How to see only unread emails in Gmail
Show just the emails you have not opened, or put them at the top of your inbox for good.
The quick way: search
Type is:unread in the Gmail search box and press Enter. Only unread emails show.
Add more to narrow it:
is:unread in:inboxfor unread emails still in your inboxis:unread category:primaryfor unread emails in the Primary tabis:unread newer_than:7dfor the past week
Put unread at the top for good
- Click the gear at the top right.
- Under Inbox type, choose Unread first.
Your inbox now has an Unread section on top and everything else below.
On a phone
In the Gmail app, type is:unread in the search bar. The iPhone and Android apps also let you pick Unread first under Settings, then your account, then Inbox type.
Too many unread to deal with?
If the count is in the thousands, most of it is newsletters and notifications. See how to mark all emails as read, then start fresh.
How to do this in Perfect Mail
Open Emails, click the folder menu at the top of the list, and choose Unread. Only unread conversations show, with a count.
Or skip the list entirely. Triage shows your inbox one email at a time, newest first, with a one-line answer for each: Reply (R), Done (E), Later (H).