I was trying to mark an email as "Important" in Gmail and accidentally archived it.
Now I cannot locate it, since there is no "archive" label anywhere.
How do I get it back?
-
Related: Apply inbox label to mail in gmail– Rubén ♦Mar 26 at 23:28
Add a comment
|
7 Answers
Click on All Mail on the left. When you see the message, open it, and choose the Move to Inbox option to "un-archive" it.
Alternatively, you can use the search feature to locate the message (the search box should be towards the top of the Gmail page).
For more details visit Archive or mute Gmail messages | Gmail Help.
answered Dec 19, 2011 at 2:00
-
23Just to add, the 'All Mail' system label on the left is not visible by default. To show it, click on the cog button on the top right > Settings > Labels > Show (next to the All Mail system label).– MrWhiteAug 7, 2012 at 8:52
-
6Tip: Typing
in:allin the Gmail search box will take you directly to the "All Mail" view / system label.– Rubén ♦Aug 25, 2015 at 16:27 -
If you don't know which message it is note that the archive icon shown together with 3 other icons on the right while hovering over the item in the "All Mail" list is grey instead of black when the message is already archived. Jul 4, 2022 at 6:41
-
No need to open each message: Select messages on the left and you can "Move to Inbox" with the respective icon appearing above the message list. Jul 4, 2022 at 7:02
If you want to search for more than one archived email, entering the following into the search bar will list all your previously archived emails:
has:nouserlabels -in:Sent -in:Chat -in:Draft -in:Inbox
To move them back to the inbox, select all the displayed messages (or a subset of them if you only want to restore some of them) and click the icon that says "Move to Inbox" when hovering over it.
-
2
-
@owlstead It's been a long time, so I can't remember exactly, but I believe custom folders are/were represented by user added labels. Oct 14, 2014 at 4:08
-
2If a conversation/message with user label, like those assigned by filters, was archived it will not be included in the results. Instead use
in:allwith or without the other search terms.`– Rubén ♦Aug 25, 2015 at 16:29 -
1This is the best answer because it seems to show only achieved emails. Shame it's so insanely unintuitive, but works fine with copy/paste Feb 17, 2018 at 9:25
-
1This is easily the best answer. Amazing that it's 6 years old and Google still hasn't addressed this issue.– figAug 22, 2019 at 6:33
Just search for -label:inbox.
answered Dec 19, 2011 at 21:37
-
9That will still include sent emails and drafts. The following search should leave only archived emails:
has:nouserlabels -in:Sent -in:Chat -in:Draft -in:InboxMay 5, 2013 at 7:16
An archived email is just an email with the inbox label removed. Search for it, or open a label that it should be in, then click on move to inbox.
answered Dec 19, 2011 at 18:46
In addition to the other answers that show how to find your answer again, you can always get it back immediately after archiving it by clicking "Undo" in the message that appears just after the action:
I have used this "undo" feature many times. Also works for deleted messages.
answered Dec 17, 2012 at 20:40
-
3Not always. For example if it's at the bottom of the screen in the app, "undo" is hidden behind the floating "compose" button, and scrolling to make it visible causes the button to permanently disappear... Feb 17, 2018 at 9:33
-
Admittedly, it is now almost 7 years since this answer was posted, but I just did basically what the OP did and there was not "Undo" that I saw. Sep 9, 2019 at 13:05
-
1"Undo" is too close to other buttons and too small. If one accidentally archives a message one probably also will have trouble hitting this tiny link under time pressure (one knows from past experience that the link will only be there for a few seconds). Jul 4, 2022 at 7:00
Google finally fixed this. Here's the 2020 answer:
in:archive
If you can remember who is the sender or his mail id or part of his name, try to search with this information in the search box on the top of the page.
