by The tutorial shows how to quickly delete emails and folders in Outlook, individually or in bulk, covering classic Outlook 365 – 2016, the new app, and web version.
Managing your Outlook inbox can become overwhelming if left unchecked. Deleting outdated emails and folders is a great way to free up space and keep your mailbox free of clutter. This guide will walk you through the process of removing multiple emails in one go.
How to delete emails in Outlook
Deleting emails in Outlook is a quick and straightforward process, no matter which version you use – classic desktop, the new app, or web version. Here's how you can do it:
- Open your Outlook inbox or another folder.
- Click the email you want to remove to highlight it.
- Press the Delete key on your keyboard.
Other ways to delete an email in Outlook are:
- Hover over the email and click the trash bin icon on the right.
- Select the email and click the Delete button on the Home tab in the ribbon.
- Use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + D on the selected email.
- Right-click the email and choose Delete from the context menu.
Choose the way that works best for you to quickly manage your inbox.
This method does not entirely remove emails from Outlook - they are moved to the Deleted Items folder. From there, you can recover deleted messages if needed or permanently delete to free up space in your mailbox.
Tips:
- To permanently remove emails bypassing the Deleting Items folder, use the Shift + Delete keyboard shortcut.
- If you've accidentally deleted a wrong message, press Ctrl + Z (Windows) or Cmd + Z (Mac) to undo the action and restore the email. Keep in mind, though, that this undo feature only works in classic Outlook, but not in the new Outlook or web app.
How to delete multiple emails in Outlook
Clearing multiple emails at once can help you declutter your inbox without affecting important messages. Here's how to mass delete emails in Outlook:
- Navigate to the folder containing the emails you want to remove.
- To delete consecutive emails, click the first email in the range, hold down the Shift key and click the last email in the range. This will highlight all emails in between.
- To delete non-consecutive emails, click the first message, hold down the Ctrl key, and click each additional email you want to remove. To unselect a mistakenly highlighted email, click on it one more time while holding the Ctrl key.
- Press the Delete key on your keyboard, or click the trash bin button on the ribbon, or right-click the selection and choose the corresponding option from the context menu.
This way, you can quickly clear out unwanted messages while keeping your unread or important emails safe!
To remove multiple emails by date, sender, or other criteria, check out How to mass delete emails in Outlook for step-by-step instructions.
Tips for bulk email management
Apply these easy tips to efficiently manage your inbox and keep it clutter-free:
- Create rules. Use Outlook's rules to automatically delete emails that meet certain conditions.
- Archive old emails. Instead of deleting, consider archiving emails you may need later to keep them out of sight but still accessible.
- Search or filter. Search messages by certain keywords or filter by sender, category, importance, or other criteria to make mass email deletion more targeted.
- Free up mailbox space. If you're aiming to free up space in your mailbox, remember to regularly empty the Deleted Items folder to reclaim storage space.
How to delete all emails from a folder
Clearing all messages from a specific Outlook folder is easy. This is what you need to do:
- In the folder pane, right-click the folder you want to empty.
- In classic Outlook: select Delete All.
- In the new Outlook or web app: select Empty.
- When prompted to move all conversations to the Deleted Items folder, click Yes.
This will transfer all contents of the folder to Deleted Items, leaving the folder itself intact.
To delete all emails from multiple folders, you'll need to repeat the steps outlined above for each folder separately.
How to delete folders in Outlook
To delete a folder in Outlook, just do this:
- Right click the folder you want to remove.
- Depending on your Outlook version, choose one of the following options:
- In classic Outlook, click Delete Folder.
- In the new Outlook and Outlook on the web, click Delete.
- In classic Outlook, click Delete Folder.
The folder itself, along with all its contents, will now be moved to the Deleted Items folder:
Notes:
- You can only delete custom folders that you've created. Built-in folders like Inbox, Drafts, and Junk cannot be removed but can be emptied of their contents.
- Outlook does not provide an option to delete multiple folders simultaneously. You can only remove folders one at a time.
How to permanently remove emails from Outlook
When you get rid of unwanted emails using the Delete key or the ribbon button, they're moved to the Deleted Items folder – but not actually erased from your mailbox.
To permanently delete emails in Outlook, you have two main options:
- Use the shortcut. Press the Shift + Delete keys at the same time to bypass the Deleted Items folder and remove emails right away.
- Empty Deleted Items. Delete emails the usual way, then empty the Deleted Items folder to clear them out.
However, even these methods don't eliminate emails immediately. Instead, the messages are moved to the Recoverable Items folder, where they're retained for 14 to 30 days, depending on your organization's retention settings. To fully purge emails from Outlook, you’ll also need to remove them from that folder.
For detailed instructions, please check out: How to permanently delete emails from Outlook.
Tip. Want to know what's really happening behind the scenes? Check out What happens when you delete email in Outlook
How to delete emails from search results
When you need to delete messages containing a specific word or phrase in the subject or body, searching for them is the fastest way to locate and remove them in bulk. Here are the steps:
- Search for emails. In the search box, type the word or phrase you are looking for. To search only in email subjects, type subject: before the search term. For example, subject:important.
- Choose search scope. Depending on your Outlook version, define the scope of your search:
- In classic Outlook: On the Search tab in the Scope group, choose where to search: all mailboxes, current mailbox, or current folder. Alternatively, you can select the appropriate option from the dropdown menu to the left of the search box.
- In the new Outlook and web: You can only search in the current mailbox (default). To narrow your search, use the dropdown menu next to the search box to select a specific folder.
- Execute the search. Hit the Enter key to perform the search.
- Select emails to delete. From the search results that appear, select the emails you want to remove. You can use the Ctrl + A shortcut to select all items or hold down the Ctrl key and click specific messages to select them individually.
- Delete selected messages. Press the Delete key on your keyboard, or right-click the selected emails and choose this option from the context menu.
The below image shows how to mass delete emails from search results in classic Outlook:
And this is how deleting from search results is done in the new Outlook:
Note. Sometimes, after deleting emails, they may still appear in the search results temporarily. This happens because the search index hasn't updated yet. However, the messages are already moved to the Deleted Items folder. Refresh the folder by pressing F9, and they will disappear from the search results.
Now you know how to delete email in Outlook, whether it's just a few messages or a whole folder. A well-organized inbox not only saves your time but also reduces stress, allowing you to focus on what truly matters in your day 😊