Tell Archive from Delete

Clear your inbox without throwing anything away.

Archive takes a message out of the inbox and keeps it. Delete puts it in Trash, which empties after about thirty days.

Archived mail stays searchable. The inbox is a desk, not a filing cabinet.

Key points

What to remember

Try this

Press Archive on one message you are finished with, then search for it and watch it come back.

Practice: Tell Archive from Delete. Your first lesson is free, with no account or card; the rest are part of a Lantern plan. Interactive lessons require JavaScript.

Related guides

Lantern