Use your inbox

Choose a mailbox

Use the mailbox switcher at the top of the inbox to choose an address you have access to. On a phone, use Open folders to show the folder menu.

Read and reply

Select a conversation to open it. Choose Reply, Reply all or Forward on a message. To start a new conversation, choose Compose. See Send email for the full walkthrough.

Find a message

Use Search your mail and enter a sender, subject or phrase. Check the selected mailbox and folder if you cannot find a message. All Mail is useful when you are unsure where a conversation is filed.

Keep your inbox organised

• Archive moves a conversation out of Inbox while keeping it available in Archive.
• Delete moves a conversation to Trash.
• Snooze hides a conversation until the time you choose.
• Use labels to group conversations.
• Use Unread to focus on messages you have not read.
• Select conversations with the checkboxes to apply available actions to several at once.

Check Spam

If expected mail is missing, check Spam. Also confirm the sender used the correct address and that you selected the right mailbox.

Attachments and images

Attachments appear on the message. Download only files you trust. Remote images are blocked by default; use the message's image controls when you want to load them.

Keyboard shortcuts

On your phone

The inbox shows one view at a time. Open a conversation to read it and return to the list to choose another. Compose opens a full-screen message window.

If mail is missing or sending fails, see Troubleshooting.