How to delete all emails in gmail on iphone

TECH TIPS

Gmail

Add Topic

Looking to clean up the clutter? How to delete all emails on Gmail.

How to delete all emails in gmail on iphone
Liam Gravvat

USA TODAY

  • To delete all your emails, users must use the Gmail website, not the Gmail mobile app.
  • Gmail users can empty their trash folder to permanently delete emails, as well as recover emails.

The year 2021 saw an estimated 319.6 billion sent and received daily emails, and projections show by 2025 that may increase to 376.4 billion, a 15.1% jump, according to Statista. Your email can easily become confusing and disorganized with thousands of emails over a span of months or even years. 

Deleting emails can be tricky, especially when there’s such an intimidating number you can never seem to fully get through. You may accidentally delete an email you later realize you needed, but are unsure how to get that email back.

How can you best navigate email deletion?

Worried about security?:How to sign out of Gmail and Google on PC, Android and iPhone

Just Curious?:We're here to help with life's everyday questions.

How to delete all emails on Gmail

To delete all emails on Gmail, Google explains you must use Gmail on your computer. You cannot delete all your emails through the Gmail app.

Google advises users to follow these steps:

  1. Navigate to the Gmail website: mail.google.com.
  2. At the top of your screen, select which category, “Primary," “Social” or “Promotions” from which you wish to delete emails.
  3. In the top left of your screen, directly above the “Primary” category, click the arrow button, next to the refresh button.
  4. In the drop-down list, select which emails you want to delete. You can delete all emails, read emails, unread emails as well as starred or unstarred emails. If you wish to delete all emails, select the “All” option.
  5. Selecting “All” will select all emails on your first page. If you wish to delete all emails on all pages in the category, click “Select all conversations” at the center of the top of your screen.
  6. To delete, click the Trash icon, three to the left of the arrow button. When you hover over the icon, it is labeled “Delete.”

Once you delete your emails, they are moved to your trash. After 30 days, your trash will be automatically emptied, permanently deleting them.

Quick and easy:Ready to deactivate your Gmail? A step-by-step guide on how to delete your Gmail account

Get your storage back:Google or Gmail storage full? Easy ways to quickly free up space

How to delete all emails in gmail on iphone

Here's how to delete multiple unread emails at once on your iPhone, and how to delete all emails on your iPhone. These tips work for deleting emails in Gmail, Yahoo, Outlook, and any other email account you have synced to your Apple device. Here's the hidden workaround to mass delete all emails, or just all unread emails quickly. 

Related: How to Delete Frequently Visited Sites on iPhone or iPad in Safari & Chrome

How to Delete All Unread Emails Quickly on Your iPhone & iPad

We've already gone over how to delete or remove an email account from your iPhone. Also, be sure to check out how to add multiple Gmail accounts to your iPhone if you have more than one email account. Now, let's learn what to do if you don't want to delete your entire account. Here's how to delete multiple emails in Gmail, another email account, or All Inboxes. For more great email tutorials, check out our free Tip of the Day.

  1. Open the Mail app.

    How to delete all emails in gmail on iphone

     

  2. Tap All Inboxes, or select a specific email account.

    How to delete all emails in gmail on iphone

     

  3. Tap the Filter icon at the bottom of the screen, then tap Edit in the upper-right corner.

    How to delete all emails in gmail on iphone

     

  4. Without pressing, start at the empty circle to the left of the first email you want to delete and swipe down to bottom of the page with your finger and hold it there until all the unread emails are selected. 
  5. You'll see all the circles become highlighted in blue, and the number of emails you've selected at the top of the page. If a preview of the first email pops up instead, you have used too much pressure.
  6. Once you've selected all the emails you'd like to delete, tap Trash.

    How to delete all emails in gmail on iphone

     

  7. Before I started this process, I had over five hundred unread emails in my Inbox.
  8. After a few seconds of swiping, I deleted hundreds of unread emails.

    How to delete all emails in gmail on iphone

     

If you realize at this point that you’ve messed up and don’t want to delete everything, after all, don’t panic. Undo the mass deletion by using Shake to Undo. Just give your iPhone a shake and then tap Undo. It may take a while to restore the emails.

How to Delete All Emails in Gmail, Yahoo, or the Whole Mail App on Your iPhone & iPad

If you want to delete all your emails at once in a particular Mailbox, or even All Inboxes, you can. Let's go over how to delete all emails in Gmail, or any other email account, on your iPhone.

  1. First, tap the Mailbox you'd like to empty (this could be All Inboxes, or a specific inbox like Gmail or Yahoo).

    How to delete all emails in gmail on iphone

     

  2. Tap Edit.

    How to delete all emails in gmail on iphone

     

  3. Tap Select All.

    How to delete all emails in gmail on iphone

     

  4. Now, tap Trash, and all the emails in the Mailbox will be deleted.

If you're trying to clean up space on your device, consider learning how to delete apps from your iPhone and iPad.

Master your iPhone in one minute a day: Sign up here to get our FREE Tip of the Day delivered right to your inbox.

How do I delete all my Gmail messages at once on my iPhone?

Delete emails on your iPhone or iPad.
Open Mail and go to your Inbox..
Tap Edit in the upper-right corner, then individually select the emails that you want to delete, or tap Select All. To select multiple emails quickly, swipe down through the checkboxes..
Tap Trash or Archive..