How to Archive Emails in Gmail (and Find Them Again)
Archiving clears your inbox without deleting anything. Here’s how to archive on every device, where archived emails go, and how to get them back.
Archive takes an email out of your inbox without deleting it. Archived messages stay in All mail, where search still finds them, and they don’t expire the way Trash does. It’s the quickest way to reach an empty inbox without losing anything.
Archive on a computer
- Tick the box next to one or more messages.
- At the top, click the Archive icon.
Keyboard shortcut: tick a message and press E.
Archive a lot at once: open the inbox (or a search), tick the select box at the top, then click the link to select all matching conversations — not just the ones on screen — and click Archive.
Archive on Android
Touch and hold one or more messages, then tap Archive at the top.
Swipe to archive: tap the menu at the top left › Settings › General settings › Swipe actions. Next to Right swipe or Left swipe, tap Change, then Archive.
Archive on iPhone or iPad
Touch and hold one or more messages, then tap Archive at the top.
Swipe to archive: tap Menu › Settings. Under Inbox, tap Inbox customisations › Mail swipe actions, choose Right swipe or Left swipe, tap Archive, then Done.
Where archived emails go
- Computer: on the left, click More › All mail.
- Android, iPhone or iPad: tap the menu at the top left › All mail.
- Anywhere: search for
in:archive.
If someone replies to an archived conversation, it comes back to your inbox by itself.
Combine in:archive with other search terms to narrow it down — for example in:archive from:bank. The Gmail Search Builder writes these for you.
Archive automatically with a filter
For newsletters or notifications you want to keep but never see in your inbox, create a filter that skips the inbox: open the search options, describe the emails, click Create filter, and choose the skip-inbox (archive) action. They’ll go straight to All mail. See Gmail filters and labels. If an email ever seems to vanish, check for a filter like this first.
Move an email back to the inbox
- Computer: find the message, tick it, and click Move to inbox at the top.
- Android, iPhone or iPad: touch and hold the message, then tap More at the top right › Move to inbox.
Archive or delete?
| Archive | Delete | |
|---|---|---|
| Leaves the inbox | Yes | Yes |
| Where it goes | All mail | Trash |
| How long it stays | Until you delete it | Up to 30 days, then gone for good |
| Found by search | Yes | Only if you search Trash |
Archive anything you might need again — receipts, confirmations, conversations. Delete what you’re sure about, such as old promotions, or unsubscribe so they stop arriving. Running low on space? See Gmail storage full.
Deleted something you meant to archive? Get it back from Trash within 30 days.
How this guide was checked · October 2026
Verified against 2 official sources
Every step, setting and limit in this guide was checked against the provider’s own documentation on support.google.com. Anything we couldn’t confirm was left out.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Where do archived emails go in Gmail?
To All mail. On a computer click More › All mail, or search for in:archive.
Does archiving delete emails in Gmail?
No. Archived emails leave the inbox but stay in All mail, and search still finds them.
How do I unarchive an email in Gmail?
Find it in All mail, select it and choose Move to inbox. A reply to the conversation also brings it back.
What is the Gmail shortcut to archive?
Select a message and press E.
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