Sometimes your Gmail inbox looks like a digital junkyard filled with unread newsletters, outdated conversations, and random emails that you probably don’t even want anyone to see. At some point in your life, you may have already asked yourself, 'Should I just archive this email or delete it?'
Both options are often confused, and many people become obsessed with the debate over archiving vs. deleting Gmail. But what exactly is the difference between the two, and which option should you use to declutter your Gmail?
In this article, we discuss every aspect of archiving and deleting emails and how to choose the best option for yourself. We will also discuss an easy way to declutter your inbox using Mail Genie, so you won’t have to worry about future emails filling up your inbox.
What Does Archiving Email Mean?
When you archive an email in Gmail or any other email service provider, it will be removed from your inbox; however, it isn’t deleted. Many people have the misconception that archiving will free up space, but that is not entirely true. You can say that once your archive is set, your emails are moved to the “All Mail” folder, and Gmail’s massive storage bin incorporates these emails that are not deleted, are spam, promotions, or other types of mail.
You can still find the archived emails by:
- Searching for them manually.
- Going into the All Mail tab.
- Checking labels (if you have applied them)
In other words, Archiving is a way of organizing emails visually so that, in the future, if you need them, you can still access them. However, there are some negatives to archiving. For example, if your inbox is full and you are out of storage, archiving wouldn’t free up your storage because your emails are still present in your All Mail section.
When Should You Use Archive?
So, when should you use the archive option in Gmail? You should do archiving if:
- You want to clean your inbox without actually losing a specific email.
- You might want information from the email later (order confirmations, receipts, and more)
- You don’t want to delete an email, but also don’t want to look at it daily.
- You don’t need folders and can search directly on Gmail.
If you have any of the cases above, then you can use the archive option in Gmail.
What Does Deleting Do in Gmail?
Next, we have deleting. Deleting in general is straightforward. You see, once you click the delete icon, the emails are sent directly to the Trash folder. From there, your emails will be directed to a bin, where they will be completely erased after 30 days. Until then, you have the time to recover if you end up changing your mind.
But once the email is deleted from the Trash, it is permanently deleted. Therefore, the space occupied in your Gmail account would also be freed, providing you with some extra storage that you have always needed.
When Should You Use Delete?
You should use the delete option if and only if:
- The email you’re deleting is utterly useless to you.
- You want to free up storage by deleting the emails.
- You no longer need the email for your personal or professional reasons.
- You want to declutter your inbox for better mental health.
Emails that are deleted will permanently disappear, so you should be careful about which ones to permanently delete.
Differences Between Archiving and Deleting
| Feature | Delete | Archive |
|---|---|---|
| Email Location | Trash Folder | All Mail Folder |
| Recoverable? | Recoverable for 30 days | Always recoverable |
| Storage Use | Frees up space if deleted permanently | Always takes storage |
| Searchable? | No (after 30 days in trash) | Yes |
| Visibility | Removed from inbox | Accessible in All Mail |
Why Archiving Can Be Beneficial
For people who don’t want to see a specific email for now and prefer a “just-in-case” approach to their email management, archiving is the best option. This is because nothing is truly deleted, and your emails are still present in your inbox.
Moreover, you can later search them using keywords, dates, or simply go to the All Mail section. Let’s say you want to archive your flight confirmation email, but later you will need to access it because it is required. In a case like this, you should use the archive option in Gmail.
All in all, archiving an email keeps your inbox clean without requiring you to delete it permanently.
When Deleting is Beneficial
Archiving seems like a good bet, but with that comes the risk of building thousands of emails that you don’t want in your list. Here are some of the reasons why deleting an email might be a better choice for you:
- You Free Up Actual Space:
Gmail offers 15GB of free space that you can share across different Google apps, including Google Drive, Photos, and Gmail. When you archive emails, they still eat away at your storage space. However, with deleted emails, once they are removed from the trash, they are permanently deleted. This way, you can free up the space and reclaim some of that storage.
- You Get Rid of Clutter:
While Archived emails won’t show up in your inbox, they are still there, and over time, the clutter builds up in the All Mail section. This makes it difficult to find an email that you wanted to see visually.
Once you delete emails, they are gone permanently, which gives you a more streamlined, efficient, and minimalist Gmail experience.
- No More Digital Hoarding:
Archiving makes you think that you might need an email. However, you might not need that one bill from Uber Eats from 3 years ago. Deleting emails can help you develop a better inbox and declutter your digital space.
The Smarter Solution: Delete + Unsubscribe using Mail Genie
Here’s the truth: cleaning your inbox manually and deleting those emails might seem like the best idea, but if you are subscribed to hundreds of newsletters that you don’t need, then the junk will inevitably come into your inbox.
That’s where Mail Genie comes in. With Mail Genie, you can declutter your email list by unsubscribing from newsletters in a user-friendly way.
The Benefits of Mail Genie
- Mail Genie scans your inbox using AI to identify a list of low-priority emails.
- You receive a complete and detailed email list, providing you with a better headspace to unsubscribe from those emails.
- With just a single click, you can unsubscribe from the email newsletters that you don’t want.
Think of Mail Genie as your digital housekeeper, helping you through the most difficult times. If you want to eliminate digital clutter from your emails, try Mail Genie today.
Final Verdict: Which One is Better?
Both archiving and deleting have their cases. If you want to keep some of the most important emails without having to see them daily, then you should consider archiving them. However, if you want to permanently delete emails while freeing up storage, the best option for you is to delete them.