Delete or recover Gmail messages

When you delete a message, it stays in your bin for 30 days. After 30 days, the message is permanently deleted from your account and can't be recovered.

Delete one or more messages

  1. On your computer, go to Gmail.
  2. On the left of each message that you want to delete, tick the box.
  3. At the top, click Delete .

Tip: To delete a message in a thread:

  1. Open the message.
  2. Next to Reply , click More More and then Delete this message.

Delete all messages in a category

An animation showing how to delete all messages in your Gmail inbox or another category on your computer

  1. On your computer, go to Gmail.
  2. On the left, select your inbox, label or another category.
  3. At the top left, above your messages, tick the Select box. 
    • A notification that shows the number of selected conversations is displayed. To select all messages, click the link in the notification.
  4. At the top, click Delete .

Empty your bin

  1. On your computer, go to Gmail.
  2. On the left, click More and then Bin.
  3. On the left of each message that you want to permanently delete, tick the box.
  4. At the top, click Delete forever.

Tip: To delete all messages in your bin, in the notification, click Empty bin now.

Recover messages from your bin

Important: You can't recover messages that are permanently deleted or messages that have been in the bin for more than 30 days.

If you deleted your messages in the last 30 days, you can move them out of your bin.

An animation showing how to move messages from your Gmail bin to another location on your computer

  1. On your computer, go to Gmail.
  2. On the left, click More and then Bin.
  3. On the left of each message that you want to recover, tick the box.
  4. At the top, click Move to .
  5. In the 'Move to' menu, choose where you want to move the messages.

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