Your inbox is where new messages land when they arrive
When someone sends you an email, it goes to your inbox first. Your inbox is a folder inside your email account — the default landing place for all incoming mail. To check your inbox, you open your email account and look for the word "Inbox" on the left side of the screen. The number next to it tells you how many unread messages are waiting.
The exact steps depend on which email service you use. Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo Mail, and Apple Mail all work slightly differently, but the principle is the same: open the service, and your inbox appears automatically or with one click.
Key Takeaways
- Your inbox is the main folder where new emails arrive, and it usually opens automatically when you log in.
- An unread message count next to "Inbox" shows how many new emails you have not yet opened.
- You can mark messages as read or unread to keep track of what needs your attention.
- Deleting or archiving old messages keeps your inbox from becoming too full and hard to search.
- Suspicious emails with urgent language, unknown senders, or requests for passwords should be moved to spam or deleted.
How to open your inbox in Gmail
If you use Gmail, go to gmail.com and sign in with your email address and password. Your inbox opens automatically and shows your most recent messages at the top. On the left side of the screen, you will see "Inbox" with a number next to it — that number is how many unread messages you have.
Click on any message to read it in full. The sender's name appears at the top, along with the subject line and the date the message arrived. If you want to go back to the list of all your messages, click the back arrow or click "Inbox" again on the left side.
How to open your inbox in Outlook
For Outlook (which includes Hotmail and Live Mail accounts), go to outlook.live.com and sign in. Your inbox appears on the left side of the screen with a number showing unread messages. Click on "Inbox" if it is not already highlighted, and your messages will display in the center.
The most recent message appears at the top. Click any message to open it and read the full content. A blue dot next to a message means you have not read it yet. Once you click it open, the dot disappears and the message is marked as read.
How to open your inbox in Yahoo Mail
Go to mail.yahoo.com and sign in with your Yahoo email address and password. Your inbox opens automatically. On the left side, you will see "Inbox" with a number showing how many unread messages are there. Your messages appear in the center, with the newest at the top.
Click on any message to read it. The sender's name, subject, and date appear at the top of the message. To return to your message list, click the back arrow or click "Inbox" on the left.
How to open your inbox on your phone or tablet
If you use the Gmail app, Outlook app, or Yahoo Mail app on your phone, open the app and your inbox appears automatically. The number of unread messages shows at the top or next to "Inbox" in the menu. Tap any message to read it in full.
If you do not have the app installed, you can still check your email by opening your phone's web browser, going to gmail.com, outlook.live.com, or mail.yahoo.com, and signing in the same way you would on a computer. The layout is smaller but works the same.
What to do with messages once you have read them
After you read a message, you have several choices. You can leave it in your inbox, move it to a folder (like a folder for bills or receipts), delete it, or archive it. Archiving removes a message from your inbox but keeps it in a searchable archive, so you can find it later without cluttering your main inbox.
If a message is suspicious — it asks for your password, comes from an unknown sender with urgent language, or contains a link you do not recognize — move it to spam or delete it. Most email services have a trash or spam folder. In Gmail, click the trash icon. In Outlook, click the trash icon or right-click and select "Delete". In Yahoo Mail, click the trash icon.
How to mark messages as read or unread
Sometimes you want to mark a message as unread even after you have opened it, so you remember to deal with it later. In Gmail, open the message and click the three dots in the top right, then select "Mark as unread". In Outlook, right-click the message and select "Mark as unread". In Yahoo Mail, click the three dots next to the message and select "Mark as unread".
This puts the blue dot back next to the message in your inbox list, so you know it still needs your attention. You can do the same thing in reverse — if you want to mark a message as read without opening it, right-click it and select "Mark as read".
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do I see a number next to my inbox?
That number shows how many unread messages you have. Once you open a message, it is marked as read and the count goes down by one. If you want to keep a message marked as unread after you have read it, you can mark it as unread manually so it stays in your count.
What is the difference between deleting and archiving?
Deleting removes a message and puts it in trash, where it stays for 30 days before being permanently removed. Archiving removes it from your inbox but keeps it in a searchable archive forever. Use archive for messages you want to keep but do not need to see every day, like receipts or confirmations.
Can I recover a message I deleted by accident?
Yes, if you deleted it recently. Go to your Trash or Deleted Items folder, find the message, and move it back to your inbox. Most email services keep deleted messages for 30 days before they are gone for good. After that, recovery is not possible.
How do I know if an email is a scam?
Watch for messages asking you to confirm your password, click a link to "verify your account", or send money urgently. Scammers often use urgent language and claim to be from your bank or a service you use. If you are unsure, do not click any links — instead, go directly to the company's website by typing the address yourself into your browser.
What should I do with spam emails?
Move them to your spam or junk folder. Most email services learn from this and send similar messages there automatically in the future. Never reply to spam or click links in it. If the spam is from a sender you do not recognize, mark it as spam rather than just deleting it.