How To Delete Emails On Your Iphone

You can swipe to delete messages in the iPhone's Mail app, but you'll need to enable this option in Settings.
By default, you'll only have the option to "Archive" these emails instead of deleting them.
To add "Delete" to the Mail app's swipe options, head to the "Accounts" section of the settings menu.
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The iPhone's default Mail app conveniently lets you perform common actions — like marking them as read, flagging, and even deleting them — with a simple swipe to the left or right.

What's confusing though is that by default, you can't actually delete messages this way. Instead, your Mail app will "Archive" them — removing them from your Inbox, but keeping the data.

Archiving your messages will keep them around if you need them later, but can quickly stuff up your phone with old files.

If you want to swipe to delete, you'll have to enable it in the Settings app. Here's how.

How to swipe to delete messages in your iPhone's Mail app

The swipe options for the Mail app are in Settings. Here's how to customize them.

1. Start the Settings app and tap "Mail."

2. Tap "Accounts."

Go to "Accounts" within your Mail settings to add the option to delete with a swipe.

3. In the Accounts list, tap the email account you want to add the deleting option to. You'll have to enable it in each account manually.

4. On the next screen, tap "Account" at the top of the page.

5. Tap "Advanced."

6. Finally, on the Advanced page, in the "Move Discarded Messages Into" section, tap "Deleted Mailbox."

The Advanced menu lets you choose whether you archive or delete messages with a swipe.

7. Tap "Account" in the top-left, and then "Done" in the top-right to save your changes.

Now, when you swipe to the left, you should see the "Trash" option, which lets you delete the message.

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Dave Johnson

Freelance Writer

Dave Johnson is a technology journalist who writes about consumer tech and how the industry is transforming the speculative world of science fiction into modern-day real life. Dave grew up in New Jersey before entering the Air Force to operate satellites, teach space operations, and do space launch planning. He then spent eight years as a content lead on the Windows team at Microsoft. As a photographer, Dave has photographed wolves in their natural environment; he's also a scuba instructor and co-host of several podcasts. Dave is the author of more than two dozen books and has contributed to many sites and publications including CNET, Forbes, PC World, How To Geek, and Insider.