Archive a message in Gmail without displaying the next/previous email message?

Question

In the Gmail web-app, is there a way to use a keyboard shortcut to archive a message but not display the next/previous email message?

Answer 1

Displaying the next/previous email message is the default behavior when you are archiving a message, probably the only one option is using the shortcuts

Enable the Keyboard shortcuts:

And then use E key to archive your email message, then use U the return to inbox.

Answer 2

You need to change the auto-advance setting

Under the advanced settings tab change the following to disable:

Auto-advance Show the next conversation instead of your inbox after you delete, archive or mute a conversation. You can select whether to advance to the next or previous conversation in the "General" Settings page.

Note when auto-advanced is enable the general tab has the following additional setting between spelling and autocorrect:

Auto-advance: After archiving, deleting, muting, etc. a conversation:

• Go to the next (newer) conversation
• Go to the previous (older) conversation
• Go back to the threadlist

Based on one of your comments:

This appears to be yet another Google bug. I went into the Gmail web-app and re-enabled auto-advance in the Advanced settings tab (for testing, as the functionality is not working correctly). I then disabled auto-advance in that settings tab. The auto-advance options now do not appear in the General tab of the Gmail settings UI. I tried logging out, and logging back in (several times), but the auto-advance options now do not appear in the General settings tab.

This isn't a bug. Your question said you want to go back to the list of conversations. Therefore disable "auto-advance" on the advanced settings tab. When you do this it will hide the "auto-advance" setting on the general settings tab.

It hides it because deciding next or previous doesn't make sense if it is disabled. I disabled auto-advance more than a decade ago, just like I do on all my email systems.