in your Inbox or, if you’ve previously archived them, under the ‘All Mail’ label. You can find specific old emails by using the search bar at the top of the page and entering relevant details such as keywords, sender’s name, or date range.
How do I delete thousands of old emails in Gmail?
To delete thousands of old messages in Gmail, you can use the ‘Select All’ checkbox in your Inbox and then click the Trash Can icon. If you’re looking for a more automated solution, Clean Email can be a handy tool, as it allows you to create rules that automatically manage and delete messages older than a specified period.
How can I delete all mail in Gmail older than 2 years in one go?
In Gmail, you can delete all emails older than two years by typing "older_than:2y" in the search bar to filter those emails. Select all filtered emails, click on the Trash icon, and then empty your Trash folder to permanently remove them.
How far back does Gmail keep emails?
Gmail doesn’t impose a time limit for storing messages in your inbox. However, emails that end up in the Spam or Trash folders are automatically deleted after 30 days.
How do I delete old emails in Yahoo?
First, you’ll need to fill out the blank fields in the search bar and click the ‘search’ button. Next, select the checkbox to highlight all the old messages you want to remove and press the Delete icon.
