If you want to clean up your Gmail inbox but don’t want to delete anything permanently, the archive option is your best bet. When you archive an email, it disappears from your Inbox but is still accessible. Here’s how to get access to any emails you’ve previously archived, as well as how to move them back to your regular Inbox for quick access.
Using the internet to locate archived emails
If you use a web browser to access Gmail, retrieving any emails, you may have archived a simple process. For starters, any archived emails will appear in search results if you use the search bar at the top of the page. Alternatively, you can use the All Mail option to view all of your available mail, including archived items.
Step 1: Go to the Gmail website and create an account.
Step 2: Scroll down to More on the left side of the screen.
Step 3: Choose All Mail from the drop-down menu.
Step 4: You can now browse your email on the right side of the screen; it will include all emails in your account, including archived content.
Using mobile apps to locate archived emails
You can easily access archived content if you use the Gmail mobile app on your iOS or Android device. You can conduct a search using the search bar above your Inbox, just as you would on the web; it will include archived content. Otherwise, you can use the All Mail option to access all of your available mail, including archived content.
Step 1: Launch the Gmail app on your phone or tablet.
Step 2: Tap the Menu button, which appears as three horizontal lines at the top of the screen.
Step 3: If necessary, scroll down and select the All Mail option.
Step 4: You can now browse your emails on your computer; this will include all of your emails, including archived ones.
Using the web to transfer an archived email to the Inbox
You can always move any archived content back to your Inbox if you change your mind. Using the Gmail website, follow these steps to restore the archived email to your Inbox:
Step 1: Go to the Gmail website and create an account.
Step 2: Find the email you want to move to.
Step 3: Check the small box to the left of the email.
Step 4: Select Move to Inbox from the drop-down menu at the top of the screen.
After that, your archived email will be returned to your Inbox for regular viewing. Hover over the email again and select the Archive button if you want to return it to the archive (pictured as a small box with a down arrow).
Read Also: How To Make Sure Your Emails Aren’t Tracked
Using mobile apps to move an archived email to the Inbox
You can also change your mind about archived emails while you’re on the go with Gmail’s iOS and Android mobile apps. To restore the archived email to your Inbox in Google’s official Gmail app for Android, follow these steps:
Step 1: Launch the Gmail app on your phone or tablet.
Step 2: Locate and tap on the email you want to move.
Step 3: In the upper right corner, tap the More button (shown as three vertical dots).
Step 4: Select Move to Inbox from the menu.
After that, your archived email will be returned to your Inbox for regular viewing. Reopen the email and tap the Archive button to return the message to the archive folder (pictured as a small box with a down arrow).
Note that the procedure is slightly different for iOS devices. According to Google, here’s how to do it:
Step 1: Go to All Mail and look for the email you’re looking for.
Step 2: On the left side of the screen, tap the Profile icon for the sender.
Step 3: Select the More option (three dots).
Step 4: Choose whether you want to move to the Inbox or the Primary folder.
Read Also: Disposable Email Addresses – A Step-by-Step Guide
Email archiving versus email muting
You may have heard the terms “mute an email” and “archive an email” used interchangeably. Both features will clear messages from your Inbox to keep things tidy, but archived emails will reappear in your Inbox if they are replied to. Muted messages, on the other hand, will be permanently removed from your Inbox. If you want to mute an email, follow these steps on the web or in the mobile app:
Step 1: Go to your Gmail account and log in.
Step 2: Go to the email you want to mute and open it.
Step 3: Click on the “More” button (shown as three vertical dots). You must click the More button, which is located near the top of your screen, just below the Search box, for the web.
Step 4: Select Mute from the drop-down menu.
These instructions work on both iOS and Android phones and tablets. The only minor difference between Android and iOS devices is that the More icon on iOS is three horizontal dots rather than three vertical dots.
If you want to unmute an email conversation, go to the web and follow the steps above, but select the Unmute option in step four (4). If you want the email to go back to your Inbox, you’ll still have to select Move to Inbox. Unmuting an email in Gmail does not move it to a different folder, so it will remain in All Mail unless you manually move it.
All of your muted conversations are grouped so that you can find them quickly by searching for “is: mute” in the Gmail search box.