Gmail folders (also known as labels) allow you to sort emails. Creating labels is a simple process that requires a few steps, but these steps differ slightly depending on whether you’re accessing your account through a desktop or mobile device.
This step-by-step guide will help you achieve the ultimate gmail inbox organization, covering:
- the basics of gmail folders
- how to create a new folder in gmail on your computer
- how to create a subfolder in gmail on your computer
- how to create folders in gmail mobile app
the basics of gmail folders
Before creating folders in gmail, there are a few things you need to know:
- folders in gmail are called tags
- all folders (tags) can be found in your inbox sidebar
- after you create a tag , you can choose which emails to move to that folder
- you can organize your labels to nest inside/under another label (equivalent to a parent folder) across your computer; the mobile app does not allow the creation of parent tags
how to create a new folder in gmail on your computer
From your desktop, there are two options to create a new gmail folder.
option 1: create a new folder in gmail via the sidebar
- open gmail on your desktop/computer and log in to your account.
- look for the list of existing labels on the left side of your screen (menu starts with inbox and includes folders such as Starred, Sent, and Drafts).
- Scroll down to the bottom of the list and click “more” to expand the full menu.
Click “More” at the bottom of the list to expand all folders and menu options
- Next, click “+ Create new label.”
Click “+ Create new label”
- In the pop-up screen, name your new folder and click create. Gmail label names can be up to 225 characters long.
Title your new folder/label in the pop-up window
Option 2: Creating a new folder in Gmail via settings
- Sign in to gmail and click the gear-shaped settings icon.
Click on the settings icon at the top right of your screen
- In the resulting pop-up box, click “See all settings.”
Click “See all settings” to create, edit, and delete labels
- Select the “Labels” tab, scroll down, and click “Create new label.”
Navigate to the “Labels” tab and find the button that says “Create new label”
- Name your label and click create.
how to create a subfolder in gmail on your computer
You can further organize your emails by creating subfolders, additional tags nested within the main tags. It’s worth noting that you can only create subfolders via the desktop; the gmail mobile app does not allow the creation of subcategories.
There are two ways to create subfolders from your desktop.
option 1: create a new tag and designate it as a subfolder
Follow the instructions above to create a new label through step six, stopping before clicking the create button.
- below the name of your new tag, check the box next to “nest tag below”.
Check the box next to “Nest label under”
- When text reading “Please select a parent…” appears, tap the down arrow to expand all available folders. Select the desired label to establish it as the parent label for your subcategory. Then, click create.
Choose the parent folder from the drop-down menu
Option 2: Creating a subfolder from within a folder
- on the left side of the screen, locate your folder list and scroll to the desired parent tag.
- hover over the folder to see three dots, then click those points.
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Hover over the label and click on the three vertical dots that appear
- Scroll to the bottom of the pop-up box that appears and click “Add sublabel.”
Click “Add sublabel” in the pop-up menu that appears
How to create folders in the Gmail mobile app
- open the gmail app on your mobile device.
- at the top left of the screen, click the three lines next to the bar that says “search mail” .</li
- In the menu that appears, scroll down to the tags section and tap “+ create new”.
Scroll down and tap “+ Create new” under the labels section
- In the screen that appears (titled “Name new label”), enter the name for your new folder (maximum of 225 characters). Tap done.
Name the new label
Keeping your inbox safe with email security software
Now that you’ve organized your incoming messages, keep your inbox safe with email security software.
In addition to blocking spam, email security software helps protect your account from cyber threats like phishing attempts, malware, ransomware, and viruses.
Learn more about email security software and its benefits, and rest easy knowing your data is safe.