The fastest way to see what's in your Gmail
Open a web browser and go to gmail.com. Enter your email address, then your password. If you have two-step verification turned on, you'll be asked for a code from your phone or a backup method. Once you're signed in, you land on your Inbox — a list of messages sorted newest first.
If you're already signed into Google on that computer or phone, Gmail may open without asking for your password again. This is convenient but means anyone with access to that device can read your email. If you're on a shared computer, sign out when you're done by clicking your profile picture in the top right corner and selecting "Sign out".
On a phone or tablet, read the Gmail app from the App Store (iPhone) or Google Play (Android). Open it, sign in the same way, and you'll see your inbox. The app works the same as the website but is designed for a smaller screen.
Key Takeaways
- Gmail opens at gmail.com on any computer or through the Gmail app on a phone, and shows your newest messages first in the Inbox folder.
- Your inbox is not the only place messages go — spam filters automatically move suspected scams to a Spam folder, and you can create custom folders to sort messages by topic or sender.
- The sender's name and address are not always what they appear to be, so hover over or tap the sender line to see the actual email address before trusting a message.
- Starred messages, labels, and the search box help you find old emails quickly without scrolling through months of messages.
Understanding the folders Gmail creates for you
On the left side of Gmail, you see a list of folders. Inbox holds messages that passed Gmail's spam filter. Starred shows only messages you marked with a star — a way to flag something important without moving it. Sent Mail is a copy of every message you sent. Drafts holds messages you started but didn't send yet.
Spam is where Gmail automatically sends messages it thinks are scams, phishing attempts, or unwanted bulk mail. Check this folder occasionally because legitimate messages sometimes land here by mistake. If you find a real message in Spam, click it and select "Report not spam" so Gmail learns to treat that sender differently next time.
Trash holds messages you deleted. They stay there for 30 days, then disappear forever. If you delete something by accident, you can recover it from Trash within that window.
How to spot the actual sender of a message
The name that appears next to a message — "Bank of America" or "Amazon Support" — is not always real. Scammers can type any name they want in that field. To see the actual email address, hover your mouse over the sender's name on a computer, or tap and hold it on a phone. A small box appears showing the real address.
A legitimate bank or company uses an email address that ends with their official domain. Bank of America uses addresses ending in @bankofamerica.com. Amazon uses @amazon.com. If you see an address like @gmail.com or @yahoo.com, or one that's close to the real thing but slightly different (like @bankofamericaa.com with an extra letter), the message is not from that company.
This is one of the fastest ways to catch a phishing scam before you click a link or enter information. When in doubt, don't click anything in the email — instead, go directly to the company's website by typing the address into your browser yourself.
Using labels and folders to organize your messages
Gmail's default folders work for basic sorting, but you can create your own. On the left sidebar, scroll to the bottom and click "Create new label". Give it a name like "Bills", "Family", or "Work". From then on, any message you assign that label to will appear in that folder.
To label a message, open it and click the label icon (it looks like a tag) near the top. Check the boxes for any labels you want to add. A single message can have multiple labels — for example, an email from your sister about a family recipe could have both "Family" and "Recipes" labels.
You can also set up automatic labeling. Click the settings gear in the top right, go to "Filters and Blocked Addresses", and create a filter based on sender, subject line, or keywords. Tell Gmail to automatically explore a label to all messages matching that filter. This saves time if you get regular emails from a specific person or company.
Finding old messages with search
The search box at the top of Gmail lets you find messages without scrolling through months of history. Type a sender's name, a subject word, or any text that appeared in the message. Gmail searches through all your messages and shows matches in seconds.
You can also search by date. Type "before:2024/01/15" to find messages sent before January 15, 2024, or "after:2024/01/15" for messages after that date. Type "from:mom@example.com" to see only messages from a specific person, or "subject:invoice" to find all messages with "invoice" in the subject line.
If you starred a message but can't remember what it said, click the Starred folder instead of searching. This is faster when you know you marked something as important but forgot the details.
Checking your account from multiple devices
You can sign into Gmail on as many devices as you want — your computer, phone, tablet, and even a friend's computer if you need to. Every device sees the same inbox and the same messages. If you read an email on your phone, it shows as read on your computer too.
If you sign into Gmail on a device you don't own or share with others, always sign out when you're done. Click your profile picture in the top right, select "Sign out", and close the browser completely. If you forget to sign out, anyone using that device afterward can read your email and send messages as you.
If you think someone has signed into your account without permission, change your password when ready. Go to myaccount.google.com, click "Security" on the left, and select "Password". You can also see a list of devices currently signed into your account under "Your devices" and sign out of any that shouldn't be there.
What to do if you can't sign in
If you forget your password, go to gmail.com and click "Forgot password?" on the sign-in screen. Google will ask you to enter the last password you remember, then send a recovery code to your phone number or backup email address. Enter that code and you can set a new password.
If you don't have access to your phone number or backup email, Google has other ways to verify you're the account owner — like answering security questions you set up earlier, or confirming your identity through a recovery email. The process takes longer but is designed to keep your account safe from hackers.
If you think your account has been hacked, change your password right away and turn on two-step verification if you haven't already. Go to myaccount.google.com, click "Security", and look for "2-Step Verification". This adds a second layer of protection so that even if someone gets your password, they can't sign in without a code from your phone.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are some of my emails in the Spam folder when I didn't mark them as spam?
Gmail uses automatic filters to catch phishing scams and bulk mail. Sometimes legitimate messages get caught by mistake, especially if they come from a new sender or contain certain words that spam often uses. Check your Spam folder occasionally and mark real messages as "not spam" so Gmail learns to let them through.
Can I see my Gmail on my phone without downloading the app?
Yes. Open any web browser on your phone, go to gmail.com, and sign in. It works the same as on a computer but is formatted for a smaller screen. The Gmail app is faster and sends you notifications when new messages arrive, but the website works fine if you prefer not to read anything.
What happens if I delete an email by accident?
Deleted messages go to your Trash folder and stay there for 30 days. Open Trash, find the message, click it, and select "Move to Inbox" to put it back. After 30 days, Gmail permanently deletes it and you cannot recover it.
How do I know if an email is really from my bank?
Hover over or tap the sender's name to see the actual email address. Banks use their official domain — for example, Chase uses @chase.com. If the address is different, doesn't match the company name, or ends in @gmail.com, it's not from your bank. Never click links in unexpected emails from your bank; instead, go to the bank's website directly by typing the address yourself.
Can I sign into Gmail on someone else's computer safely?
You can, but you must sign out completely when you're done. Click your profile picture, select "Sign out", and close the browser. If you forget to sign out, the next person using that computer can read your email. On a shared or public computer, consider using a private browsing window instead, which automatically signs you out when you close it.