Gmail does have folders. It just calls them labels. Once you’ve made one, you can put emails in it by hand, or set Gmail up to file them for you as they arrive, so your inbox stops being one never-ending list.
In this guide I’ll show you how to create a folder in Gmail on your computer or phone, make subfolders, move emails into them, and set up a rule that does the moving automatically. Plus where your emails go once they’ve left the inbox, because that catches a lot of people out.
The Short Version
- Create a folder: in the menu on the left, click More, then Create new label. Give it a name and click Create.
- Move an email into it: tick the email, click the Move to icon at the top and pick your folder. Or just drag the email onto the folder.
- File emails automatically: tick an email from that sender, click More (three dots) at the top, then Filter messages like these, and choose your folder under Apply the label.
Table of contents
Does Gmail Have Folders?
Yes, but Gmail calls them labels. They do the same job as folders in Windows: you make one, give it a name, and keep related emails in it.
There’s one difference worth knowing. An email can only be in one folder, but in Gmail it can have more than one label. So an email from your builder could sit in both a House folder and a Receipts folder at the same time, without making a copy.
Your labels are private. The people you email can’t see them, and they don’t get your labels when you reply.
Labels or Folders?
Throughout this guide I call them folders, because that’s how most of us think of them. Gmail’s own buttons say label, so look for that word on screen.
How to Create a Folder in Gmail
On your computer, open Gmail in your web browser and sign in.
- In the menu on the left, click More to show the rest of the options.
- Scroll down and click Create new label.
- Type a name for your folder. Pick something that’ll make sense later, such as Bank or Holidays.
- Click Create.
Your new folder appears under Labels in the menu on the left.
A Quicker Way
Look for the Labels heading in the menu on the left. There’s a + next to it. Click that and you go straight to the New label box.
How to Create Subfolders in Gmail
You can put a folder inside another folder, just like on your computer. For example, a Holidays folder with Spain 2026 inside it.
- Start creating a new folder as above, and type its name.
- Tick Nest label under.
- Click the drop-down box and choose the folder you want to put it in.
- Click Create.
Already made a folder and want to move it inside another one? Point at it in the menu, click the three dots next to it, click Edit and tick Nest label under.
Create a Folder in the Gmail App
On an Android phone or tablet:
- Tap the Menu icon (three lines) at the top left.
- Scroll down and, under All labels, tap Create label.
- Type a name and tap Save.
On an iPhone or iPad, tap the Menu icon, then under Labels tap Create new. Type a name and tap Save.
Folders you make on your phone show up on your computer too, and the other way round. If you want subfolders, they’re easiest to set up on a computer.
How to Move Emails Into a Folder in Gmail
Making the folder is the easy part. Here’s how to actually put emails in it. On a computer there are three ways, so use whichever you find easiest:
- Move to: tick the box next to the email (or several emails), click the Move to icon at the top (a folder with an arrow), and click your folder.
- Drag and drop: click and hold the email, drag it onto the folder’s name in the menu on the left and let go.
- Right-click: right-click the email, point at Move to and choose your folder.
Moving an email takes it out of your inbox. You’ll find it by clicking the folder’s name on the left.
Move to or Label?
Next to the Move to icon there’s a Labels icon (it looks like a tag). It puts the email in the folder and leaves it in your inbox. Use Move to if you want your inbox cleared, and Labels if you want the email in both places.
Move Emails to a Folder on Your Phone
On Android, touch and hold the email (or several), tap the More icon (three dots) at the top right, tap Move to and choose your folder.
On an iPhone or iPad, touch and hold the email, tap More, then Change labels. Untick Inbox, tick the folder you want and tap Finished.
Move All the Emails From One Sender at Once
Got hundreds of emails from one person or company to file? You don’t have to do them one by one.
- Type the sender’s email address into the search box at the top and press Enter.
- Tick the select box at the top left, above the emails. That selects the ones on screen.
- If there are more, click Select all conversations that match this search, which appears just above the list.
- Click the Move to icon and choose your folder.
How to Automatically Move Emails to a Folder in Gmail
If you want every email from your bank, your child’s school or a particular shop to go straight into its own folder, set up a filter. It’s Gmail’s version of what Outlook calls a rule, and once it’s set up it works by itself.
- Tick the box next to an email from that sender.
- Click the More icon (three dots) at the top, then Filter messages like these. Gmail fills in the sender’s address for you.
- Click Create filter.
- Tick Apply the label and choose your folder from the drop-down box.
- Tick Skip the Inbox (Archive it) if you want these emails to go straight into the folder without appearing in your inbox. Leave it unticked if you’d still like to see them arrive.
- Tick Also apply filter to matching conversations to file the emails you’ve already got, too.
- Click Create filter.
You can’t set up filters in the Gmail app, only on a computer. But once a filter is made, it works on your phone too.
Filter by Subject or Words, Not Just Sender
Instead of starting from an email, click the Show search options icon at the right-hand end of the search box. You can then filter by the Subject or by words the email Has, such as “invoice” or “booking confirmation”, before clicking Create filter.
Change or Delete a Filter
Click the Settings icon (the gear wheel) at the top right, then See all settings, then the Filters and blocked addresses tab. Each filter has an edit and a delete link next to it.
Filters can do more than file emails. Gmail Category Tabs: Primary, Promotions and How to Manage Them shows how to use one to keep a sender in your Primary tab.
Where Do Emails Go When You Move Them to a Folder?
This is where a lot of people think Gmail has lost their emails. It hasn’t. When you move an email out of your inbox, it’s still in your account. Here’s how to find it:
- Click the folder’s name in the menu on the left. Can’t see it? Click More to show the rest of the list.
- Open All Mail. Click More, then All Mail. It shows every email you’ve got, whatever folder it’s in, apart from Spam and Bin.
- Search for it. The search box at the top searches every folder at once. Type label: and the folder’s name to see just that folder, or in:archive to see emails that aren’t in your inbox.
Moving an email doesn’t put it in any danger. Only deleting it does that.
How to Delete or Rename a Gmail Folder
On a computer, point at the folder’s name in the menu on the left and click the three dots that appear next to it.
- To delete a folder: click Remove label, then confirm.
- To rename a folder: click Edit, type the new name in the box and click Save.
Will Deleting a Folder Delete My Emails?
No. Deleting a folder only removes the label. The emails that were in it stay in your account. Any that were also in your inbox stay there, and the rest can be found in All Mail. If you want the emails gone as well, open the folder and delete them before you remove the folder.
On an Android phone, tap Menu, Settings, your account, then Manage labels. Tap the folder, then Delete, or tap Name to rename it. On an iPhone, tap Menu, Settings, Inbox customisations, then Labels, and tap the folder.
Colour Code Your Folders
To make your most important folders stand out, give them a colour. Point at the folder in the menu on the left, click the three dots, point at Label colour and pick one.
Emails in that folder get a small coloured tag in your inbox list too, so you can spot them at a glance.
Hide Folders You Don’t Use Often
Too many folders cluttering the menu? Click the Settings icon, then See all settings, then the Labels tab. Click hide next to any folder you don’t need to see all the time. It’s still there, and the emails in it aren’t touched.
Troubleshooting
I Can’t See My New Folder
Click More in the menu on the left. Gmail only shows a few folders until you expand the list. If it’s a subfolder, click the small arrow next to the folder it’s inside. Still missing? Check it isn’t set to hide under Settings, See all settings, Labels.
My Filter Isn’t Moving Emails
Check the sender’s address in the filter exactly matches the one the emails come from. Some companies send from several addresses. Also remember a filter only works on new emails unless you ticked Also apply filter to matching conversations when you made it. To fix one, edit it from Settings, See all settings, Filters and blocked addresses.
A Moved Email Came Back to My Inbox
That happens when someone replies. Google’s help page explains that if someone replies to an email you’ve archived, the conversation returns to your inbox. It’s still in your folder too. Just move it again once you’ve read the reply.
I Can’t Find Create New Label
It’s at the bottom of the list that appears when you click More in the left-hand menu. Or click the + next to the Labels heading.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Does Gmail have folders?
A: Yes, but Gmail calls them labels. They work like folders, except one email can have more than one label.
Q: How do I create a folder in Gmail?
A: On a computer, click More in the menu on the left, then Create new label. Type a name and click Create. Your folder appears under Labels.
Q: Can I create folders in the Gmail app?
A: Yes. On Android, tap Menu, then Create label under All labels. On an iPhone or iPad, tap Menu, then Create new under Labels.
Q: How do I move emails into a folder in Gmail?
A: Tick the email, click the Move to icon at the top and choose your folder. You can also drag the email onto the folder’s name in the menu on the left.
Q: How do I make emails go into a folder automatically?
A: Create a filter. Tick an email from that sender, click More, then Filter messages like these, then Create filter. Tick Apply the label, choose the folder and click Create filter.
Q: If I delete a folder in Gmail, are the emails deleted?
A: No. Removing a label leaves the emails in your account. You can find them in your inbox or in All Mail.
Q: Can I put a folder inside another folder in Gmail?
A: Yes. When you create or edit a label, tick Nest label under and choose the folder to put it in.
Q: Does moving emails into folders free up Gmail storage?
A: No. Emails in folders still count towards your 15GB of free Google storage. Only deleting them, and emptying the Bin, frees up space.
Q: How many folders can I have in Gmail?
A: Google says you can create up to 5,000 labels, which should be enough.
Summary
Gmail’s folders are called labels, but they do the same job. Make a few for the things that matter, move your emails into them with Move to or a quick drag, and set up a filter for anyone who emails you regularly.
Do that and your inbox only holds what still needs dealing with. And if Gmail’s running out of space, filing won’t help, but Gmail Storage Full? Here’s Why (and How to Fix it) will.
Related Posts
Gmail Category Tabs: Primary, Promotions and How to Manage Them
How to Block Emails in Gmail and Stop Spam
Gmail Storage Full? Here’s Why (and How to Fix it)
Gmail says it’s full even when you’ve deleted all your emails. Unfortunately your Gmail storage space isn’t only used for emails. So lets look at why your Gmail may be reporting as being full.
You can find this and other related step by step guides in – At Home Computer Gmail Guides
Written by Jeff Porter. I’ve been fixing Windows PCs since 2010 and I’m CompTIA Network+ certified. More about me