Finding one from months ago
Find any email you have ever been sent, in about ten seconds.
The commonest way people look for an old email is to scroll down the list. It is also the only way that reliably does not work.
Every mail program has a search box across the top. It reads every word of every message you have ever had — including the ones you archived, the ones you sent, and the ones with attachments.
Key points
- Find a message by typing one ordinary word from inside it
- Widen a search to all mail when the first attempt finds nothing
- Narrow a long list down by who sent it and whether it had an attachment
What to remember
- Search reaches everywhere: inbox, archive, sent, junk and bin. Scrolling reaches about two weeks.
- When a search finds nothing, widen it before you doubt yourself. All mail, all folders, all time.
- Search options are the same three questions everywhere: who from, when, and did it have something attached.
Try this
Think of something you were emailed at least a year ago — a booking, a quote, a set of photographs. Search for one word from it. Most people are surprised how fast it comes back.
Practice: Finding one from months ago. Your first lesson is free, with no account or card; the rest are part of a Lantern plan. Interactive lessons require JavaScript.