How to find unread emails in Gmail
Type is:unread in the Gmail search box. That shows only your unread emails. Here is how to keep them at the top, narrow them down, and clear them all at once.
In Gmail on a computer or the app, type is:unread in the search box and press Enter. To always see unread emails first, click the Settings gear and under Inbox type choose Unread first. To mark them all read, search is:unread, tick Select, click Select all conversations that match this search, then Mark as read.
Search for is:unread
- Open Gmail on your computer.
- Click the search box at the top.
- Type
is:unreadand press Enter.
Gmail shows every unread conversation, newest first, including archived ones. Spam and Trash are left out; to include them, type is:unread in:anywhere.
You can do the same without typing: click the Show search options icon at the right of the search box, and choose Unread mail in the Search drop-down. Tip: bookmark the search results page, and you can jump back to it in one click.
Put unread emails at the top
If you always want to see unread emails first, change the inbox type:
- Click the Settings gear at the top right.
- Under Inbox type, choose Unread first.
Your inbox splits into two sections: Unread at the top and Everything else below. To change how many emails each section shows, go to Settings › See all settings › Inbox.
The catch: Unread first replaces the Primary, Promotions and Social tabs. If you rely on those tabs, use the is:unread search instead, or combine them: is:unread category:primary.
Unread in one label, folder or date range
Add other search words to is:unread. Some useful ones:
| Type this | To find |
|---|---|
| is:unread in:inbox | Unread emails still in your Inbox |
| is:unread category:primary | Unread emails in the Primary tab only |
| is:unread label:clients | Unread emails with the label "clients" (use the label's name) |
| is:unread from:boss@example.com | Unread emails from one person |
| is:unread newer_than:7d | Unread emails from the last 7 days (use d, m or y) |
| is:unread older_than:1y | Unread emails more than a year old |
| is:unread after:2026/01/01 before:2026/04/01 | Unread emails between two dates |
| is:unread has:attachment | Unread emails with files attached |
To see the emails you have already opened, use is:read. For more ways to sort and filter, see how to sort Gmail by sender and Gmail labels and filters.
On the Gmail app
Search on iPhone or Android
- Open the Gmail app.
- Tap Search in mail at the top.
- Type
is:unreadand tap Search. All the combinations above work here too.
Unread first on iPhone or iPad
- Open the Gmail app and tap Menu (the three lines) at the top left.
- Tap Settings.
- Under Inbox, tap Inbox type and choose Unread first.
Unread first on Android
- Open the Gmail app and tap Menu at the top left, then Settings.
- Choose your account.
- Under Inbox, tap Inbox type, then Unread first.
On Android the setting is per account, so set it on each Gmail account you use.
Mark all as read
On a computer
- Search
is:unread(or open the label you want to clear). - Click the Select checkbox at the top left of the list. This selects the emails on the current page only.
- A blue line appears above the list: click Select all conversations that match this search.
- Click the Mark as read icon (the open envelope) in the toolbar. Gmail asks you to confirm the bulk action: click OK.
With tens of thousands of emails, Gmail may take a few minutes. Leave the tab open. The full steps are in how to select all emails in Gmail.
On iPhone or iPad
Tap the sender's picture next to an email, then tap the box beside Select all at the top left. Scroll down and tap Select all again to add more. Then tap the Mark as read icon at the top right. The app can't select your whole mailbox at once, so for a big backlog use a computer.
Clearing out rather than reading?
If most of your unread emails are newsletters you'll never open, delete them in bulk: search is:unread older_than:6m, select all, and delete. Our guide to deleting emails in bulk in Gmail covers the safe way to do it and how to stop them coming back.
Why the unread count doesn’t match
- The number next to Inbox counts only the Primary tab if you use tabs. Unread Promotions and Social emails aren't in it.
- Gmail counts conversations, not emails. A thread with five unread replies counts once.
- Archived or labeled emails can be unread but outside the Inbox. Search
is:unread -in:inboxto find them. - Snoozed emails are hidden until they come back. Find them with
in:snoozed.
Questions people ask
- How do I see only unread emails in Gmail?
- Type is:unread in the Gmail search box and press Enter. To always see them first, choose Settings, then Inbox type, Unread first.
- How do I find unread emails in the Gmail app?
- Tap Search in mail at the top of the app, type is:unread and search. You can also set Inbox type to Unread first in the app's settings.
- How do I find old unread emails in Gmail?
- Search is:unread older_than:1y for unread emails more than a year old, or use before: with a date, like is:unread before:2025/01/01.
- How do I mark all unread emails as read?
- On a computer, search is:unread, tick the Select box, click Select all conversations that match this search, then click Mark as read.
- Why does Gmail say I have unread emails but I can't find them?
- They may be in another tab, archived, snoozed or in Spam. Search is:unread in:anywhere to see all of them, including Spam and Trash.