How to mark entire Gmail as read or delete all mail at once

Mark all messages as read

If you want to keep the messages for future reference but clear all those pending notifications, here are the steps:

1. Since this feature unfortunately isn’t available on the mobile app, open Gmail on your desktop computer.

2. Check the box below the search bar at the top left of your inbox – this selects all visible messages currently displayed.

3. You’ll see a prompt asking if you’d like to select ALL mail from the inbox instead.

4. Click on the “Mark as read” button above your emails. That’s obviously the one with the open envelope.

5. Confirm your selection and your inbox will be purged of those anxiety-inducing unread labels.

You can undo this if you change your mind quickly. Just look for the “undo” link towards the bottom right. Or if that ship has sailed, you can mark your entire inbox as unread by repeating the process and selecting the mark as read icon (why would you do that though?)

Permanently deleting all mail

If you’re looking for a more permanent solution and want to completely clear out your account, deleting everything is an option too:

1. Log into Gmail on desktop, and select all messages just like before using the top checkbox.

2. Don’t forget about the prompt for selecting all mail.

3. This time, click the trash can icon above your emails to delete them.

4. Confirm deletion on the pop-up message.

Your messages may still be retrievable from Trash for up to 30 days, eating up storage, so be sure to empty the bin to permanently purge everything.

While the steps are simple, clearing or removing thousands of Gmail messages does take several seconds depending on the volume of mail you’ve got, so sit back and relax while Google works its magic after you complete these actions. We only wish that this feature made its way to the mobile apps as well so we wouldn’t have to boot up the laptop every time.