Home » Gmail » How to Delete Old Emails in Gmail? Step-by-step Guide

Gmail is a known service used by lots of people globally. Over time, these accounts hoard mail that we no longer need or are of no use to us. Deleting old emails in Gmail can help declutter our inboxes and free up storage space. 

However, it’s essential to be careful and ensure we don’t delete any necessary emails along the way. Lots of users are on the hunt for how to delete old emails in Gmail following easy steps. To help them out, we have listed a step-by-step process in this blog. It shows multiple methods that help them to delete all the emails with a click. 

 

How Do I Delete Old Emails in Gmail?

Different methods exist for deleting old emails in Gmail on desktop, Android, and Apple devices. Besides, this blog also helps you have insight into deleting old emails in Gmail using the before and after method, labels, and filter options.

If you are wondering how I delete old emails in Gmail, dive into the step-by-step guide and find methods to delete all emails from Gmail that can be accomplished using different methods depending on your platform. Whether you’re on a web browser, iOS Mail, or the Gmail app, each method offers steps to help you achieve a clutter-free inbox.

 

Deleting Old Emails in Gmail on a Web Browser

You can select all emails on the web browser to delete them in bulk or choose to remove the one that is useless to you. Check the steps to learn how to delete old emails on a web browser:

• Sign in to your desired Gmail account on the web browser you are using.
• Hit on the downward-facing arrow from the search bar to open the options.
• If you want to remove all emails at once, select all emails.
• Click on “Select” to choose all emails.
• You will get a caution if you want to select all emails matching your search.
• If you want to proceed further, hit OK.
• Once you select all the old emails that you wish to remove, hit on the bin icon and click the “Delete” option.
• Click on OK to confirm you want to remove selected emails.

 Also Read: Recover Deleted Emails on Mac

 

How to Delete Old Emails in Gmail in Bulk on Android Device?

Do you want to know how to delete old emails in Gmail in bulk on your Android device? The process for accessing your Gmail and removing the old email on Android is as follows:

• Download the Gmail app on your smartphone.
• Go to your Gmail account.
• Hit on the menu icon on the left corner of the top.
• Now, choose all the emails you can see on the first page.
• Choose all conversations in Primary >> Hit on the Delete option.
• Once you do so, all the emails will be moved to the trash box.

Steps to Follow to Delete Old Emails in Gmail on iPhone or iPad

Stuck with how do I delete old emails in Gmail on my iPhone or iPad. Not to worry; we’re here to assist you. Check the whole steps to remove all undesirable emails from your email account.

• Download the app on your iPhone or pad.
• Once you are done with the steps, don’t forget to log in to your account.
• You can choose and remove emails simultaneously using the “Edit” option.
• Choose all the emails that you want to remove.
• You can even individually select the emails you want removed from your inbox.
• Swipe down through the checkboxes to choose multiple emails.
• Click on the Trash option to delete old emails in Gmail.

 

How to Automatically Remove Old Emails In Gmail?

Since new messages come regularly, more than deleting old emails in Gmails is required. You need to automate deleting process by following the below steps:

• Go to the account you want to do the setting with. 
• Click on Settings >> all settings.
• Go to the Filter & Blocked Addressed tab.
• Choose Create a filter.
• Type older_than: 2 years or 90 days.
• Now hit on “Create Filter” to create a filter.
• Now choose the “Delete” option.
• Create a new filter again.
• You are all set; Gmail will now remove all emails older than 90 days or 1 yr.

 

How to Delete Old Emails Before a Specific Date?

We’ve explained how to delete all old emails in Gmail with “older-than” parameters. Now, we’ll help you to find out how to remove all old emails before a specific date. If you don’t know how to delete old emails in Gmail before the precise date. Here are the steps to follow:

To delete old emails with a before a specific date parameter, you need to use the following format:

Before: YYYY/MM/DD

• Hit on the down arrow from the search bar to open the advanced search options.
• Now enter your query: before yyyy/mm/dd or with the desired format.  
• Click on “Search” to see all emails before the specific date.
• From the top left, select the checkbox to choose the emails before the specific date.
• If you have more emails to remove beyond the one page, a notification will appear asking you to choose all emails.
• Choose all emails you want to remove.
• Now click on the Trash icon to remove all emails.

 

How to Remove All the Unread Emails in Gmail?

If you desire to delete old emails in Gmail which you haven’t gone through yet, you can effortlessly do it by following the below steps:

• Go to your Gmail account.
• In the search menu, enter “label: unread” and enter.
• Once you click enter, you can see all the unread emails.
• In a similar manner, if you only want to remove read emails, you can type “label” read.”
• Once you click enter the option, you can remove all the emails.
• Click on “select all box” and choose “select all emails that match the search.”
• Choose the delete icon to remove all emails as per your need.

 

How to Delete All Old Emails in Gmail from Trash?

To delete all old messages from the trash in Gmail, you can follow these steps:

• Go to your Gmail account.
• Now go to the “Trash” option on the left side of the menu.
• Once you hit on Trash, the folder will open to see all emails you have removed.
• When you go to the trash folder, you can see, “Message in Trash will be removed automatically after 30 days.”
• Click “empty trash now” to remove all the emails from the trash folder.
• Once you choose “Empty Trash Now,” a dialog box will come in front of you. (This box will appear to confirm if you wish to remove all emails.)
• If you are sure that you desire to terminate all the emails, select the “Empty Trash” option to verify the omission.
• Gmail will then remove all emails from your trash box.

Please note that once you remove all the emails from the trash, they cannot be recovered. Ensure you no longer require any emails in the trash before performing this process.

 Also Read: “How to Retrieve Old Emails on Gmail”

Ending Note

Now you might be clear about how to delete old emails in Gmail. You can delete old emails in Gmail in the multiple ways described above. You can process for bulk delete, remove individual emails before a specific date, or proceed with any other option of your choice.

By deleting old emails in Gmail, you can free up storage space, stay organized, and enjoy a clutter-free inbox, increasing productivity.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

 

Q1. Can I delete emails in bulk in Gmail?

Yes, you can delete old emails in Gmail at once. Just follow the below steps:

• Open Gmail.
• Select all the emails manually or through the checkbox.
• Click on the trash icon to remove all old emails.

 

Q2. Deleting old emails in Gmail frees up storage space in my account.

Yes, by deleting old emails in Gmail, you can free up storage space in your account. You can also remove emails from Trash to remove them permanently and reclaim the storage space.

 

Q3. Can I recover old emails that I’ve deleted in Gmail?

Yes, Gmail offers a safety net. Deleted old emails go to the Trash folder, which can be recovered within 30 days. After that period, they are permanently deleted.

 

Q4. Is it possible to set up automatic email deletion in Gmail?

Yes, Gmail authorizes you to set up automatic email deletion using filters and rules. You can define criteria to delete certain types of emails automatically. Just follow the below-listed steps to automate the process:

• Go to your email account.
• Use the filter above the search bar.
• Choose Create a filter.
• Type older_than: 90 days.
• Now hit on “Create Filter” to create a filter.
• Now choose the “Delete” option.
• Create a new filter again.
• You are all set; Gmail will now remove all emails older than 90 days or for the option you choose.