These tweaks will\u2026<\/p>\n
- \n
- Make your email easier to read and respond to<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
- Keep your inbox more organized<\/strong>\u00a0and help you clear it to get to inbox zero faster<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
- And help make sure you stop missing important messages<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
And we\u2019ll do it all without adding any extensions or add-ons. Everything here is a native Gmail\/Google Workspace feature<\/strong>.<\/p>\n
(Though at the end, I am going to share a Gmail extension that will change your life. Your email-based life, that is. And what<\/em>\u00a0a life it will be.)<\/p>\n
Now, let\u2019s tweak.<\/p>\n
Hidden Gmail Settings: Table of Contents<\/h2>\n
- \n
- The 5 Secret Gmail Settings to Improve Your Email Life<\/a>\n
- \n
- 1. Enabling the Updates tab<\/a><\/li>\n
- 2. Using Quick Filters<\/a><\/li>\n
- 3. Turning off Conversation View<\/a><\/li>\n
- 4. Moving up the Spam folder, then hiding it if it\u2019s empty<\/a><\/li>\n
- 5. Using multiple types of stars<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
- Squeezing Even More Hidden Power Out of Gmail<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
The 5 Secret Gmail Settings to Improve Your Email Life<\/h2>\n
Here are the five tweaks you can make to Gmail that should improve things immediately<\/strong>.<\/p>\n
1. Enabling the Updates tab<\/h3>\n
By default, when you start a new account, Gmail sets up three category tabs: Primary<\/strong>, Promotions<\/strong>, and Social<\/strong>.<\/p>\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.gmass.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/gmailsettings-defaulttabs.png\")
<\/a><\/figure>\nAnd then\u2026 most of us go straight to the settings to disable those tabs.<\/p>\n
Various studies over the years have reliably found that about half of Gmail users disable the tabs<\/strong>. And, in particular, only about one in five has the Promotions tab enabled.<\/p>\n
(Email marketers have been in a panic about the Promotions tab ever since it arrived in 2013, even though these numbers show that panic is overblown. Still, if you\u2019re worried, I highly recommend checking out Spam Solver<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 which actually tests a campaign to see if it\u2019s going to go to the inbox, spam folder, or Promotions tab and then recommends fixes.)<\/p>\n
Like most Gmail power users, I am one of those people who turn off Gmail\u2019s default tabs immediately.<\/p>\n
However, after experimenting, I\u2019ve started using one category tab \u2014 and it\u2019s been keeping my inbox much cleaner<\/strong>\u00a0ever since.<\/p>\n
The hidden setting<\/h4>\n
I enable the Updates<\/strong>\u00a0category tab.<\/p>\n
Why Updates? I\u2019ve found Google does the best job at categorizing emails into that tab that I don\u2019t need to see in my main inbox.<\/p>\n
![\"With](\"https:\/\/www.gmass.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/gmailsettings-updatestab.png\")
<\/a><\/figure>\nI don\u2019t want to miss every single marketing email. (If there\u2019s a company whose emails I do<\/em>\u00a0want to miss, I unsubscribe).<\/p>\n
I do want to skip a lot of social media updates \u2014 but rather than having multiple Gmail tabs and also enabling the Social one, I know Google will just move those to Updates with a little training.<\/p>\n
I also really like not having my inbox cluttered with automated notifications, which is where the Updates tab shines. Things like Google news alerts, order status updates, shared Google Docs edits, sign-in alerts, political campaign everything \u2014 all automatically out of the way, for me to look at in bulk when I\u2019m ready.<\/p>\n
How to enable the Updates tab<\/h4>\n
Click the Settings icon in Gmail, which will open the Quick settings<\/strong>\u00a0sidebar panel.<\/p>\n
Scroll down to Inbox type<\/strong>\u00a0and click on Customize<\/strong>\u00a0underneath Default<\/strong>.<\/p>\n
![\"Going](\"https:\/\/www.gmass.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/gmailsettings-tabsettings.png\")
<\/a><\/figure>\nThat will bring up the tab settings pop-up.<\/p>\n
Make sure only Primary<\/strong>\u00a0and Updates<\/strong>\u00a0are checked. (It\u2019s optional about including Starred messages in Primary; that\u2019s a matter of preference.) Then click Save<\/strong>.<\/p>\n
![\"Turning](\"https:\/\/www.gmass.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/gmailsettings-turnonupdates.png\")
<\/a><\/figure>\nNow that you have the Updates tab enabled, it\u2019s time to train it.<\/p>\n
One way is to drag items from the Updates folder to the Primary folder<\/strong>\u00a0(or vice versa).<\/p>\n
![\"Dragging](\"https:\/\/www.gmass.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/gmailsettings-updatesdrag.png\")
<\/a><\/figure>\nBut there\u2019s an even more effective way<\/strong>\u00a0too\u2026<\/p>\n
2. Using Quick Filters<\/h3>\n
It would be disingenuous for me to call Gmail\u2019s filters a \u201chidden Gmail setting.\u201d Filters aren\u2019t hidden and aren\u2019t unknown.<\/p>\n
But quick<\/em>\u00a0filters are.<\/p>\n
In case you aren\u2019t 100% solid on filters, in Gmail you can set up rules to automatically take action on messages from certain senders, with certain words, or a whole host of other triggers as well. For example: You could set up a filter to automatically send every message from your Uncle Donald into the trash.<\/p>\n
You do that in the settings, in the Filters and Blocked Addresses<\/strong>\u00a0section. Which, again, is why I won\u2019t call filters a secret or hidden Gmail feature \u2014 they have their own entire section.<\/p>\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.gmass.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/gmailsettings-filtersmenu.png\")
<\/a><\/figure>\nHowever, I\u2019ve found a lot of people (including myself) don\u2019t use filters all that much because they can be cumbersome to set up.<\/p>\n
Though they\u2019re in the settings, it takes several clicks to get to them. Then once you get to the filter box, you have to remember (or paste) what address or terms you want to filter \u2014 then experiment until you create a filter that does what you want it to do.<\/p>\n
The hidden setting<\/h4>\n
It turns out you don\u2019t need to go through all that to create a filter.<\/p>\n
With quick filters, you can set up a filter from right inside your inbox<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 and without having to manually enter the filter parameters.<\/p>\n
How to use quick filters<\/h4>\n
Select an email or multiple emails in the inbox.<\/p>\n
Then, in Gmail\u2019s strip of buttons underneath the search box, click the three vertical dots. In that menu, select Filter messages like these<\/strong>.<\/p>\n
![\"Filter](\"https:\/\/www.gmass.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/gmailsettings-filterlikethese.png\")
<\/a><\/figure>\nGmail will filter by that email\u2019s sending address.<\/p>\n
The filter box pops up<\/strong>, already pre-populated with that sending address.<\/p>\n
You can filter all messages from that sender, or edit the filter further (like, perhaps, filtering based on a keyword in the subject line or the email address). Then click the Create filter<\/strong>\u00a0option.<\/p>\n
![\"Creating](\"https:\/\/www.gmass.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/gmailsettings-createfilter.png\")
<\/a><\/figure>\nYou can now choose what action Gmail should automatically take when messages match that criteria.<\/p>\n
If you want to send those emails to the Updates tab, that\u2019s in the Categorize<\/strong>\u00a0options. Once you\u2019ve picked the action, click the Create filter<\/strong>\u00a0button.<\/p>\n
Also, though I haven\u2019t done it in the screenshot below, if you want to move every email currently in the inbox that matches the filter, check the box for Also apply filter to <\/strong>n<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0matching messages<\/strong>.<\/p>\n
![\"Finalizing](\"https:\/\/www.gmass.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/gmailsettings-filterdone.png\")
<\/a><\/figure>\nThis is a faster and more efficient way to create filters<\/strong>, to put emails into categories and beyond.<\/p>\n
3. Turning off Conversation View<\/h3>\n
Now that we\u2019ve made the inbox tidier\u2026 let\u2019s fill it up again. But for the purposes of good, I swear.<\/p>\n
Conversation view is how Gmail groups email replies into one thread<\/strong>.<\/p>\n
The theory behind conversation view is logical. In theory, it declutters the inbox by consolidating conversations down to a single line. Plus, when you open any email in the conversation, you can see the messages before and after it.<\/p>\n
But in practice \u2014 I find conversation view leads to missing many important emails. Emails get buried in threads, often making you see them late \u2014 or miss them altogether.<\/p>\n
I prefer every reply on its own line<\/strong>, separated out from the rest of the thread.<\/p>\n
The hidden setting<\/h4>\n
By default, conversation view is on in Gmail.<\/p>\n
I turn it off.<\/p>\n
As I covered in a previous article where I dug deep into Gmail conversation view<\/a>, there were\u00a0six main reasons why I strongly advocate for getting rid of it:<\/strong><\/p>\n
- \n
- Conversation view off is better for previewing individual thread messages.<\/li>\n
- I avoid losing or missing emails.<\/li>\n
- It makes inbox organization simpler.<\/li>\n
- It\u2019s easier to run a visual scan of your inbox.<\/li>\n
- I don\u2019t get overwhelmed by long threads.<\/li>\n
- I have better control over replies and archiving.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
How to turn off conversation view<\/h4>\n
Conversation view is available in the quick settings in Gmail.<\/p>\n
Click the Settings icon, then scroll down to the very bottom of the quick settings sidebar. Uncheck the box for Conversation view<\/strong>.<\/p>\n
![\"Turning](\"https:\/\/www.gmass.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/gmailsettings-conversationview.png\")
<\/a><\/figure>\nGmail will tell you you need to reload.<\/p>\n
Your threaded messages will now each get their own line<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 making you much less likely to overlook them.<\/p>\n
4. Moving up the Spam folder, then hiding it if it\u2019s empty<\/h3>\n
Gmail tries to keep its left sidebar clean, only showing you (by default) your Inbox, Starred, Snoozed, Sent, and Drafts folders. The rest of the system folders \u2014 like Spam, Trash, All Mail, and Categories \u2014 are available by clicking the More<\/strong>\u00a0to unveil the list.<\/p>\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.gmass.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/gmailsettings-morelesstoggle.png\")
<\/a><\/figure>\nIn most cases, I\u2019m fine with not seeing those other folders at a glance.<\/p>\n
The one case where it\u2019s not okay is the Spam folder.<\/p>\n
I simply have too many real emails go to spam<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 my dentist and my kids\u2019 school and daycare are the biggest culprits. Also my penpal who sells fake Viagra.<\/p>\n
I like to check my spam folder at least once a day to make sure I haven\u2019t missed something important.<\/p>\n
So I recommend moving it up.<\/p>\n
The hidden setting<\/h4>\n
You can drag folders above and below the \u201cMore\u201d toggle<\/strong>\u00a0depending on whether you want them to show up by default or not.<\/p>\n
And then \u2014 you can also auto-hide some folders<\/strong>\u00a0(like the Spam folder) if they\u2019re empty.<\/p>\n
How to move then auto-hide the Spam folder<\/h4>\n
I recommend dragging the Spam folder up to the set of folders displayed without clicking \u201cMore.\u201d (Just click on it and drag it above the \u201cLess\u201d line.)<\/p>\n
![\"Dragging](\"https:\/\/www.gmass.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/gmailsettings-dragspam.png\")
<\/a><\/figure>\nNow that the Spam folder is there, though, there\u2019s no reason for us to look at it when it\u2019s empty.<\/p>\n
Click the Settings icon, then the See all settings<\/strong>\u00a0button. Now go to the Labels<\/strong>\u00a0tab. And next to Spam, click on show if unread<\/strong>.<\/p>\n
![\"Show](\"https:\/\/www.gmass.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/gmailsettings-showifunread.png\")
<\/a><\/figure>\nNow Gmail will only show you the Spam folder above the More<\/strong>\u00a0toggle if it contains an unread message.<\/p>\n
5. Using multiple types of stars<\/h3>\n
I\u2019ve been \u201cstarring\u201d emails in Gmail since the beginning. I\u2019m not alone.<\/p>\n
Starring emails is a popular Gmail feature \u2014 more popular than, say, creating labels and adding those to different emails.<\/p>\n
After all, adding a star is ultra convenient. You don\u2019t have to create anything or add inbox noise like some labels do. You just click, add a star, and then go to the Starred<\/strong>\u00a0folder to see your collection.<\/p>\n
The problem: The single star isn\u2019t versatile.<\/p>\n
For instance, I\u2019ve found myself starring emails for quite a few reasons:<\/p>\n
- \n
- An important email I wanted to save.<\/li>\n
- An email that, due to the nature of my job, had something interesting I could use as an example in a future blog or social post.<\/li>\n
- Emails that needed a follow-up from me that I wanted to find after I went to inbox zero.<\/li>\n
- Emails where I was waiting on a follow-up from someone else.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
All of those different emails got a star \u2014 which then made my Starred folder and Gmail searches (is:starred) a jumbled mix. Suddenly, starring emails had become less helpful<\/strong>.<\/p>\n
The hidden setting<\/h4>\n
You aren\u2019t limited to just the yellow star.<\/p>\n
Gmail gives you the option to have several different types of stars (six different colors) as well as six other icons.<\/p>\n
![\"All](\"https:\/\/www.gmass.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/gmailsettings-otherstars.png\")
<\/a><\/figure>\nI recommend going with around four of these \u2014 not the whole list, as tempting as that is \u2014 because, after you\u2019ve enabled them, you cycle through them by clicking or tapping the star multiple times.<\/p>\n
If all 12 are enabled, that\u2019s a lot of clicking to use them \u2014 and runs contrary to the convenience of using the stars.<\/p>\n
How to enable multiple stars (and then search for them)<\/h4>\n
You can access the Stars<\/strong>\u00a0menu by clicking the Settings<\/strong>\u00a0icon, clicking See all settings<\/strong>, then scrolling to the Stars<\/strong>\u00a0section in General<\/strong>.<\/p>\n
Choose the stars\/icons you want to use by dragging them from the \u201cNot in use\u201d row to the \u201cIn use\u201d row.<\/p>\n
![\"Dragging](\"https:\/\/www.gmass.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/gmailsettings-stardrag.png\")
<\/a><\/figure>\nWhen you\u2019re done, scroll to the bottom of the settings page and click the Save Changes<\/strong>\u00a0button.<\/p>\n
Now you can use your stars by clicking the star icon next to any email. Each time you click, Gmail will rotate through your selected star options.<\/p>\n
![\"Using](\"https:\/\/www.gmass.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/gmailsettings-usingstars.png\")
<\/a><\/figure>\nOnce you\u2019ve started using your stars, you can search for emails that have each star variety<\/strong>\u00a0as well.<\/p>\n
Use has: followed by the name of the star. (You can find the star\u2019s name by mousing over it.) For instance, has:blue-star or has:yellow-bang.<\/p>\n
![\"Searching](\"https:\/\/www.gmass.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/gmailsettings-searchbystartype.png\")
<\/a><\/figure>\nBut even without searching, the different star types give you a quick visual reference<\/strong>\u00a0when you\u2019re scanning through your inbox.<\/p>\n
Squeezing Even More Hidden Power Out of Gmail<\/h2>\n
These hidden settings are a good step toward getting more out of Gmail.<\/p>\n
But I want to introduce you to a way to give Gmail absolute superpowers<\/strong>.<\/p>\n
GMass is a Chrome extension that transforms Gmail into an email marketing, mail merge, cold outreach, and email tracking platform<\/strong>.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.gmass.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/htmlspace-gmass.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\nYou can quickly<\/strong>\u00a0and easily<\/strong>\u00a0send any and all email campaigns \u2014 right from inside Gmail<\/strong>, where they slide right into your workflow.<\/p>\n
There are ~400,000 people who use GMass<\/strong>\u00a0to send every type of email campaign imaginable. And they\u2019ve rated GMass an average of 4.8 out of 5 stars<\/strong>\u00a0across 10,000+ reviews<\/strong>.<\/p>\n
Why? Here are some of the highlights (and things <\/strong>GMass does different and better<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0than anyone else)…<\/p>\n
- \n
- Unlimited emails, contacts, and campaigns.<\/li>\n
- Special deliverability tools to help you get to the inbox, like Spam Solver<\/a>.<\/li>\n
- A native integration with Google Sheets for easy mail merges<\/a>.<\/li>\n
- Quick auto follow-ups<\/a>.<\/li>\n
- And dozens more, from A\/B testing<\/a>\u00a0to simple email polls<\/a>\u00a0to AI campaign creation<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- A native integration with Google Sheets for easy mail merges<\/a>.<\/li>\n
- 2. Using Quick Filters<\/a><\/li>\n
- 1. Enabling the Updates tab<\/a><\/li>\n
- Keep your inbox more organized<\/strong>\u00a0and help you clear it to get to inbox zero faster<\/strong>.<\/li>\n