How to Mark All Emails as Read in Gmail (Computer and App)

There's a particular kind of inbox that nobody wants to scroll through: the one with a blue wall of unread messages, most of which you'll never open. The count in the tab makes it worse, because it nags you every time you look at it.

If you just want the numbers to go back to zero without opening every message, Gmail has a quick way to do it. Here are the steps from Gmail's help pages for a computer, an Android phone and an iPhone, plus a few ways to keep the pile from coming back.

Marking everything as read in Gmail on a computer

1. Go to Gmail in your browser.
2. At the top left of your inbox, tick the box to select all your messages.
3. At the top, click Mark as read.

That's the whole job. One thing to bear in mind: the box selects the messages shown in the view you're in. Gmail's help describes the tick box as selecting all your messages, but if you're looking at a label, a search result or a different tab, you're working on that list, not the whole mailbox. Check which list you're looking at before you click.

Marking all unread emails as read in the Gmail app

On Android and on iPhone or iPad, Google gives the same steps:

1. Open the Gmail app.
2. On the left of any message, tap the sender's profile image.
3. At the top left, tap the box next to Select all.
4. At the top right, tap Mark as read.

The profile image is the bit people miss. Tapping it turns on selection mode, which is what brings up the Select all box. A normal tap on the message just opens it.

Marking a single Gmail message as read or unread

Sometimes you only want to deal with one. On a computer, tick the box on the left of the message, then click Mark as read or Mark as unread at the top. Google also notes that you can mark messages as read without opening them, which is handy for anything you've already seen in the preview.

On a phone, open the message and tap Unread at the top right to flag it as unread again. To mark one as read from the list, tap the sender's profile image and then tap Read at the top right.

Setting up a swipe to mark Gmail messages as read

If you clear your inbox from your phone every morning, a swipe saves a lot of tapping. Google's help for Android gives these steps:

1. Open the Gmail app and tap Menu, then Settings.
2. Tap General settings, then Mail swipe actions.
3. Next to Right swipe or Left swipe, tap Change.
4. Choose Mark as read/unread.

On iPhone and iPad, the route is Menu, Settings, then Inbox customizations and Mail swipe actions, where you pick Right swipe or Left swipe and choose Mark as read/unread before tapping Done. Labels differ a little between app versions, so look for the swipe settings if the wording is different on your screen.

Should you mark everything as read in Gmail?

Sometimes yes and sometimes no. Marking everything as read doesn't delete or archive anything. The messages stay exactly where they were, and you can still search for them. What you lose is the signal: afterwards you can't tell which messages you've dealt with and which you've just hidden.

Before you do it, scan the list for anything from a client or a supplier that needs an answer. I'd move those to a label or star them first. I've written about the habits that keep overload under control in my productivity habits for email overload, and if you'd like help sorting what matters from what doesn't, my piece on using AI for email triage in a small business shows one approach.

Stopping the unread pile building up in Gmail again

• Unsubscribe from newsletters you never read, so they stop arriving.
• Use filters to send routine messages straight to a label.
• Set a short daily window for email instead of checking constantly.
• Archive or delete what you've dealt with, so unread really means unread.

Gmail mark as read: quick reference

Device	What to do
Computer	Tick the select-all box at the top left of the inbox, then click Mark as read
Android	Tap a sender's profile image, tap Select all, then tap Mark as read
iPhone and iPad	Tap a sender's profile image, tap Select all, then tap Mark as read
One message on a computer	Tick its box, then click Mark as read or Mark as unread

If Mark as read isn't working in Gmail

1. Check that you've ticked the messages or the select-all box first.
2. On a phone, tap the sender's profile image to turn on selection mode.
3. Make sure you're looking at the view you meant to, such as the inbox and not a search.
4. Refresh the page, or update the Gmail app and open it again.
5. If it still won't work, use the help centre or community links on Google's page.

Frequently asked questions

How do I mark all emails as read in Gmail on a computer?

Go to Gmail, tick the box at the top left of your inbox to select all your messages, then click Mark as read at the top.

How do I mark all emails as read in the Gmail app?

Tap a sender's profile image, tap the box next to Select all at the top left, then tap Mark as read at the top right. The steps are the same on Android and iPhone.

Does marking all as read delete my emails?

No. It only changes unread messages to read. The emails stay in your inbox or in whichever label they sit.

Can I mark an email as unread again?

Yes. On a computer, tick the box and click Mark as unread. In the phone app, open the message and tap Unread at the top right.

Can I mark emails as read with a swipe?

Yes. Google says you can add Mark as read/unread as a swipe action in the Gmail app's Settings, under the mail swipe actions.