On a computer, open the category you want to clear, check the Select box at the top left, click the “Select all conversations” link that appears above your messages, then click Delete. That removes everything in the category, not only the page you can see. On a phone it takes longer, because each selection covers at most 50 messages.
Delete everything on a computer
This is the fastest route, and it works in any browser.
- Go to Gmail and pick a category on the left: Inbox, Promotions, or All mail.
- Check the Select box at the top left, above your messages. At this point only the messages on the current page are checked.
- A notice appears above the list with a link like “Select all [number] conversations in Inbox.” Click it to include every conversation, even those on pages you never opened.
- Click Delete, the trash-can icon at the top.
To wipe the whole account, open All mail first. If you only want to cut down on marketing mail, the Promotions tab clears most of the clutter without touching the conversations you care about.
Read the number in that notice before you click. It tells you how many conversations you are about to remove, and a count of 12,000 when you expected 800 means you are in the wrong category.
Delete only some emails with search
Most people don’t want to delete everything. They want to get rid of one sender that floods the inbox, or mail from years ago. Type a search operator into the Gmail search bar, then repeat the same steps on the results. Google’s help page lists these:
from:for a sender, such asfrom:newsletter@store.com;after:andbefore:for a date range, written as year/month/day, such asbefore:2024/01/01;has:attachmentfor messages with files attached, a quick way to find what takes up the most room.
You can combine operators in one search. Once the results show up, check Select, click the link to select all conversations, and click Delete. Because the search already narrowed the list, only matching mail goes to Trash.
Delete in bulk from your phone
The Gmail app supports bulk selection, with a cap per pass. The steps are the same on Android and iPhone.
- Open the Gmail app and touch and hold any message.
- Tap the Select all checkbox at the top left. Gmail selects up to 50 messages by default.
- To grab 50 more, scroll back to the top of the list and tap Select all again.
- Tap the trash icon, labeled Delete, at the top.
For a big cleanup, repeating that dozens of times gets old, and a computer is the better tool. If you just want one sender gone, search for that sender in the app and select from the results, which are already short.
What happens after you delete
Deleted messages don’t vanish immediately. They move to Trash, where Gmail keeps them for up to 30 days. After that they are permanently deleted and can’t be recovered.
That protects you from a bad click, but it also means that if you were deleting mail to free up room, you won’t see the benefit until the messages leave Trash. To empty it early:
- On a computer, click More, then Trash in the left menu.
- Click Empty Trash now in the notice at the top. To remove only some messages, check them and click Delete forever.
On a phone, tap the Menu icon (three lines, top left), tap Trash, then tap Empty trash now.
There is no way back from this step, so look through Trash before you empty it.
Recover emails you deleted by mistake
Within the 30 days, getting mail back is easy. On a computer:
- Open Trash under More in the left menu.
- Check the messages you want back.
- Click Move to and choose a destination, such as your inbox.
On a phone, open Trash from the menu, touch and hold each message, tap More, then Move to. Drafts are the exception: Google says deleted drafts can’t be recovered from Trash.
If your storage is still full
Deleting mail doesn’t always fix a full account, since Google storage is shared with Drive and Google Photos. If what you need is room on the device rather than the account, our guide to free up space on Windows with DISM covers the computer side. And if privacy is the reason you’re cleaning up, see how to stop Google from using Gmail and Photos data for ads.
FAQ
Does deleting Gmail messages free up space right away?
No. Messages stay in Trash for 30 days before they are erased. Empty Trash to free the space sooner.
Can I delete all emails from the Gmail app?
You can, in batches. Each tap on Select all checks up to 50 messages, so a large mailbox takes many repeats. On a computer, the select-all link does it in one step.
Can I recover an email after emptying Trash?
No. After Empty Trash now, or once 30 days have passed, Gmail deletes the message permanently.
How do I delete emails from just one sender?
Search with from: followed by the address, select all conversations in the results, and delete. Everything else stays untouched.
