How to mark all as read in Gmail

Is there a mark all as read button in Gmail?#

No. Gmail has no single button that marks your whole mailbox read. To mark all as read in Gmail, open it on a computer, search is:unread, tick the select-all checkbox, click "Select all conversations that match this search", then click Mark as read. That clears every unread message in one pass, whether you have 200 or 20,000.

The step people miss is the link. The checkbox on its own only selects the page you can see, which is 50 conversations by default. The link appears in a thin banner above the list right after you tick the box, and it extends the selection to every match.

Below: the desktop steps, why the link sometimes doesn't show up, how to clear just Promotions or one sender, what works in the Gmail app on iPhone and Android, and how to stop the count refilling. Steps reflect Gmail as of October 2026. If you want the inbox itself emptier, not just the badge, see archive vs delete in Gmail.

How do you mark all emails as read in Gmail on desktop?#

Use Gmail in a desktop browser at mail.google.com. This is the only version of Gmail with the select-everything link, so for a large backlog it is worth getting to a computer.

1. 1

   Search is:unread

   Click the search bar, type is:unread and press Enter. Gmail now shows only conversations that still have unread messages. To limit it to the inbox, use in:inbox is:unread instead.

2. 2

   Tick the select-all checkbox

   Click the empty square at the top-left of the message list. Every conversation on the current page gets a checkmark, up to your page size (50 by default).

3. 3

   Click "Select all conversations that match this search"

   A banner appears above the list saying all conversations on this page are selected, followed by a blue link. Click it. In a plain inbox view with no search, the link reads "Select all [number] conversations in Primary" (or Inbox) instead.

4. 4

   Click Mark as read

   Click the open-envelope icon in the toolbar. If you don't see it, click the three-dot More menu and choose Mark as read. Gmail may ask you to confirm a bulk action; click OK.

5. 5

   Let it finish

   A very large selection can take a few seconds to process. The is:unread list empties and the unread count drops to zero. If a few new messages arrive meanwhile, run the steps once more.

Why is "Select all conversations that match this search" missing?#

The most common reason in 2026 is the search sort order. Since 2025, Gmail can sort search results by Most relevant or Most recent, and the control sits just above the results. Users widely report that the select-all link doesn't appear while results are sorted by Most relevant. Click Most relevant and choose Most recent, then tick the checkbox again.

The second reason is simply that there is nothing to extend: if your search matches fewer conversations than fit on one page, the checkbox already selected everything. If neither applies and the link still won't show, you can use a filter as a one-off bulk action, covered in the last row below.

How do you mark only Promotions, one label or one sender as read?#

Usually the unread count isn't spread evenly. Most of it sits in Promotions, Updates or one noisy notification sender, while the mail you care about is a small slice. Clearing just the noise keeps the Primary count meaningful.

The method is the same as above: type a narrower search, tick the checkbox, click the select-all link, then Mark as read. Only the search changes.

For the category tabs there is often a shortcut. On the Promotions, Social, Updates or Forums tab, with nothing selected, open the three-dot More menu in the toolbar; many accounts show Mark all as read there for the whole tab. If yours doesn't, use the category search in the table.

How do you mark all as read in the Gmail app on iPhone and Android?#

The Gmail app has a Select all box, but it only selects the conversations loaded on screen. There is no equivalent of the desktop "match this search" link, so a five-figure backlog means a lot of scrolling. For a big cleanup, use the desktop site in your phone's browser instead.

If you use Apple's Mail app instead of the Gmail app, follow our guide to marking all emails read on iPhone.

Is there a keyboard shortcut to mark all as read in Gmail?#

There is no single shortcut for everything, but shortcuts speed up the desktop method. Turn them on first: Settings, See all settings, then Keyboard shortcuts on, and Save Changes. Then press * then u to select unread conversations on the page, click the banner link if you want every match, and press Shift + I to mark the selection read.

How do you stop the unread count from climbing back up?#

Marking everything read is a reset. The same newsletters and notifications will rebuild the count within weeks. A Gmail filter with the Mark as read action stops that mail from ever counting as unread, while it still lands in your inbox and stays searchable.

1. 1

   Search for the mail you want auto-read

   For example category:promotions, from:[email protected], or the word unsubscribe. Then click the Show search options icon at the right of the search bar.

2. 2

   Click Create filter

   At the bottom of the search options panel, click Create filter to see the list of actions.

3. 3

   Tick Mark as read

   Add Skip the Inbox (Archive it) as well if you want this mail out of the inbox entirely.

4. 4

   Apply it to existing mail and save

   Tick "Also apply filter to matching conversations" to clear what's already unread, then click Create filter. Future matching mail arrives already read.

A faster way: one mark-as-read rule for every inbox#

Gmail filters work, with two limits. Each one matches addresses or keywords you type, so a newsletter that changes its sender address slips through. And each Gmail account needs its own filters, so three accounts means three sets to build and maintain.

AI Emaily brings Gmail, Outlook, iCloud and other IMAP mailboxes into one inbox, and its inbox rules can match on list mail (any message carrying a List-Unsubscribe header) or an AI tag such as newsletter or receipt, then apply Mark read. One rule can cover all your connected mailboxes at once. We build AI Emaily, and you can try it with a 7-day free trial. If you only have one Gmail account and a few noisy senders, the native filter above is enough.