Deleting an email removes it from your inbox, but the steps differ depending on whether you use Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo Mail, or Apple Mail

Deleting an email is straightforward once you know where the delete button lives in your email service. Most services move deleted emails to a trash or deleted items folder first, where they stay for 30 days before disappearing permanently. During that window, you can recover a deleted email if you change your mind. After 30 days, the email is gone for good — you cannot get it back.

The reason email services keep deleted messages temporarily is to protect you from accidents. If you delete something by mistake, you have time to find it and restore it. Once the 30-day window closes, the email is removed from their servers entirely.

Key Takeaways

  • Deleted emails move to a trash or deleted items folder and stay there for about 30 days before permanent removal.
  • In Gmail, click the trash icon or select an email and press Delete; in Outlook, right-click and choose Delete or use the Delete button.
  • You can recover a deleted email within 30 days by opening your trash folder and moving it back to your inbox.
  • Permanently deleting an email (so it cannot be recovered) requires emptying your trash folder, which varies by service.
  • Deleting emails regularly helps you spot scams more easily because your inbox stays organized and suspicious messages stand out.

How to delete an email in Gmail

Open Gmail in your web browser or the Gmail app on your phone. Find the email you want to delete. Click or tap the trash icon — it looks like a garbage can — at the top of the email. The email moves to your Trash folder when ready.

If you are looking at your inbox list instead of an open email, you can select the email by clicking the checkbox next to it, then click the trash icon at the top of the list. You can select multiple emails at once this way and delete them all together.

To recover a deleted email, click the three-line menu icon (called a hamburger menu) on the left side of Gmail, scroll down, and click Trash. Find the email you want to restore, open it, and click the three-dot menu icon at the top. Choose Move To, then select Inbox. The email returns to your inbox.

How to delete an email in Outlook

Open Outlook in your web browser or the Outlook app. Find the email you want to delete. Click the Delete button at the top of the email — it usually looks like a trash can or has the word Delete next to it. The email moves to your Deleted Items folder.

If you are in your inbox list, right-click the email and select Delete from the menu that appears. You can also click the email once to select it and press the Delete key on your keyboard.

To recover a deleted email in Outlook, click Deleted Items in the folder list on the left side. Find the email, right-click it, and select Move. Choose Inbox from the list. The email goes back to your inbox. If you do not see Deleted Items in your folder list, click the three-dot menu and select Show Folders.

How to delete an email in Yahoo Mail

Open Yahoo Mail in your web browser. Find the email you want to delete and click the trash icon at the top of the email. The email moves to your Trash folder. If you are looking at your inbox list, click the checkbox next to the email, then click the trash icon at the top of the list.

To recover a deleted email, click Trash in the folder list on the left. Find the email, click the checkbox next to it, and click Move at the top. Select Inbox. The email returns to your inbox.

How to delete an email in Apple Mail

Open Apple Mail on your Mac or iPhone. Find the email you want to delete. On a Mac, click the Delete button in the toolbar at the top of the window, or press Command and Delete together. On an iPhone, swipe left on the email in your inbox list and tap the trash icon that appears.

To recover a deleted email on a Mac, click Trash in the sidebar on the left. Find the email, right-click it, and select Move To, then choose Inbox. On an iPhone, tap Mailboxes at the bottom left, scroll down, and tap Trash. Swipe left on the email and tap Move, then select Inbox.

How to permanently delete an email so it cannot be recovered

Permanently deleting an email means emptying your trash folder. Once you do this, the email is gone and cannot be recovered. In Gmail, open your Trash folder, click the Delete All button at the top, and confirm. In Outlook, open Deleted Items, select all emails (use Ctrl+A on Windows or Command+A on Mac), right-click, and choose Delete. In Yahoo Mail, open Trash, click Select All at the top, and click Delete Permanently. In Apple Mail on a Mac, open Trash, select all emails, and press Command+Delete.

You do not have to empty your entire trash folder. You can select individual emails in your trash and permanently delete only those. The process is the same: select the email, find the permanent delete option (usually called Empty Trash, Delete Permanently, or Remove), and confirm.

Why you might want to delete emails regularly

Deleting emails you no longer need keeps your inbox organized and makes it easier to spot scams and suspicious messages. When your inbox is full of old emails, a phishing message or scam can hide among the clutter. A clean inbox makes it obvious when something does not belong.

Deleting also frees up storage space in your email account. Most email services give you a certain amount of storage — Gmail offers 15 gigabytes, for example — and old emails take up that space. Once you hit your storage limit, you cannot receive new emails until you delete some old ones.

Start by deleting emails from newsletters you no longer read, old receipts, and promotional messages. Then work backward through your inbox, deleting emails older than a year that you do not need to keep. You can always recover them from trash if you change your mind within 30 days.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I recover an email after I empty my trash?

No. Once you empty your trash folder, the email is permanently deleted and cannot be recovered. This is why most email services keep deleted emails in trash for 30 days — it gives you time to change your mind. If you think you might need an email, move it to a folder instead of deleting it.

What happens if I delete an email by accident?

Open your trash or deleted items folder and find the email. Move it back to your inbox. You have about 30 days to do this before the email is permanently removed. After 30 days, it is gone.

Does deleting an email delete it from the other person's inbox?

No. Deleting an email only removes it from your account. The person who sent it or received it from you still has it in their inbox unless they delete it themselves. Deleting is not the same as unsending.

How much storage space does deleting emails free up?

It depends on the size of the emails. Text emails take up very little space — usually less than 100 kilobytes each. Emails with photos or attachments can be much larger, sometimes several megabytes. Deleting emails with large attachments frees up the most space.

Can I set up my email to automatically delete old messages?

Yes. Gmail, Outlook, and Yahoo Mail all have settings to automatically delete emails after a certain number of days. In Gmail, go to Settings, click Forwarding and POP/IMAP, and look for Auto-Advance. In Outlook, go to Settings, click Mail, and find Automatic Cleanup. Check your email service's help section for the exact steps, as these settings change occasionally.