I tend to collect electronic mail like some might collect Star Wars action figures. OK, that'southward non a perfect analogy because by and large I collect electronic mail because I remember I might need it after, simply never do. That mostly equates to me having manner too many emails sitting in my inbox, most of which I've read and don't demand anymore.

Run across: How to clean upward your Gmail inbox with this mass delete trick (free PDF) (TechRepublic)

And that can crusade problems, especially in the Gmail mobile awarding. When you have thousands (or tens of thousands) of emails, the Gmail app search function can become bogged downward. Because of that, I tend to go eliminate the problem every few months (or every year, when I get too decorated and forget the whole "every few months" thing).

The problem with the Gmail app is there's no easy mode to do a mass delete. Even when you lot try with the web-based version, y'all'll discover you tin merely select 100 emails at a time. When your inbox is alluvion, that's not a proficient enough option.

So, what do y'all do? I'm going to evidence you a handy trick for mass deletion. Unfortunately, this only works on spider web-based Gmail. The good news is that your mobile Gmail app will give thanks y'all for taking care of this.

What yous'll need

The simply thing you demand is a Google account. Of form, you'll also need an inbox filled with previously read emails that yous don't need to keep. That'south important here: If you have certain emails that y'all demand to keep, either mark them as unread or move them to another folder, otherwise they will be deleted.

You lot've been warned.

Run into: Electronic communication policy  (TechRepublic Premium)

How to mass delete in Gmail

Open up Gmail and blazon is:read in the search bar. At this point, you should simply see those emails y'all take already read (or at least the offset 100). With your read email on display, bank check the box (Figure A) to select all of the messages.

Figure A

Make sure to select all unread messages.

If you lot accept a ton of unread messages, y'all will have only selected the starting time 100 (considering… Google). To select all of those unread messages, you must click the Select All Conversations That Match This Search link (Effigy B). Note: This link will merely announced if you lot take more 100 unread messages.

Figure B

Make sure to select all of your read emails (not but the first 100).

One word of alarm: If you run into an email listed (later selecting all unread emails) that you don't desire to exist deleted, if yous uncheck it you will revert the Select all conversations that friction match this search option. In other words, you need to brand sure you've collected those read emails you want to salvage into a different folder (or marked them as unread) before going through this. Now, nosotros need to delete all of those read emails by clicking the Trash icon (Figure C).

Effigy C

The Trash icon is the uttermost on the correct.

After clicking the Trash icon, y'all'll be prompted to OK the bulk delete of the read electronic mail. Click OK and every one of those read emails will be sent to the trash. Depending on how many read emails yous are deleting, this can take some time. In the end, you'll take a much cleaner Gmail inbox.

And that's how yous mass delete email in Gmail. Enjoy that reclaimed infinite and more efficient Gmail app search.

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