How do i get back archived emails

Archiving a message moves it out of your main inbox, but keeps it accessible. So it's a good option if you want to clean up your inbox without deleting everything and starting from scratch.

Setting up auto-archiving can help keep future conversations from clogging up your inbox. You can always unarchive emails, and if someone replies to an archived message, it will show up in your unread messages again. 

Here's what you should know about the archive feature in Gmail.

Deleting versus Archiving

Before getting into how to actually archive emails, here's a quick look at the difference between the two.

When you delete an email, it goes to your Trash folder, where it will remain for 30 days. After 30 days, messages in trash are permanently deleted. If you know you won't need an email's contents or attachments ever again, delete it.

When you archive an email, it moves out of your main inbox. Unlike deleted emails, archived emails are stored indefinitely. If you accidentally archive an email, it can be unarchived. You can access archived emails at any time via the All Mail folder and search bar––more on that later.

How to archive an email in Gmail

The method you'll use will depend on your device.

On desktop

1. Log in to your Gmail.

2. Hover over the message you want to archive.

3. Click the Archive icon, which looks like a box with a down arrow, and appears to the right of the email's sender information and description.

Desktop view of Gmail inbox with archive button highlighted with a box and arrow.

Once archived, the message will move out of your inbox.Abigail Abesamis Demarest/Insider

On iPhone or iPad

1. Open the Gmail app.

2. Tap to open the message or tap to select the sender's profile image. If you're selecting the email profile image, you can select multiple profile images to archive all of the selected messages at once.

3. Select the Archive icon at the top of the screen.

Mobile view of Gmail inbox with archive button highlighted with a box and arrow.

The archiving process is similar for desktop and mobile.Abigail Abesamis Demarest/Insider

Quick tip: You can also set up swiping actions to archive a message by swiping to the left or right. To do that, go into Gmail Settings, tap Mail swipe actions, choose left or right swipe, and assign it to Archive.

On Android

1. Open the Gmail app.

2. Open the message you want to archive, or select multiple messages that you want to archive.

3. Tap the Archive icon.

How to find archived emails on desktop

Once a message is archived, you can find it either via the All Mail folder or using the search bar.

Using the 'All Mail' folder

1. Hover your cursor over the left edge of the Gmail window. A sidebar will expand.

2. Click All Mail from within that sidebar. If you don't see that, click More and then scroll down to All Mail.

Desktop view of Gmail inbox with All Mail folder highlighted with a box and arrow.

You may need to click "More" to see this option.Abigail Abesamis Demarest/Insider

3. Any archived messages, as well as other non-deleted emails, will appear there.

Quick tip: If you aren't seeing the sidebar expand, click the three-line icon, located in the top-left corner of the screen.

Unfortunately, you can't simply search for the Archive label in the search bar to find those emails. 

1. If you know keywords for the email you're looking for — for example, the topic, sender, or subject of the message — type those into the search bar and hit Enter.

2. Go through the results to find the email in question.

Quick tip: Folders and labels in Gmail are another way to organize your inbox, and can make it easier to find emails about specific topics or projects.

How to find archived emails on the mobile app

These processes are the same regardless of whether you're using an iPhone or an Android.

Using the 'All Mail' folder

1. Open your Gmail app and log in to your account, if needed.

2. Tap the three-line icon, located in the top-left corner of the screen.

Mobile view of Gmail inbox with three line icon highlighted with a box and arrow.

Use this icon to locate the side menu that you see in the desktop version of Gmail.Abigail Abesamis Demarest/Insider

3. Select All mail.

1. Open the Gmail app.

2. Tap the search bar at the top of the screen and enter your keywords.

3. Go through the results to find the email in question.

How to unarchive emails in Gmail

If you decide you don't want an email to be archived anymore, you have the option to unarchive it.

On desktop

1. Open Gmail on your Mac or PC.

2. Find the email you wish to unarchive.

3. Once you've found it, right-click the email and select Move to inbox.

Desktop view of Gmail inbox with Move to inbox option highlighted with a box and arrow.

If you accidentally archive a message, you can unarchive it using this process.Abigail Abesamis Demarest/Insider

On the mobile app

1. Open the Gmail app on your iPhone or Android device.

2. Find the email you wish to unarchive.

3. Tap to open the message or tap to select the sender's profile image.

4. Tap the three-dot icon in the upper-right corner.

Mobile view of Gmail inbox with three-dot icon highlighted with a box and arrow.

Messages can also be unarchived on the Gmail app.Abigail Abesamis Demarest/Insider

5. Select Move to Inbox.

How to automatically archive emails in Gmail

You can set up emails to archive automatically when you hit send.

1. Open Gmail.

2. Click the gear icon on the top-right side of the screen, then See all settings.

3. In the General tab, find the Send and Archive section. 

4. Select Show "Send & Archive" button in reply.

Desktop view of Gmail Settings with "Show "Send & Archive" button in reply" highlighted with a box and arrow.

When this option is selected, archived threads will be re-archived once you reply to them.Abigail Abesamis Demarest/Insider

5. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click Save Changes.

What is Google Takeout?

Google Takeout is a service offered by Google that backs up all of your Google account's data into one file, which you can then download. This includes emails, YouTube videos and comments, Google Drive files, and more. 

For a deeper dive into this service, check out our Google Takeout help article.

FAQs

Can archiving emails be automated?

Yes, this process can be automated using a third-party app or browser extension. Some popular options on the market include Clean Email and Mailstrom.

How long are archived emails kept in Gmail?

Indefinitely. Unlike deleted messages, archived emails remain in your inbox.

How do I use Gmail's advanced search filters?

Type in -in:Sent -in:Draft -in:Inbox has:nouserlabels into the search bar. This will pull up emails that aren't in your sent, draft, or inbox folders. This can help narrow down the search for an archived email.

Is there a Gmail archive folder or shortcut?

Unfortunately, no. The best way to find an archived email is to type keywords into the search bar.

Abigail Abesamis Demarest

Abigail Abesamis Demarest is a contributing writer for Insider based in New York. She loves a good glazed donut and nerdy deep dives into the science of food and how it's made. 

How do I find archived emails?

If a message has been archived, you can find it by opening the All mail label..
On your Android phone or tablet, open the Gmail app ..
In the top left, tap Menu ..
Tap All mail..

How do I retrieve deleted archived emails in Gmail?

What to Know.
Select the All Mail label to see all mail, including what's been archived..
Select any message you want to recover, and then select Move to Inbox..
In the Gmail app, find and open the message, then tap the three-dot menu and select Move to Inbox..

Are archived emails gone forever?

Your Archive folder is never automatically emptied. Any email you see in either the trash or archive folder can be moved back to your inbox folder.