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Learn What the Archive Button Does in OS X Mail

Use the Archive mailbox to get your Inbox to zero messages

By Heinz Tschabitscher Heinz Tschabitscher Writer University of Vienna A former freelance contributor who has reviewed hundreds of email programs and services since 1997. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on September 22, 2021 Reviewed by Jerrick Leger Reviewed by Jerrick Leger Jerrick Leger is a CompTIA-certified IT Specialist with more than 10 years' experience in technical support and IT fields. He is also a systems administrator for an IT firm in Texas serving small businesses. lifewire's editorial guidelines Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email Email Yahoo! Mail Gmail The Mail application in OS X and macOS provides an Archive mailbox for each mail account you use. The Archive mailbox is useful for storing email messages when you don't want to delete them, but you also don't want them sitting in your Inbox, fighting for your attention. Nothing irrevocable or harmful happens to emails you choose to archive. They are moved out of your Inbox and held safely in the Archive mailbox until you need them. Information in this article applies to the Mail application on Macs running macOS Catalina (10.15) through OS X Lion (10.7).

Moving an Email to the Archive Mailbox

Select a message in Mail and press the Archive button at the top of the Mail screen or select Message > Archive from the Mail menu bar to move the message or thread to the account's Archive mailbox, where you can quickly find it later for other actions. It is not deleted. If you prefer using a keyboard shortcut, Control+Command+A moves a selected email to the Archive mailbox. Laptops with a Touch Bar display the Archive mailbox icon when you select a message. Tap the Archive icon in the Touch Bar to send the message to the Archive mailbox. Mail automatically generates a mailbox called Archive for each email account. If no archiving mailbox exists for the account, Mail creates a new mailbox called Archive automatically the first time you archive a message in one of your accounts. When you archive an email that is part of a conversation, other messages in the conversation that are in the current mailbox are archived with it. Related emails in other accounts are not archived.

Where to Find the Archive Mailbox

If the Mailboxes sidebar isn't already open in Mail, click Mailboxes under the Get Mail button at the top of the Mail screen to open the Mail sidebar. The Archive mailbox is in the Mailboxes section of the sidebar. If you only have one email account, all your archived messages appear in this mailbox. If you have several email accounts, expanding the Archive mailbox reveals a separate Archive subfolder for each account you use. Click the Archive mailbox to see any email you have archived in the past. The messages remain in the Archive mailbox until you move them or delete them. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire Hide the Preview Pane and Delete Mail Without Opening It How to Group Messages by Thread in Mac Mail Program How to Select All Messages in Gmail How to Save All Attachments From Multiple Emails Fast in OS X Mail How to Retrieve Archived Emails in Gmail How to Recall an Email in Outlook Learn Where Mac OS X Mail Stores Your Emails How to Send a Reply and Archive With One Click in Gmail macOS Mail: How to Keep Emails on the Server How to Streamline Conversations in Outlook How to Save and Use Messages as Templates in Apple Mail How to Send a Message From a Different Account in OS X Mail How to Recover Missing Emails in Gmail How to Search Mail in iPhone Mail How to Recover Deleted Messages on Facebook Messenger How to Send a Web Page With the Mac's Email Program Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies