Delete messages in Gmail

To clean up your inbox, delete messages one at a time or by specific categories. Deleted messages move from your inbox to your bin.

Learn what happens when you delete a message

Important: When you delete a draft, you can't recover it from the bin.

When you delete a message in Gmail, it's moved to the bin.

Up to 30 days after deletion:

• You can find the message in the bin.
• You can recover the message from your bin and move it back to your inbox.
• You can also delete the message permanently. After that, you can't recover the message.

After 30 days:

• The message is permanently deleted.
• You can't recover the message.

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 .

Delete a message in a conversation

Important: To group messages together as a conversation, turn on conversation view.

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

Delete all messages

1. On your computer, go to Gmail.
2. On the left, select a category. For example:
   • Inbox
   • Promotions
   • All mail
3. To select all messages on the current page, at the top left, above your messages, tick the Select box.
   • Above your messages, a notification shows the number of selected conversations on the current page. For example: 'All 50 conversations on this page are selected. Select all 2,000 conversations in Inbox.'
   • To select all conversations, click the link in the notification.
4. At the top, click Delete .

To delete specific emails, enter a search operator in the search bar.

For example, you can search for:

• Senders: From: [e-mail]
• Date ranges: after:2025/3/29 before:2025/4/5
• Keywords: "Confidential"
• Message attributes like attachments: has:attachment

Learn how to refine searches in Gmail.

Empty your bin

1. On your computer, go to Gmail.
2. On the left, click More 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 at the top, click Empty Bin now.

Review messages in your bin

Remove messages from your bin

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

Related resources

• Gmail messages are missing
• Archive or mute Gmail messages
• Snooze emails until later