Work time-saver: Stop filing emails into endless folders and master your inbox searches. Advanced options let you filter by an email’s sender, subject, keywords or date range. In Gmail and Outlook, hit the three-line icon at the right side of the search bar. Combine keywords with operators like “from:boss” or “has:attachment” for even better results.
Kickstart 2024 with a clutter-free inbox: Your simple guide to email zen!
Right now, I’m sitting here beaming because my inbox is at zero. Really! Did I read and reply to every single message? Well, no. Before I took back control, I had 409 unread messages. But I have a trick to starting each year with a clean slate. You can do it, too!
Clear out your inbox
Drowning in emails? Here’s a surprisingly easy fix to begin the New Year right: Archive your inbox. It’s like a magic wand for your digital clutter!
What’s email archiving, you ask? Picture this: a digital vault where every email you’ve ever sent or received is safely stored, complete with attachments. They’re out of sight but never out of reach. No more endless scrolling through a jam-packed inbox!
You could try sorting emails into a maze of folders, but let’s face it, who has the time for that? Archiving is a smart, hassle-free solution. It’s a New Year’s gift you owe yourself. A couple of clicks and voilà — your digital world just got a whole lot tidier.
So, are you ready to beat the email bloat? Here’s your quick-start guide to mastering your inbox with the power of archiving. Say hello to a streamlined, stress-free 2024!
Follow these steps to archive in Gmail
- First, open your Gmail account on a computer and click the Inbox folder on the left.
- Above your emails, there’s an empty checkbox. Click the small arrow next to it, and choose All. This selects only the conversations visible on the screen.
- To select all your emails, click Select all (number) conversations in Inbox. Then, hit the Archive icon (folder with a downward pointing arrow).
Gmail will take some time to process your request. Be patient. You may have to do this step a few times to get everything.
Once you’ve archived a message, you can hit All Mail to the left, right under Inbox and your other email folders to find it. Your best bet is to search by a term you know was in the email or by the sender.
Using Apple Mail? Here’s what to do
- Open the Mail app on your Mac. Look through your inbox or other folders and find those emails you want to stash away. Click on an email to select it, or if you’ve got a bunch, hold down the Command key and click on each one you want to archive.
- Got an ‘Archive’ button (looks like a little box) on the toolbar? Just click that, and you’re golden. No button? No problem. Click ‘Message’ at the top, then choose ‘Archive’ from the dropdown. If you’re all about shortcuts, just hit Control + Command + A and those emails will zip right into your archive.
- Where did they go? Head over to the ‘Archive’ folder. It’s in the sidebar under ‘Mailboxes.’ Got more than one email account? Each one has its own Archive folder.
Email tips: 4 pro tips to get more out of Outlook
Outlook’s undoubtedly changed a lot over the years. Some updates are fantastic. Others? Maybe not the best, but it’s still an incredibly robust way to correspond with others.
These Microsoft Outlook tips can streamline daily tasks no matter which version you’re using. We’ll show you things like how to sort through your messages and organize the most important ones.
🚨 Use Gmail, Outlook, Apple Mail or Yahoo? No joke, three out of every four Black Friday-themed emails are scams. The scammers’ goal? To steal your credit card info or plant malware. Brands most impersonated include Amazon, Shein and Costco. Stay safe: Always double-check the sender’s email address (not just the sender’s name) before you click.
In 2000, the fastest-moving and most widespread virus in history hit 3 million PCs in just six hours. Can you guess the subject line of the infected email? Was it … A.) “URGENT,” B.) “ILOVEYOU,” C.) “MONEY4YOU” or D.) “HOT PICS”?
60-plus emails
Opened at the same time will crash the Outlook app. Microsoft isn’t sure why, but it might be due to overloading the working memory. I’ll keep you posted when a fix is out. I was on the fence about buying Office 365. I shook a Magic 8 Ball, and it said, “Outlook not good!”
Patch your Windows PC! Here's what the latest update does
Microsoft routinely patches various products and services but usually focuses on the Windows operating system. March’s Patch Tuesday update is no different, and it fixes several flaws that hackers can exploit.
Read on to see what this update entails and how to get it.
PC acting up after the latest update? Try this
The latest update from Microsoft fixes 14 issues in Windows 10, but it’s not going smoothly for some.
There is always a chance that something can go wrong during an operating system’s update, and the last patch is creating havoc for some users. It’s not as severe as past update consequences, but it can still hamper productivity.
📅 Outlook hack: Drag and drop emails to create appointments or tasks. Open Outlook, grab the email you want and drag it onto the Calendar or Tasks icon in the bottom-left panel. A new window will pop up. Now, just edit the details like the subject line or time and hit Save & Close.
📝 Spellcheck your ALL CAPS: By default, Microsoft Office programs and Outlook don’t spellcheck words written in all caps, so your BIG TITLES might be full of typos. To fix this in Office apps, go to File > Options > Proofing and uncheck Ignore words in UPPERCASE. For Outlook, go to File > Options > Mail > Editor Options > Proofing and uncheck Ignore words in UPPERCASE.
Drowning in emails? Stay afloat with custom email filters in Outlook. Open Outlook on the web and click the Settings (gear icon) in the top right corner. Choose Email > Rules > Add new rule, then click Name to name your rule > Add a condition > Add an action. For example, Newsletters > The Current > Mark as important. Aren’t you smart?!
Out the door, dinosaur: Microsoft is ending support for its Windows Mail, Calendar and People apps. Starting Dec. 31, 2024, you’ll lose the ability to send and receive emails through Mail. Microsoft wants everyone on its new Outlook app. Here’s the official exporting guide for your Mail emails and contacts. FYI: The Outlook app is slow, so you might want to switch to a different email client altogether. Thunderbird is a good free option.
Can't access Outlook? Here's the fix until Microsoft patches it
Google’s Gmail is one of the most popular email services in the world. But the tech giant is known for tracking your every move. If you want more privacy, there are options. Tap or click here for details on a Gmail alternative focused on privacy.
Check your spam folder! That's how a woman learned she won $3 million
The average person receives about 121 emails a day, according to Campaign Monitor. Unfortunately, many of these emails are dreaded spam. Tap or click here to find out how to stop junk text messages and spam for good.
The one trick I use to start my inbox with a clean slate every year
Are you that person whose inbox is always empty? Or maybe you have unread emails in the thousands staring you down every time you open up your account. A bulging inbox with little order is a stressful sight, especially if it’s full of annoying spam messages.
Tech how-to: Manage all your email addresses in one spot
Email has seriously sped up communications in work settings and in our personal lives. It’s really convenient — unless you have multiple email addresses.
Between needing different addresses for work and your personal life, you can have a lot of messages to check, ranging in degrees from crucial to spam. It can be hard to stay on top of it all.
Use Hotmail or Outlook? You might have to start paying for it
If you still have an active Hotmail account, it is a testament to just how long you have been on the internet. The email service was launched in 1996 and was eventually acquired by Microsoft.
After several name changes and product relaunches, Microsoft retired the Hotmail brand and renamed it Outlook in 2012. Everybody on the system was automatically switched over to Microsoft Outlook back in 2013, and it has been impossible to create a Hotmail account since. Tap or click here to see what free email providers know about you.
Have trouble keeping track of birthdays? Use this handy tool
Are you fed up with the lack of privacy and finally moved on from Facebook? If that’s the case, there still might be one thing you need from the site — It’s still a great way to keep track of all the birthdays in your social circle.
Virus alert: If you get one of these emails, delete it immediately
If emails seem like a safe and mundane part of your internet experience, you haven’t been paying attention. Using email is almost second nature for many at this point, but not everyone is aware of how easy it is to hijack emails for sinister purposes.