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How to Search Everything (Including the Trash) in Gmail

Find emails you accidentally deleted

By Heinz Tschabitscher Heinz Tschabitscher Writer University of Vienna A former freelance contributor who has reviewed hundreds of email programs and services since 1997. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on August 4, 2021 Reviewed by Jon Fisher Reviewed by Jon Fisher Wichita Technical Institute Jonathan Fisher is a CompTIA certified technologist with more than 6 years' experience writing for publications like TechNorms and Help Desk Geek. lifewire's editorial guidelines Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email Email Gmail Yahoo! Mail

What to Know

On the far-right side of the search bar, select the filter icon.In dialog box that appears, select down-arrow > Mail & Spam & Trash > Search. Here's how to expand the scope of a Gmail search to find and recover any message, even if it's in the Trash or Spam.

How to Search for Messages in Gmail

To search all categories in Gmail: On the far-right side of the search bar, select the filter icon. A dialog box appears. To the far right of the Search item, select the down-arrow. Select Mail & Spam & Trash. Make additional selections to find the item you want, then select Search.

Still Can' t Find It

The above method may not work if the message was in the Trash or Spam and then permanently deleted, as these messages cannot be recovered. However, messages might be cached in a desktop email client (like Microsoft Outlook or Mozilla Thunderbird) if you disconnect from the Internet before you look for them. Although it's not common, some people who use Post Office Protocol (POP) to check email with a desktop email client will see all emails deleted from Gmail after the other email program downloads them. To reduce the risk of unexpected deletions, use a web browser to check your Gmail, or configure your email client to use the IMAP protocol instead. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire How to Recover Missing Emails in Gmail How to Create a Gmail Alias How to Access Free Windows Mail in Gmail How to Forward Multiple Emails in Gmail How to Access Google Docs Trash How to Empty the Trash in Mail for macOS How to Retrieve Archived Emails in Gmail How to Empty Spam and Trash Fast in Gmail How to Report Spam in Gmail How to Import Windows Mail or Outlook Emails Into Gmail Set Up an Out-of-Office Vacation Response in Gmail How to Use Search Operators to Find Emails in Gmail How to Use Gmail: Get Started With Your New Account How to Block Emails in Gmail How to Fix It When Outlook Folders Are Missing How to Undo Actions in Gmail Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies