How to pin an email in Gmail
Gmail does not have a pin button. The closest thing, and it works well, is to star the email and switch your inbox to Starred first. Starred emails then sit at the top until you unstar them.
Star the email, then on a computer click Settings (gear) and under Inbox type choose Starred first. Your starred emails now stay in their own section at the top of the inbox. Unstar an email to "unpin" it.
Pin with "Starred first" on a computer
- Click the star next to each email you want to keep on top.
- Click the Settings gear at the top right.
- Under Inbox type, select Starred first.
Your inbox now has a Starred section above everything else. Unstarring an email moves it back into the normal list.
In the Gmail app
Tap the star on the email. To change the inbox type, open the menu, tap Settings, choose your account, then Inbox type › Starred first. The inbox type can be set separately on each device.
Other ways to keep emails handy
| Option | Best for |
|---|---|
| Important first inbox | Letting Gmail guess what matters, plus emails you mark important |
| Snooze | Bringing an email back to the top on a set date and time |
| Add to Tasks | Emails that are really to-dos |
| A label | A group of reference emails you open often |
| A filter that stars mail | Automatically "pinning" everything from one person |
For labels and filters, see Gmail labels and filters.
Questions people ask
- Can you pin an email in Gmail?
- Not with a dedicated pin button. Starring the email with the Starred first inbox type has the same effect.
- Will Starred first change my Primary, Promotions and Social tabs?
- Yes. Starred first replaces the tabbed Default inbox with a Starred section and an Everything else section.
- Can I pin an email in Outlook?
- Yes. Outlook has a Pin option that keeps a message at the top of the folder.
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