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How to Mark All Emails As Read in Gmail

Quick Tips
  • Make sure to glance over the emails to avoid missing important emails.
  • To mark the email of a particular label or category, use label:<labelname> is:unread search prompt.
  • To find unread emails between two dates, use Before:YYYY/MM/DD After:YYYY/MM/DD along with the unread prompt.

Method 1: Mark All Email as Read in Gmail Web

Google doesn’t offer a direct option to mark all emails as read, so we must use special search prompts to achieve this.

Step 1: Open Gmail in your browser.

Step 2: Click on the search box on the top, type label:inbox is:unread, and press the Enter key.

Step 3: Tap the three-dot menu at the top of the first email and click the Mark all as read option.

Mark alll as read Gmail Web

Alternatively, select the checkbox on top of the first email (left to refresh icon), click on the Select all conversations that match this search link, and click on the open envelope icon (Mark as read) to complete the process.

Select All Emails with Checkbox Gmail

Method 2: Mark All Emails as Read in the Gmail App (Android and iOS)

We recommend using Gmail web to mark all emails as read, as the mobile experience isn’t as intuitive. However, if you must do it using the app, Android and iOS devices have identical UI and UX for the Gmail app. Hence, the steps will remain the same except for minor UI changes.

Step 1: Open the Gmail app on your phone.

Step 2: Tap the hamburger menu and select Settings.

Step 3: Now, select your Gmail account.

Step 4: The Inbox type is set as Default. Tap on it and select Unread first.

Step 5: Go back to your Gmail Inbox. You will see all your Unread emails on the default home page. Tap on the hamburger menu to find a new Unread tab.

Step 6: Tap the Unread tab and glance over all the unread emails in your inbox. When you long-press on an email to select, you will get the Select all link.

Step 7: Tap on it and tap on the Read icon (open envelope) at the top to mark the selected items as read in the Gmail mobile app.

Alternatively, type the label:inbox is:unread in the search bar above, and Gmail will filter out the unread emails from the Inbox. Select them and mark the emails as read.

Tip: Keep Unread Inbox at the Top in Gmail Web

Google offers an option to keep unread emails at the top to streamline the inbox experience with preferences for unread emails.

Step 1: Open Gmail and go to Settings > See all settings.

Step 3: Click the Advanced tab and select Enable for Unread message icon.

Enable Unread Message icon in Gmail Web Settings

Step 3: Click the Save Changes button at the end of the section. You will now see all the unread emails at the top. Glance over them and mark them as read.

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Last updated on 01 May, 2024

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