How to Find Archived Emails in Gmail

Gmail does not have a normal Archive folder. When you archive an email, Gmail removes it from your Inbox but keeps the message in your account. You can find archived emails using Gmail search or by opening All Mail.

A direct way to show archived emails is to type in:archive into the Gmail search bar. Google documents this search command specifically for archived messages.

Where are archived emails in Gmail?

Archived Gmail messages remain under All Mail rather than being moved into a separate folder called Archive. Gmail uses labels rather than conventional email folders, and archiving removes the Inbox label from the message.

Archiving an email keeps the message rather than deleting it, although different email services can show archived messages in different places.

All Mail is not a list of only archived messages. It also contains other mail in your account, so searching for archived messages directly can be easier.

How to find archived emails in Gmail on a computer

The most direct method is Gmail search:

1. Open Gmail.
2. Select the search bar at the top.
3. Type in:archive.
4. Press Enter.
5. Select the archived email you want to open.

If you know something about the missing email, you can also search using the sender, subject or words from the message.

You can also browse for an archived message through All Mail:

1. Open Gmail.
2. Select More in the menu on the left if All Mail is not already visible.
3. Select All Mail.
4. Find the message you are looking for.

Google currently places All Mail under More when it is not already shown in the left-hand menu.

How to find archived emails in the Gmail app

The Gmail app works in much the same way on Android, iPhone and iPad.

To find archived messages directly:

1. Open the Gmail app.
2. Tap the search bar at the top.
3. Type in:archive.
4. Search for the message you want.

Google documents in:archive for finding archived messages in the Gmail mobile app as well as on a computer.

You can also open the menu in the Gmail app and select All Mail if you would rather browse through your messages. All Mail contains archived emails as well as other mail, so searching may be quicker if you are looking for one particular message.

How to unarchive an email in Gmail

Gmail calls the action for returning an archived message to your Inbox Move to Inbox.

On a computer:

1. Find the archived message.
2. Tick the box beside it.
3. Select Move to Inbox at the top.

In the Gmail app:

1. Find the archived message.
2. Touch and hold the message.
3. Tap More.
4. Tap Move to Inbox.

The message will then appear in your Inbox again. The mobile action is currently the same on Android and iPhone/iPad.

What if the email is not in All Mail?

If you cannot find the message using in:archive or All Mail, it may not have been archived.

Check that you are looking in the correct Gmail account. It is also worth checking Trash and Spam, particularly if you are not certain what happened to the message.

A deleted message is different from an archived message. Gmail moves deleted messages to Trash, where they can normally remain for up to 30 days before permanent deletion. Recovering a deleted email is therefore a different process from finding an archived one.