How to Use Unread-First Inbox Format in Gmail

Introduction

Email management can feel like a chore. In the sea of messages, missing some emails is a possiblity. Luckily, Gmail offers multiple inbox types/layouts to suit your email organization needs. To maximize your productivity, you can categorize your inbox into sections that feel the most relevant to you.

In this article, we will look at the "unread-first" inbox format, how it works, and how to enable it on Gmail. We will also discuss one of its limitations and how to address it using Gmail filters effectively.

How Does Gmail Unread-First Work?

Unread-first is one of the inbox layout types offered by Gmail. In this layout, the inbox is divided into two sections:

1. Unread (Emails that haven't been opened or marked as unread)
2. Everything else (Read/opened emails)

It prioritizes unread emails and displays them at the top of the inbox above everything else. This feature is helpful if you receive many emails and often miss some unread messages that get pushed down the inbox as you receive new emails.

Step-by-Step Guide to Enabling Unread-First Inbox Format

On Desktop

Here's how to put unread emails first on Gmail desktop.

1. Go to Gmail and log in to your account.
2. Open "Settings" by clicking the gear icon at the top right corner.
3. Select "Unread first" as the Inbox type.

Your inbox will reload and look something like this:

Using the "Unread-First" Gmail format, your inbox is organized into two sections: unread emails and read emails. The unread emails are put first, followed by the opened emails.

View All Unread Emails

By default, Gmail shows up to 25 unread emails in the "Unread first" format and hides the rest from the view. Here's how you can view the hidden emails:

1. Click on the three-dot menu next to the "Unread" section.
2. Select "Show more messages."

OR

You can use the Gmail search operator "is" to find emails with the status of "unread". Simply type the following query in the search bar and hit enter. This query will return all the unread emails in your inbox.

is:unread

Configuring the Unread Section (Optional)

Gmail allows you to customize the "Unread-First" inbox format based on your preferences. You can adjust the number of emails to appear in the inbox and hide the rest.

By default, Gmail shows up to 25 unread and 10 read emails at a time, resulting in a cleaner and more focused inbox.

You can increase or reduce the number of read emails shown by modifying the settings:

1. Click on the three-dot menu next to the "Unread" section.
2. Select the number of unread emails you wish to view at a time.

On the Gmail Mobile App

Here's how to show unread emails first on the Gmail mobile app:

1. Open Gmail.
2. Tap the hamburger menu icon, scroll down, and select "Settings."

3. Choose the account for which you want to change the inbox layout.
4. Tap on "Inbox type" and select "Unread first".

In the "Unread first" layout, all your unread emails are at the top, followed by read emails. Unlike the desktop app, there are no distinct sections to separate the two.

However, Gmail creates a separate folder, "Unread," to organize all unread emails. You can access it by tapping the hamburger icon and opening the "Unread" folder.

Limitation of Gmail "Unread-First"

Gmail's "unread-first" inbox type is a helpful layout, especially if you receive many emails and don't want to miss any important emails that remain unread.

However, it has one major limitation: Gmail removes the separate tabs for less important emails, such as promotional and social emails, in the "unread-first" inbox type. This layout seems counterproductive and cluttered as you have to find important emails yourself manually.

Solution? You can set up a Gmail filter to automatically archive Promotional and Social emails. Here's how to achieve this:

1. Click on the gear icon at the top and select "See All Settings".

2. Navigate to "Filters & Blocked Addresses" and click "Create new filter".

3. In the "Has the words" field, type category:promotions OR category:social.

4. Click "Create filter".
5. Select "Skip the Inbox (Archive it)" and "Also apply filter to matching conversations".

6. Lastly, click "Create filter".

You can still access these emails in the "All Mail" folder or their specific folders: "Social" and "Promotions".

Switching the Inbox Layout

Organizing your inbox by unread first may not suit your email prioritization needs. You can experiment with the other inbox types offered by Gmail and choose the one that works best for you. For instance, you organize your inbox to show starred or important emails first.

Alternatively, you can fully customize your inbox using "Multiple Inboxes" layout by adding custom sections based on search queries such as is:drafts or is:scheduled. Hence, Gmail offers inbox types to suit every need so that you can manage your emails effortlessly.

Conclusion

Using the unread first inbox format, you can view all pending emails at a glance. By changing your inbox layout to show unread emails at the top, you can lower the chances of missing emails and save time by not having to search for unopened emails yourself.

Prefer separate tabs for promotional and social emails as in the default inbox layout, and don't like these less important emails appearing in your unread-first inbox? Set up a Gmail filter to automatically archive such emails and access them from their folders when needed.