How to Move Mail to Different Labels in Gmail

"Labels" are Gmail's versions of folders. By moving email messages to a label, you can remove them from your inbox and organize them into categories. You can also apply filters to automatically add labels to existing or incoming emails, which can really help you manage your inbox. This wikiHow will show you how to move one or multiple emails into different folders using Gmail on your Windows or Mac computer and with the mobile app on your iPhone or Android.

Things You Should Know

  • Labels have a similar function to folders. You can create up to 500 labels.
  • On desktop, select the email and click "Move to:" in the top toolbar. Select a label to move your email.
  • On mobile, tap the email, then the options icon. Tap "Move", then select a label to move your email.
Method 1
Method 1 of 5:

Creating New Labels on Desktop

  1. Image titled Move Mail to Different Folders in Gmail Step 1
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    Open Gmail in your browser. You'll need to log in.[1]
  2. Image titled Move Mail to Different Folders in Gmail Step 2
    2
    In the left sidebar, click + next to "Labels". A new window will appear.
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  3. Image titled Move Mail to Different Folders in Gmail Step 3
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    Enter a new label name.
    • If you have an existing label, you can select Nest label under to select a parent label.
      • This will create a new sublabel.
  4. Image titled Move Mail to Different Folders in Gmail Step 4
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    Click Create. This will be a blue button.
    • Your new label will be created.
  5. Image titled Move Mail to Different Folders in Gmail Step 5
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    Hover your cursor over the new label and click ⋮. A drop-down menu will appear.
  6. Image titled Move Mail to Different Folders in Gmail Step 6
    6
    Customize your label.
    • To customize the label color, hover over Label color and select a color.
      • You can choose from the list or add a custom color.
      • If you decide you don't want a color anymore, click Remove color.
    • Choose to Show, Show if unread, or Hide the label in label list.
    • Choose to Show or Hide the label in message list.
    • You can also Edit, Remove label, or Add sublabel.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 5:

Creating New Labels on Mobile

  1. Image titled Move Mail to Different Folders in Gmail Step 7
    1
    Open the Gmail app. Gmail is available in Apple's App Store and the Google Play Store.
  2. Image titled Move Mail to Different Folders in Gmail Step 8
    2
    Tap ☰ to open the menu. This can be found at the top, next to the search bar.
  3. Image titled Move Mail to Different Folders in Gmail Step 9
    3
    Tap Create new. This will be located underneath Labels.
  4. Image titled Move Mail to Different Folders in Gmail Step 10
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    Name your new label.
  5. Image titled Move Mail to Different Folders in Gmail Step 11
    5
    Tap Done. The new label will automatically open.
    • To edit your label, go to Settings in the left toolbar. Tap Inbox customizations, then Labels.
    • On mobile, you'll only be able to rename, delete, or add the label to future messages.
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Method 3
Method 3 of 5:

Moving Mail to Labels on Desktop

  1. Image titled Move Mail to Different Folders in Gmail Step 12
    1
    Open Gmail in your browser.
  2. Image titled Move Mail to Different Folders in Gmail Step 13
    2
    Click the checkbox to select an email.
    • You can use Gmail's filters to find old emails.
    • To select multiple emails, click the box beside each email to check them off.
    • To select all mail in the current inbox, check the box on the toolbar next to Archive. A new prompt will appear. Click Select all conversations in (mailbox).
  3. Image titled Move Mail to Different Folders in Gmail Step 14
    3
    In the toolbar above the email, click the "Move to" icon. The icon resembles a folder with a right-pointing arrow. You can find this next to the Labels.
    • A drop-down menu will open.
  4. Image titled Move Mail to Different Folders in Gmail Step 15
    4
    Select the label. This is where your emails will be moved.
    • Your email will be moved from your inbox to your label immediately.
    • To find the email again, select the label from the left sidebar to view its contents.
    • You can also click the All Mail category in the left sidebar.
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Method 4
Method 4 of 5:

Moving Mail to Labels on Mobile

  1. Image titled Move Mail to Different Folders in Gmail Step 16
    1
    Open the Gmail app.
  2. Image titled Move Mail to Different Folders in Gmail Step 17
    2
    Open a message. If you want to stay in your inbox, you can tap the profile picture of the sender.
    • To select multiple emails, tap the profile images of the senders.[2]
  3. Image titled Move Mail to Different Folders in Gmail Step 18
    3
    Tap ••• .
  4. Image titled Move Mail to Different Folders in Gmail Step 19
    4
    Tap Move.
  5. Image titled Move Mail to Different Folders in Gmail Step 20
    5
    Select the label. This is where your emails will be moved.
    • Your email will be moved from your inbox to your label immediately.
    • To find the email again, select the menu in the search bar. Select your label from the left sidebar to view its contents.
    • You can also tap the All Mail category.
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Method 5
Method 5 of 5:

Automatically Apply Labels with Filters

  1. Image titled Move Mail to Different Folders in Gmail Step 21
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    Open Gmail in your browser.[3]
    • This method will only work on desktop.
  2. Image titled Move Mail to Different Folders in Gmail Step 22
    2
    In the Gmail search bar, click the adjustment icon on the right. This will show your search options in a drop-down menu.
  3. Image titled Move Mail to Different Folders in Gmail Step 23
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    Filter the mail you want to label. You can filter based on: From, To, Subject, Has the words, Doesn't have, Size, Date within, and Search category.
    • You can also check off Has attachment and/or Don't include chats.
    • You can use as many filters as you want to narrow your searches, but you will need at least one.
  4. Image titled Move Mail to Different Folders in Gmail Step 24
    4
    Click Create filter. This will be to the left of the blue Search button.
  5. Image titled Move Mail to Different Folders in Gmail Step 25
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    Click Apply the label: to open the drop-down menu. You will see a list of your existing labels.
  6. Image titled Move Mail to Different Folders in Gmail Step 26
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    Select a label.
    • You can also choose New label… to create a new label.
    • When a new email is an exact match for your search criteria, it will be moved to this label.
    • To move existing emails that match your search criteria, click Also apply filter to (number) matching conversations.
  7. Image titled Move Mail to Different Folders in Gmail Step 27
    7
    Click Create filter. This will be inside a blue button.
    • Your emails will be moved to the corresponding label.
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Community Q&A

  • Question
    Once I create a label, how do I move it to a folder?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    Once a label is assigned to an email, it will show under that label (in addition to the inbox). The only way of removing it from the inbox is to archive it. After you archive the email, it will still appear if you click the name of the label assigned to it (in the left menu).
  • Question
    When I move emails to a particular folder, why do they still appear in the Inbox folder?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    Unfortunately, the individual emails are still tagged as "Inbox". You must remove that tag so they only appear in the other folder.
  • Question
    Can I place a folder into another folder to subcategorize emails?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    You can. To do so, create a new label, then click "nest label" and select a pre-existing label to sort the new label under.
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References

  1. ↑ https://support.google.com/mail/answer/118708?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DDesktop
  2. ↑ https://support.google.com/mail/answer/118708?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DiOS&oco=1#zippy=%2Cadd-a-label-to-a-single-message
  3. ↑ https://support.google.com/a/users/answer/9282734?hl=en&visit_id=638000900355558946-1133998854&rd=1#auto-label

About This Article

Rain Kengly
Written by:
Rain Kengly
wikiHow Technology Writer
This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Rain Kengly. Rain Kengly is a wikiHow Technology Writer. As a storytelling enthusiast with a penchant for technology, they hope to create long-lasting connections with readers from all around the globe. Rain graduated from San Francisco State University with a BA in Cinema. This article has been viewed 973,825 times.
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Co-authors: 19
Updated: October 25, 2022
Views: 973,825
Categories: Gmail
Article SummaryX

1. Sign in to Gmail.
2. Select emails to move.
3. Click the label button.
4. Click Create new.
5. Name the folder and click Create.
6. Hide the selected messages from the inbox.

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