With new messages constantly flooding your inbox, it's easy to miss important emails. Fortunately, Gmail offers several tools and features to help you quickly locate and manage your unread emails, ensuring you stay on top of your email communication.

In this comprehensive guide, we'll explain 

 in several ways to help you sift through the clutter and locate those crucial messages.

You’ll also learn how to efficiently mass-read or 

 them, especially if your inbox is full and the messages in question are not that important.

Skiff Mail ensures your emails stay organized, secure, and clutter-free for stress-free communication 

Experience inbox zen with Skiff

How to filter unread emails in Gmail using the search bar

 is a powerful tool for pinpointing specific emails or information within your account. To leverage this feature for 

Locate the search bar at the top of the Gmail menu

 and press Enter to filter your emails to display only unread messages

Browse the search results to view all your unread emails

While this method is useful for quickly checking unread emails, it might not be sufficient if you have many unread messages. In that case, consider adding other search operators to your query to narrow down the results.

is:unread before:2022/02/01 after 2021/11/25

,” Gmail will filter your messages and show only unread emails received between February 1, 2022, and November 25, 2021.

,” which searches for all unread emails from the specified sender that you haven't opened yet.

With these search operators, you can fine-tune your search and pinpoint the unread emails you're after.

But wouldn't it be even better if you could find all your unread emails organized within a single 

? Well, that's exactly what our second method is all about.

While Gmail doesn't have a built-in "Unread" folder, you can 

easily create a label that serves as an unread folder 

and use it to organize your emails. Here's how to do it:

A new menu will appear. Mark the checkbox next to 

Enter the desired label name and then click on Create. In this case, let’s use 

Click Create Filter to apply your new filter

Once you are done, you will notice a new folder named 

under Labels, containing all your unread messages.

To prioritize unread messages, you can customize your Gmail inbox settings to display them at the top. Here's how you can make this adjustment:

 section, you will see a dropdown menu. From there, choose 

You can now select the number of unread emails you want the platform to display at the top of your inbox. By default, Gmail will show you 25 messages, but you can set this number higher or lower by choosing between four available options

Once you're happy with your settings, scroll all the way down and click on 

Your inbox should now be neatly organized into two distinct sections

. The first section, titled 'Unread,' will display all the messages you haven't opened yet. The second section, labeled “Everything Else,” will serve as a repository for all your remaining emails.

While this approach is convenient for quickly accessing your most recent unread emails, it has a limitation—you can only view up to 50 unread messages. What’s more, Google prioritizes the most recently received unread emails. 

If you're looking for older unread messages, you might need to consider using the filtering method

How to delete all unread emails in Gmail at once

 and 7500 annually. If you're like most people, you may not have the time or inclination to individually 

 or delete these unwanted messages, resulting in them accumulating in your inbox and consuming valuable storage space.

there's a quick and easy way to mass delete these unwanted emails and maintain a 

In the search bar at the top of your inbox, type "

 to the left of the search bar to select all unread messages

to confirm the deletion of all unread emails

Receiving too many unwanted emails? Consider leaving Gmail

, it might be time to consider switching to a more privacy-focused 

 Here are a few reasons you should consider this option.

Gmail, like many other mainstream email providers, 

collects and analyzes user data to enhance its ad-targeting practices

. The provider can open and read your emails at any point. This lack of transparency and control over your data can be unsettling, especially considering the vast amount of sensitive information stored in your email account.

Despite Gmail's spam filtering system, which strives to identify and isolate unsolicited emails, 

a significant amount of spam still slips through the cracks and floods your inbox

. It can be attributed to the ever-evolving tactics of spammers who employ sophisticated techniques to evade detection. Even worse, legitimate emails can sometimes be mislabeled as spam, leading to missed opportunities and communication disruptions.

Most privacy-focused email alternatives have more 

robust and reliable spam filtering mechanisms

 that can help reduce the amount of unwanted emails you receive.

Skiff Mail goes beyond traditional email security, offering end-to-end encryption for a truly private communication experience

Choose privacy, stop spam

Gmail does not offer end-to-end encryption

 (E2EE) by default. Even though it’s possible to enable it, it's a complicated process that requires purchasing a certificate. The provider relies on two main encryption methods:

 (TLS) protocol—Encrypts data in transit

Advanced Encryption Standard algorithm (AES-256)—Encrypts data resting on Google’s 

TLS protocol is outdated and has known vulnerabilities

 since Google creates and stores encryption keys, which enables insight into your emails and their contents.

End-to-end encryption safeguards your emails throughout the entire communication process, from sender to recipient, ensuring that even if 

 intercept the messages, they cannot access the content. Privacy-focused email providers typically offer E2EE as a standard feature, protecting your confidential communications.

If you are seeking a secure email solution without incurring additional costs, 

Skiff Mail—A superior email service for privacy-conscious users

Skiff’s E2EE protects your messages with a set of two keys:

This type of encryption prevents even Skiff from accessing your emails

, bypassing vulnerabilities associated with server breaches. What's more, this entire security setup is automatically activated when you open your account, so you don't need to take any extra steps or configure any settings.

Besides robust encryption, Skiff offers additional 

Comprehensive organization and emailing features

 robust organization features that empower you to manage your 

. The platform provides folders, labels, and filters, enabling you to categorize and arrange your emails similarly to Gmail. Additionally, Skiff Mail boasts a 

, allowing you to effortlessly navigate through email contents and locate specific messages with precision.

, Skiff Mail lets you register to websites without using your actual 

. These aliases enable you to merge emails from various addresses into a single inbox while maintaining your privacy. When an alias is no longer required, you can delete it to stop receiving unwanted emails from that address.

Beyond its organizational capabilities, Skiff Mail offers a range of valuable features, including:

A generous 10 GB of end-to-end encrypted storage

Seamless integration with popular cryptocurrency wallets like 

A beautifully designed and intuitive interface that is free from clutter

 for your email addresses, adding a touch of professionalism to your online correspondence

 that provides a safety net if you accidentally send a wrong email

that publishes its codebase and audit reports on 

 if you want to learn more about the above-mentioned features and security measures.

How to find unread emails in Gmail—A step-by-step guide

 is essential to proper email management, especially with the shared 

. While a minimalist inbox may boost your productivity by making information more accessible, it’s easy to get carried away and accidentally delete an important message.

This guide will show you what happens to deleted emails and teach you 

 on a computer and different mobile devices

You’ll then learn how to manage your inbox more effectively without deleting old emails—the best way to recover accidentally deleted Gmail emails is not deleting them in the first place.

Skiff Mail is a comprehensive privacy-oriented email that gives you full control of your inbox

Level up your email management

When you delete a message in Gmail, it’s moved to Trash

—a label applied to all deleted emails, which you can access from the platform’s left-side panel.

Gmail keeps deleted messages here temporarily until they’re either restored or permanently removed—similarly to how the Recycle Bin works on Windows.

If you’ve discarded an email by mistake, you’ll have plenty of time to retrieve it before it’s gone forever. 

Deleted messages will remain in your Trash folder for 30 days

, after which Gmail automatically removes them.

There are two ways to recover deleted emails in Gmail before permanently losing them:

This guide will walk you through both methods for desktop, Android, and iOS devices.

 After that, you’ll learn how to find specific deleted messages via Gmail’s search bar.

Retrieving permanently deleted messages is only possible in specific cases, which we’ll also outline below.

When you delete an email in Gmail, you’ll get a brief chance to retract your decision immediately. You’ll receive a notification confirming that you’ve moved a message (or an entire conversation) to Trash, along with 

The notification will stay there until you do one of the following:

Wait 60 seconds for the notification to disappear automatically

If you delete another email in the meantime, the pop-up will be replaced with an identical notification, now referring to the newer deletion. 

You can only restore the most recently deleted email via this method

How can I recover deleted emails from Trash in Gmail on desktop?

Unless you’ve used the Undo link from the notification, your deleted emails will get the Trash label. To restore a message from Gmail’s Trash section via your computer, follow these steps:

After you restore the message, another notification will appear, giving you the option to Undo your action and keep the email in Trash.

How to retrieve deleted emails from Gmail on Android and iPhone

The procedure for recovering deleted Gmail messages on Android and iOS devices is the same—

the interface is nearly identical on both operating systems

You can use the following steps to recover deleted Gmail messages:

Open the Gmail app on your tablet or phone

Pick the new location of the recovered message

The exact steps may differ slightly depending on your specific device

 and version of the Gmail app. In case this procedure doesn’t work, you can also access Gmail from your mobile web browser and follow the steps outlined above.

Depending on how many emails you’ve deleted in the past 30 days, your Trash might be too cluttered to find a specific message easily. In that case, you can also use Gmail’s top search bar to locate a deleted email in Trash.

You can search for it by entering key data points like:

Gmail supports search operators, allowing you to narrow your search even more by defining specific criteria. While searching for a deleted email, you can 

 criterion to search messages labeled as Trash

For example, if you were searching for a deleted email from your colleague John, you could quickly find it by typing “

How to find archived and spam messages in Gmail

If you still can’t find the deleted email, it might have mistakenly been archived or 

Unlike deleted and Spam messages, archived emails don’t have a separate label in Gmail—you won’t find them in the left-hand menu. 

The All Mail section is accessible from the left-hand menu. By default, it’s the option immediately above Spam.

How to recover permanently deleted emails from Gmail after 30 days

After a deleted email spends 30 days in your Trash folder, Gmail permanently removes it from your account. 

Retrieving permanently deleted emails is next to impossible, except via the following methods:

If you were logged into Gmail on multiple devices when you deleted an email, there’s a chance this change hasn’t registered across all your phones, tablets, and computers. An older phone that’s turned off and you’re no longer using might still have the email in its version of Gmail.

For this reason, you should check any outdated devices you still have from when you received or sent the email.

 When you turn them on, immediately disable Auto Sync to stop it from automatically deleting the email.

Restoring the messages from a Google Admin console

If you’ve deleted an email from a professional Google Workspace account, you might be in luck. 

Your organization’s administrator may be able to restore the message

, even if Gmail permanently deleted it from your Trash folder.

They can restore your Google account data from a specific date. If you’re the Google admin for your organization, 

Pick a date from before you’ve deleted the email

 when asked which type of data you’re restoring

The restored data will include permanently deleted messages, but only counting the last 25 days. Since Gmail automatically deletes emails from Trash after 30 days, 

the Google Admin Console gives you a total of 55 days to retrieve the message 

That said, Google Admins can’t retrieve a few other types of email data, including:

Emails that were still in the Trash folder on the chosen date

Retrieving deleted emails via Google Vault

Some organizations use Google Vault to manage electronic communications, like chat messages and emails, mostly for legal purposes. Depending on your organization’s policies,

 you may be able to retrieve a permanently deleted email

as long as it’s backed up in Google Vault

Your Google Admin has probably set specific data retention policies, and depending on those, you might be able to access 

Someone with administrator credentials must sign in to the Vault and 

use eDiscovery to find your specific email

Similarly to an ordinary Gmail search bar, eDiscovery lets you search for data points by various parameters. If your administrator or you find the email in question, you may have the following options:

Restoring the email to your Google Workspace account

Depending on your organization’s policies, these options may or may not be available.

How to declutter your inbox without deleting emails from Gmail?

 may help you temporarily declutter your inbox, but you’re not addressing the underlying issues of using Gmail.

The safest way to clean your inbox without losing anything is to 

 If you need to revisit an older email, you can always log in to your previous Gmail account and find it.

How to recover deleted emails from Gmail—the process explained

, Outlook is the third most popular email client, right after 

. Its popularity does not come as a surprise, as it’s a highly versatile platform that can meet the needs of many personal and business users.

Still, Outlook is far from perfect. It has a few significant drawbacks, particularly in the 

 and security areas. In this article, you will learn more about those shortcomings and 

discover some alternatives for Outlook worth looking into.

As a security-first email service, Skiff never compromises your safety or privacy

Prioritize your online security

, Outlook originally focused on email management. Over the years, it has evolved into a comprehensive personal information manager. It’s most recognizable for features such as:

 with folders, labels, and rules. Outlook also supports threaded conversations, making it easy to track and respond to ongoing discussions

: You can schedule appointments, set reminders, and share calendars with colleagues

: Outlook’s task management system helps you keep track of your to-do lists. You can assign task deadlines and priorities and categorize them

: The address book in Outlook allows you to store and manage contact information. It also enables easy integration with other Microsoft services like Skype for Business and Microsoft Teams

: You can create and organize notes, as well as keep a digital journal for personal or professional insights

: Outlook integrates with other Microsoft Office applications such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. This allows for easy sharing and collaboration on documents

Still, Outlook is not the only email provider with such features, and some of its disadvantages are a reason enough to 

Why you should explore Outlook alternatives

Outlook comes with several limitations that damage its usability and overall user experience. Here are some key considerations.

While the service is free to use, you don’t get much unless you upgrade to a 

. The free version has ads that can cause distraction and comes with only 5 GB of cloud storage. You do get 15 GB of dedicated email storage, but an average user might need more for their files.

The only way to get more storage and remove ads is to upgrade to a paid plan, starting at 

$6.99 per month for personal users and $6 for business users

. Even those plans aren’t as comprehensive as you might need since 

you won’t get access to the desktop client

 Business Standard, which comes at $12.50/month.

 unless you upgrade—only the paid Outlook versions offer features like attachment scanning and link checking. 

, which isn’t strong enough to safeguard your correspondence.

This is a major problem because encryption is a key component of email security. There are several encryption types, but 

. Itensures that only the recipient can access plaintext email versions, so nobody else—including the provider—can see your correspondence. While Outlook offers E2EE, 

it’s only included in the highest-priced tiers

Outlook also disappoints when it comes to reliability, as many users have reported 

. It’s also not particularly well optimized for all operating systems and can be slow at times. Luckily, there are plenty of 

The above issues make Outlook a subpar option for many user categories. The good news is that you can explore various platforms that make up for its shortcomings.

While there are numerous Outlook alternatives on the market, a few 

 stand out, and this review singles out the 12 best solutions. Before dissecting them in detail, here is an overview of each option and their most notable features:

 and confidential. It has several advantages over other privacy-first providers and is suitable for personal and business use.

—Used for message encryption and shared between the sender and the recipient

—Safely stored on the user’s device and used for decryption

The platform prioritizes data privacy, so 

it does not store your login credentials and encryption keys

. Emails and data you share will remain confidential, as not even Skiff’s team can access them.

, so its codebase is available to the public. You can check out the 

The user interface is elegant and easy to navigate

Jason Ginsberg