Star An Email In Gmail
It takes just a few minutes to learn how to use stars in Gmail. Once you have mastered this important skill, you won't be able to live without Gmail stars ever again.
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On your computer
To star an email in the web version of Gmail on a desktop computer or laptop:
- Open to your mail inbox.
- Find the message you want to be starred.
- Click the empty star icon next to the message.
You can also star an opened message by clicking the star icon next to the reply button (located in the top-right corner).
On your iPhone & iPad
To star an email in Gmail using the official mobile app for iOS:
- Launch the Gmail app on your iPhone or iPad.
- Find the message you want to be starred.
- Tap the empty star icon next to the email.
Starring an open email in the iOS and iPadOS version of the Gmail app is as easy as tapping the star icon next to the subject line.
On your Android device
To star an email in Gmail using the official mobile app for Android smartphones and tablets:
- Launch the Gmail app on your Android device.
- Find the email you want to be starred.
- Tap the empty star icon next to the message.
If the email you want to star is already opened, then you can simply tap the star icon next to the subject line.
⚠️ Limitations: When you add stars in Gmails, the stars are applied only to the relevant conversation threads. But what if you also want to mark all future emails sent to you by the same sender because you consider all messages from them important? In that case, you need to learn how to use stars in Gmail automatically.
Automatically Star All Future Emails from Specific Senders in Gmail
Gmail provides some email management automation capabilities, including the ability to star all future emails from specific senders, via email filters, which are basically automated actions triggered when certain conditions are met.
The problem with email rules in Gmail is that their creation is far from a one-click process. Fortunately, there's a better way to flag emails in Gmail with stars: a third-party inbox organizer app called Clean Email.
With Clean Email, adding stars to all new messages from specific senders is as simple as enabling a single toggle:
- Go to: https://app.clean.email/
- Select Senders from the Tools section in the left pane.
- Find the sender whose messages you want to star automatically and click on it.
- Enable the Add Star to New Messages toggle.
Once clicked the toggle, you will be asked if you’d like to apply the rule to existing messages or not. Click Confirm to create the rule.
From now on, all new messages from the sender will be starred automatically, making it easy to identify them.
You can check all the senders you’ve marked as starred in the Adding Star tab of the Senders section.
Sender Settings isn’t the only feature that can be useful for having an organized and clean Gmail inbox. If you receive a lot of unwanted marketing newsletters, you can use the Unsubscriber tool to easily opt out from multiple subscriptions in one place. Just select the subscription you’d like to unsubscribe from and choose an action like Unsubscribe, Pause, Keep Newest, and more. If you choose to unsubscribe, the app will send unsubscribe requests and complete unsubscribe forms without any manual work needed.
💡 Note: Clean Email is a privacy-oriented solution. We never collect, sell, or share user data with any third party.
Having a second email account? Learn more about how to star emails in AOL.
FAQs
How to find starred emails in Gmail?
To see all starred emails in Gmail, select the Starred category in the left pane.
What's the difference between starred and important emails in Gmail?
"Starred" emails are emails that you manually mark with a star to indicate their importance, while "Important" emails are messages that Gmail automatically categorizes as important based on a variety of different factors.
Is it free to mark all incoming messages with a star using Clean Email?
With the free version of Clean Email, you can automatically add stars to new messages for up to 14 days—no credit card is required.
Can I create a filter rule to mark emails with a star automatically in Gmail?
Yes, it's possible to create a filter rule to mark emails with a star automatically in Gmail, and Google explains how on its support site.
Can I pin starred emails to the top of the Gmail inbox?
Yes, starred emails can be pinned to the top of your Gmail inbox by clicking the settings gear icon, scrolling down to the Inbox Type section, and selecting the Starred first option.
