This wikiHow teaches you how to create "folders" in Gmail. Even though folders in Gmail are named "labels," the concept is the same. You can create new labels with both the desktop version of Gmail and the Gmail app for iPad and iPhone. If you're using Android, you can't create new labels from the Gmail app. Once the labels are created, you can use them to group emails (emails) on any version of Gmail, including Android.
Step
Method 1 of 2: On Desktop Computer
Step 1. Visit Gmail
Run a web browser and visit https://www.gmail.com. If you are logged in, your Gmail inbox will be opened.
If you're not logged in, type in your email address when prompted, click NEXT, type in the password, then click NEXT.
Step 2. Select the desired email
Click the checkbox to the left of the email to select it.
If you want to create a label, you'll first need to select the email, although you can later delete the email from the label you're creating
Step 3. Click the "Label" icon
Its icon is at the top of your inbox, below the search field. A drop-down menu will be displayed.
If you're using an older version of Gmail, the icon is at a 45° angle
Step 4. Click Create new
It's at the bottom of the drop-down menu. A pop-up window will be displayed.
Step 5. Name the label
Type a name for the label into the "Please enter a new label name" text box in the pop-up window.
Step 6. Place the label inside another label
If you want to place the label inside an existing label, check the " Nest label under " box, then click the " Please select a parent… " drop-down box and then click the label you want to use to place a new label.
This Gmail method is the same as when you place a folder inside another folder
Step 7. Click Create at the bottom of the pop-up window
The label will be created.
Step 8. Add the email to the new label
Once the label is created, add an email to it by doing the following:
- Check the box to the left of the email to select it (do this for as many emails as you want if you want to add them all to the label).
-
Click the "Label" icon
Android7label - Click the label you want to use to contain the email in the drop-down menu that appears.
Step 9. Look at the email that is in the label
If you want to see the content in the label, do the following:
- Hover the mouse cursor over the list of locations (for example Inbox) in the menu on the left.
-
Scroll down until your label is visible.
Older versions of Gmail users may have to click More at the bottom of the expanded menu.
- View the email by clicking on the label.
Method 2 of 2: On Mobile
Step 1. Launch Gmail
Tap the Gmail icon, which is a red "M" on a white background. If you're signed in, your Gmail inbox will be opened.
- If you're not logged in, tap your account, or type in your email address and password when prompted.
- Again, you can't create new labels on Android devices, although you can add emails to existing labels and see what's inside those labels on Android devices.
Step 2. Tap in the top left corner
This will bring up a pop-out menu on the left side of the screen.
Step 3. Scroll down the screen, then tap Create new
It's at the bottom of the pop-out menu.
Step 4. Name the label
Enter the desired name for the label in the text field that appears.
Unlike the desktop version of Gmail, you can't create new labels inside existing labels in the Gmail app
Step 5. Tap DONE in the top right corner of the menu
Once you do that, a new label will be created, and you can add the selected emails to it.
Step 6. Add the email to the new label
Add another email to the label by doing the following:
- Select an email by tapping and holding it, then tap another email that you want to select.
- Tap ⋮ (Android) or ⋯ (iPhone).
- Tap Change labels.
- Tap the label you want to use.
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Tap
Android7done in the upper-right corner of the screen.
Step 7. Look at your labels
If you want to see a list of existing labels, tap ☰ in the upper left corner, then scroll down to the " Labels " section.
The label will be unlocked if you tap on it. The label will display the email it contains
Tips
- The process for adding labels in Gmail is not the same as creating a folder in the Google Inbox app.
- By default, emails added to a label will still appear in your inbox (other than the label). You can delete emails from your inbox by archiving them. This way, the email won't appear in your inbox, but it won't be removed from the label itself.
