These folders enable you to organize your important emails better, making them easily accessible.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n
In this article, I\u2019ll first clarify how Gmail\u2019s folder system works. Then, I\u2019ll cover how to use folders in Gmail using its web app<\/a> and mobile app<\/a>, including how to create, nest, and remove your Gmail folders.<\/p>\n (Click on links to jump to specific sections)<\/p>\n Let\u2019s get started.<\/p>\n Further Reading:<\/b><\/p>\n Gmail doesn\u2019t<\/b> have a traditional folder system like Microsoft Outlook. How are labels different from folders? For example, it\u2019s possible to assign an email to the labels \u201cWeekend plans\u201d and \u201cPersonal\u201d \u2014 without creating a copy of it for each label.<\/p>\n Since a <\/b>Gmail<\/b> label<\/b> and a folder are essentially the same, I\u2019ll be using \u201clabels\u201d and \u201cfolders\u201d interchangeably in this guide.<\/b><\/p>\n Now that you know what a Gmail folder (or label) is, let\u2019s go over how you can use it on the Gmail web app:<\/p>\n Gmail\u2019s folders can help you organize your inbox better and manage emails more efficiently.<\/p>\n But for effective inbox organization, you\u2019ll first need to know how to create and manage labels inside Gmail. To help you out, I\u2019ll talk about:<\/p>\n Let\u2019s dive straight into creating folders on your Gmail web app:<\/p>\n While there are several ways to create<\/b> new folders<\/b> in the desktop version of Gmail, I\u2019ll cover the two easiest methods in this guide.<\/p>\n Step 1 If you don\u2019t have a Gmail account, sign up and set up your new mailbox.<\/p>\n Step 2 Hover your mouse cursor over the Label<\/b> as<\/b> option and click Create<\/b> new<\/b>.<\/p>\n Remember, I\u2019m using \u201clabels\u201d and \u201cfolders\u201d interchangeably in this guide.<\/i><\/p>\n Step 3 Note: <\/i><\/b>You\u2019ll also notice the option to nest the label. You can nest one or <\/i>multiple labels<\/i> inside another label. Nesting a label is <\/i>Gmail\u2019s<\/i> equivalent of creating a <\/i>subfolder<\/i>.<\/i><\/p>\n I\u2019ll go into more detail on how to create a nested label later in this guide.<\/a><\/p>\n Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Step 4 Keep scrolling down until you see the Create<\/b> new label<\/b> button.<\/p>\n Step 5 Name your new folder, click Create<\/b>, and you\u2019re good to go!<\/p>\n Pro tip:<\/b> To create a folder, you can also select an email, click the little label icon (or folder icon) below the search bar, and follow the steps outlined above.<\/p>\n Once you\u2019ve created your new folder, you can add the relevant emails to it.<\/p>\n Go back to Contents<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n Moving your important emails into Gmail folders is much easier than creating new folders.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s how to do it on Gmail\u2019s desktop version:<\/p>\n Step 1 Step 2 Then, click and hold to drag them over to the required folder on the left sidebar.<\/p>\n Step 3 But how do you move important emails to a folder automatically? <\/i>Let\u2019s find out.<\/p>\n Gmail also lets you avoid the hassle of manually<\/b> assigning emails to folders. Here\u2019s how it works:<\/p>\n Step 1 Step 2<\/b> This way, all future emails from this email address will automatically<\/b> go to the folder you assign.<\/p>\n Note:<\/i><\/b> You can also fill in other filter criteria to <\/i>create<\/i> a more restrictive filter.<\/i><\/p>\n Step 3 Step 4 Step 5 Gmail will now send all incoming emails from that email address to the specific folder you have chosen.<\/p>\n Alternatively, open the specific emails to which you want to apply a filter, and click the three vertical dots next to the label icon (folder icon).<\/p>\n From the drop-down menu that appears, select Filter messages like these<\/b> and follow the steps outlined above.<\/p>\n Go back to Contents<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n Next, I\u2019ll discuss the steps to nest a folder inside another in Gmail.<\/p>\n Nesting folders<\/b> in Gmail is very similar to creating subfolders inside a parent folder.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s how to create a new nested label inside an existing label:<\/p>\n Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Follow the steps below to take an existing label or folder and turn it into a subfolder:<\/p>\n Step 1 Step 2 Besides creating, moving, and nesting folders, you might often need to rename folders. I\u2019ll share the steps to do so in Gmail.<\/p>\n Go back to Contents<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n Want to change the <\/i>folder names<\/i> you\u2019ve already created? Step 1 Step 2 Type in the new name and save. That\u2019s all there is to it!<\/p>\n Now how do you delete a folder from Gmail?<\/i> Let\u2019s explore that next.<\/p>\n Follow the below steps to remove a label from the Gmail web app:<\/p>\n Step 1 Step 2 This is a Delete Folder equivalent as it removes the folder from Gmail.<\/p>\n Note: <\/i><\/b>When you remove a label, <\/i>Gmail<\/i> doesn\u2019t delete the <\/i>emails<\/i> under that label. It only erases the label.<\/i><\/p>\n Go back to Contents<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n If you want to maximize your inbox organization, you can assign different colors to your folders to easily differentiate between them. Here\u2019s how to color-code your Gmail folders on the web app:<\/p>\n Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 If you have tons of folders and don\u2019t want them crowding up your sidebar, Gmail lets you choose between showing and hiding folders. Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 To select the folders you want to make visible or not, click the show<\/b> or hide<\/b> buttons next to the folder name.<\/p>\n Go back to Contents<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n Next, I\u2019ll go over how you can use and manage folders on the Gmail web app:<\/p>\n The Gmail mobile app lets you move emails and also automatically assign email addresses to folders.<\/p>\n I\u2019ll show you how to:<\/p>\n Let\u2019s first go over how to move emails to folders on the mobile app.<\/p>\n While the mobile app won\u2019t let you create new<\/b> folders, you can move emails into your existing folders.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s how to do it:<\/p>\n Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Step 4 This is how the Move to<\/b> (destination folder) window looks:<\/p>\n It’s a label list from which you can select the folder of your choice.<\/p>\n Go back to Contents<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n If you wish to move your emails from one Gmail folder to another, you can do so easily on the mobile app.<\/p>\n Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Step 4 The Move to<\/i> window will have all the folder names except the parent label (parent folder) that contains the selected email.<\/p>\nThis Gmail Guide Contains:<\/h2>\n
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Gmail Folders vs. Labels<\/h2>\n
\nInstead, it has Labels<\/b>.<\/p>\n
\n<\/b>In a conventional folder system, an email can belong to only one folder. However, you can add multiple labels to an email in Gmail.<\/p>\nHow to Use Folders on the Gmail Web App<\/h2>\n
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A. How to Create Folders on the Gmail Web App<\/h3>\n
i. Method 1: Using Email Options to Create Labels<\/h4>\n
\n<\/b>Sign in to your Gmail<\/a> account.<\/p>\n![\"Sign](\"https:\/\/www.gmass.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Sign-in-1024x574.png\")
<\/p>\n
\n<\/b>Click the checkbox next to a message in your inbox<\/a> to select it. Then, right-click on it to bring up several options.<\/p>\n![\"Create](\"https:\/\/www.gmass.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Create-new-option.png\")
<\/p>\n
\n<\/b>Provide a name for your new folder in the dialog box that appears and hit the Create<\/b> button when you\u2019re finished.<\/p>\n![\"New](\"https:\/\/www.gmass.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/New-label-1.png\")
<\/p>\nii. Method 2: Using the left sidebar to create labels<\/h4>\n
\n<\/b>Open Gmail and scroll down the left sidebar until you see More<\/b>. Then, click the More <\/b>button.<\/p>\n![\"More](\"https:\/\/www.gmass.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/More-option.png\")
<\/p>\n
\n<\/b>From the additional options that appear, click + <\/b>Create<\/b> new label<\/b>.<\/p>\n![\"Create](\"https:\/\/www.gmass.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Create-new-label-1.png\")
<\/p>\n
\n<\/b>A pop-up appears, asking you to name your new folder. Enter the name and hit Create<\/b>.<\/p>\n![\"New](\"https:\/\/www.gmass.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/New-label-1-1.png\")
<\/p>\n
\n<\/b>Instead of clicking Create<\/b> new label<\/b>,\u00a0 you can also click Manage labels<\/b> in the left sidebar to open the Labels<\/b> tab.<\/p>\n![\"Create](\"https:\/\/www.gmass.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Create-new-label-button-1024x556.png\")
<\/p>\n
\n<\/b>Click the Create<\/b> new label<\/b> button, and you\u2019ll see the same dialog box as before.<\/p>\n![\"New](\"https:\/\/www.gmass.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/New-label-blue-border.png\")
<\/p>\n![\"label](\"https:\/\/www.gmass.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/label-icon-1024x107.png\"){kind=icon}
<\/p>\nB. How to Move Emails into Folders on the Gmail Web App<\/h3>\n
\n<\/b>To move a single email<\/b>, click and hold to drag the message and drop it in the desired label on the left sidebar.<\/p>\n
\n<\/b>If you\u2019d like to move multiple emails<\/b> at a time, check the boxes on the left of the emails you want to move.<\/p>\n![\"Check](\"https:\/\/www.gmass.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Check-boxes-1024x40.png\")
<\/p>\n
\n<\/b>Alternatively, you can right-click the message you want to move, click the Move to<\/b> option, and select your desired folder from the list.<\/p>\n![\"Move](\"https:\/\/www.gmass.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Move-to-option-1024x531.png\")
<\/p>\nC. How to Assign Emails to a Folder Automatically on the Gmail Web App<\/h3>\n
\nAll you have to do is create automatic email filters<\/b>!<\/p>\n
\n<\/b>Once you open Gmail, click the Show more options <\/b>icon in the search bar at the top of the screen.<\/p>\n![\"Show](\"https:\/\/www.gmass.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Show-more-options-1024x163.png\")
<\/p>\n
\nIf you want future emails from a specific email address redirected automatically to a chosen folder, enter that email address in the From<\/i> field of the drop-down menu that appears.<\/p>\n![\"To\"](\"https:\/\/www.gmass.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/To-1024x695.png\")
<\/p>\n
\n<\/b>Click the Create filter<\/b> button when you\u2019re done.<\/p>\n![\"Create](\"https:\/\/www.gmass.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Create-filter-1-1024x695.png\")
<\/p>\n
\n<\/b>From the new window that appears, select the Apply the label <\/i>to add a label to these emails. Then, choose which label to apply.<\/p>\n![\"Choose](\"https:\/\/www.gmass.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Choose-label-1024x830.png\")
<\/p>\n
\n<\/b>Finally, click the Create filter<\/b> button.<\/p>\n![\"Folder](\"https:\/\/www.gmass.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Folder-icon-1-1024x144.png\"){kind=icon}
<\/p>\n![\"Filter](\"https:\/\/www.gmass.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Filter-messages-like-these-option-1024x418.png\")
<\/p>\nD. How to Nest Folders on the Gmail Web App<\/h3>\n
i. Method 1: Create a New Nested Folder in an Existing folder<\/h4>\n
\n<\/b>Open your Gmail inbox. Then, navigate to the label list on the left-hand side of the screen, and find the label you want to make the parent label.<\/p>\n
\n<\/b>Hover your mouse over the folder and click on the three vertical dots that appear. Then, from the list of options available, pick Add sublabel<\/b>.<\/p>\n![\"Add](\"https:\/\/www.gmass.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Add-sublabel-622x1024.png\")
<\/p>\n
\n<\/b>Then, give it a name and hit Create<\/b>.<\/p>\n![\"New](\"https:\/\/www.gmass.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/New-label-under-work.png\")
<\/p>\nii. Method 2: Turn an Existing Folder into a Subfolder<\/h4>\n
\n<\/b>Hover your mouse cursor over the desired folder to reveal the three vertical dots.
\nThen, click Edit<\/b> from the drop-down menu.<\/p>\n![\"Edit](\"https:\/\/www.gmass.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Edit-option-622x1024.png\")
<\/p>\n
\n<\/b>All that\u2019s left is to choose which folder it should be nested under \u2014 click your choice.<\/p>\n![\"Edit](\"https:\/\/www.gmass.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Edit-label.png\")
<\/p>\nE. How to Rename a Folder on the Gmail Web App<\/h3>\n
\n<\/i>Here\u2019s how to do it:<\/p>\n
\n<\/b>From Gmail\u2019s left sidebar, select the particular label you want to rename and hover your mouse over it to reveal the three vertical dots.<\/p>\n
\n<\/b>Click Edit<\/b> and rename the folder.<\/p>\n![\"Edit](\"https:\/\/www.gmass.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Edit-option-1-622x1024.png\")
<\/p>\n![\"Edit](\"https:\/\/www.gmass.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Edit-label-under-marketing.png\")
<\/p>\nF. How to Remove a Folder on the Gmail Web App<\/h3>\n
\n<\/b>From your inbox, find the folder you want to remove from the left sidebar and open it.<\/p>\n
\n<\/b>Then, click the three vertical dots next to the folder name and click the Remove label<\/b> button from the drop-down menu.<\/p>\n![\"Remove](\"https:\/\/www.gmass.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Remove-label-620x1024.png\")
<\/p>\nG. How to Assign Colors to Your Folders on the Gmail Web App<\/h3>\n
\nFor example, you can mark an important folder in a bright color like red to make it easy to spot.<\/p>\n
\n<\/b>In your mailbox, go to the left sidebar and find the folder you want to color.<\/p>\n
\n<\/b>Hover your mouse over the desired folder and click the three vertical dots that appear.<\/p>\n
\n<\/b>Then, click Label color<\/b> from the drop-down menu and pick the color of your choice.<\/p>\n![\"label](\"https:\/\/www.gmass.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/label-color-971x1024.png\")
<\/p>\nH. How to Show or Hide Your Folders on the Gmail Web App<\/h3>\n
\nTo do this, follow these simple steps:<\/p>\n
\n<\/b>From your Gmail inbox, click the More<\/b> option from the left sidebar.<\/p>\n![\"More](\"https:\/\/www.gmass.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/More-option-1.png\")
<\/p>\n
\n<\/b>Next, click the Manage labels<\/b> option.<\/p>\n![\"Manage](\"https:\/\/www.gmass.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Manage-labels-options.png\")
<\/p>\n
\n<\/b>This will take you to the Labels <\/b>tab, where you can see all your folders listed.<\/p>\n![\"Labels](\"https:\/\/www.gmass.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Labels-tab-1024x443.png\")
<\/p>\nHow to Use Folders on the Gmail Mobile App<\/h2>\n
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A. How to Move Emails into Folders on the Gmail Mobile App<\/h3>\n
\n<\/b>Open the Gmail app on your mobile device.<\/p>\n
\n<\/b>Select the message or messages you want to move from the Gmail inbox.<\/p>\n![\"Blue](\"https:\/\/www.gmass.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Blue-tick-1024x455.png\")
<\/p>\n
\n<\/b>There are three vertical dots at the upper right corner of the mail app screen; tap on them.<\/p>\n![\"Three](\"https:\/\/www.gmass.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Three-dots-1024x686.png\")
<\/p>\n
\n<\/b>Now tap Move to<\/b> and select the desired folder.<\/p>\n![\"Move](\"https:\/\/www.gmass.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Move-to-option-1-1024x907.png\")
<\/p>\n![\"Move](\"https:\/\/www.gmass.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Move-to-tab-1024x683.png\")
<\/p>\nB. How to Move an Email to Another Folder on the Gmail Mobile App<\/h3>\n
\n<\/b>Open the Gmail app on your mobile device and click on the Menu<\/b> icon. If you don\u2019t have a Gmail account, download the mobile app, sign up, and set up your brand new mailbox.<\/p>\n![\"menu](\"https:\/\/www.gmass.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/menu-icon-583x1024.jpg\"){kind=icon}
<\/p>\n
\n<\/b>Click on the folder that contains the email to be moved.<\/p>\n![\"Work](\"https:\/\/www.gmass.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Work-folder-536x1024.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
\n<\/b>Select the email you want to move to a different folder and click on the three-dots <\/i>icon on the upper right corner of the mail app screen. To move multiple emails, click on the checkbox next to them to select them.<\/p>\n![\"Three](\"https:\/\/www.gmass.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Three-dots-icon-1-1024x646.png\"){kind=icon}
<\/p>\n
\n<\/b>From the drop-down menu, click on the Move to <\/b>option and select the desired label.<\/p>\n![\"Move](\"https:\/\/www.gmass.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Move-to-icon-1024x996.png\"){kind=icon}
<\/p>\n![\"Move](\"https:\/\/www.gmass.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Move-to-window-595x1024.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
![\"Menu](\"https:\/\/www.gmass.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Menu-icon-2.png\"){kind=icon}
<\/p>\n![\"Settings](\"https:\/\/www.gmass.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Settings-folder.png\")
<\/p>\n![\"Select](\"https:\/\/www.gmass.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Select-gmail-account.png\")
<\/p>\n![\"Label](\"https:\/\/www.gmass.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Label-settings.png\")
<\/p>\n![\"Label](\"https:\/\/www.gmass.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Label-settings-tab.png\")
<\/p>\n![\"Add](\"https:\/\/www.gmass.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Add-label.png\")
<\/p>\n![\"Save](\"https:\/\/www.gmass.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Save-label.png\")
<\/p>\n