How to Delete Labels in Gmail: Step-by-Step Guide

An overloaded inbox can feel overwhelming, especially when Gmail allows up to 10,000 labels per mailbox. It’s easy for your inbox to become disorganized and inefficient. Unnecessary labels only add to the clutter, making it difficult to manage emails effectively. Deleting unnecessary labels can clear up space and streamline your inbox. 

In this blog, we’ll guide you through the steps to delete labels in Gmail. You’ll learn how to take control of your email organization, making it easier to stay on top of important messages. Let's get started.

In A Nutshell:

• Why Delete Labels in Gmail: Too many labels make your inbox messy and hard to navigate. Removing unnecessary labels helps you clean up and keep only the important ones, improving productivity.

• How to Delete Labels: You can delete labels on Desktop, iPhone, or Android, in just a few steps. On desktop, you remove them from the sidebar, while on mobile devices, you do it through the settings or browser.

• Organizing Labels for Efficiency: Keep your labels organized with nested categories (like "Work > Projects") and automate the process by using filters. Regularly review and clean up labels to avoid clutter.

• Avoid Clutter: Deleting unused labels will reduce the clutter in your Gmail sidebar, making it easier to focus on the most important emails.

Is There Such a Thing as Too Many Gmail Labels?

Using Gmail's label and folder system is a great way to organize your emails. If you’re receiving dozens (or even hundreds) of emails a day, labels are an effective tool for keeping everything in order. 

However, over time, the once helpful labels may no longer be necessary, and the clutter can slowly creep in. When that happens, it’s time to evaluate which labels are still serving a purpose and which are just taking up space.

Here’s why streamlining your labels are important:

• Improved Email Searchability: Unused labels can make it harder to find key emails quickly.

• Better Productivity: Too many labels create unnecessary friction when organizing or navigating your inbox.

• Reduce Visual Clutter: Over time, excessive labels can crowd your sidebar, making Gmail feel overwhelming. Deleting unused ones gives you a cleaner, more organized view, improving the overall user experience.

• Make Space for New Workflows: Your labeling system should adapt to how you work today, not how you worked previously. Deleting old labels creates room for a more streamlined workflow that suits your current needs.

Simplifying your label setup ensures Gmail remains an effective tool for staying organized, especially when you rely on it for work-related emails.

Also Read: How to Mark All Emails as Read in Gmail

Now that we've highlighted why label overload is a problem, let's move on to how you can delete extra labels in Gmail.

How to Delete Labels in Gmail: Step-by-Step

Gmail labels are a great organizational tool, but over time, they can pile up and make your inbox feel cluttered. While adding labels is simple, removing them requires a few extra steps. Whether you're using the web app or mobile device, here’s how to remove labels with ease.

1. Deleting Labels in Gmail (Web or Desktop Version)

Removing labels through the web app is quick and easy:

1. Open your Gmail inbox on a desktop.

2. Hover over the label's name on the left sidebar.

3. Click More to expand the menu options.

4. Select Remove Label to delete it.

This process is effective to remove labels you no longer need and to keep your sidebar clean.

2. Deleting Labels in Gmail on iPhone

To delete labels from the Gmail app on your iPhone, follow these steps:

1. Open the Gmail app.

2. Tap the Menu icon in the upper-left corner.

3. Go to Settings and tap Inbox Customizations.

4. Select Labels, then choose the label you want to delete, and tap Delete [Label Name].

This process is perfect for on-the-go users who need to clear up their labels quickly.

3. Deleting Labels in Gmail on Android

Unfortunately, the Gmail app for Android doesn’t support label deletion. However, you can still delete labels by accessing Gmail through your mobile browser:

1. Open Gmail in your phone's web browser (like Chrome).

2. Scroll down and tap Desktop version to switch to the desktop interface.

3. Select Edit Labels from the left sidebar.

4. Find the label you want to delete and click Remove.

While not as smooth as using the app, this method is effective when you're away from your computer.

4. Deleting Multiple Labels in Gmail

While Gmail doesn’t allow mass deletion of labels without third-party tools, you can manage multiple labels from one page on the web:

1. Log into Gmail on your desktop.

2. Click Settings > See All Settings.

3. Go to the Labels tab.

4. Scroll down and click Remove next to each label you want to delete.

Note: This feature is exclusive to the web version of Gmail.

5. Removing an Inbox Label from Specific Emails

Sometimes you may want to remove a label from a specific email, but keep the label in general. Here’s how:

1. Open your inbox and check the box next to the email you want to modify.

2. Click the Labels button at the top.

3. In the drop-down, uncheck the label you want to remove from that particular email.

This option is useful when you want to remove a label from just one email without deleting the label entirely.

6. Hiding Labels in Gmail

Another method to not delete a label entirely is to hide it. This declutters your sidebar while keeping it active for future use:

1. Open Gmail and click on the Gear icon, then select See All Settings.

2. Go to the Labels tab.

3. Scroll to your labels list and click Hide next to any label you want to remove from view.

Hiding a label still keeps it organized behind the scenes, and you can always search for it later without it taking up space on your sidebar.

While deleting or hiding labels helps, it can be tricky to decide which ones are outdated or rarely used. Tools like NewMail AI can simplify this process by automatically categorizing your emails, identifying redundant labels, and suggesting which ones to remove. 

This way, you can maintain a cleaner, more organized inbox without constantly monitoring each label, letting you focus on emails that truly matter.

Also Read: Mass Delete and Organize Emails in Gmail

Now that you've got the hang of deleting labels, here are some smart tips to keep your Gmail labels well-organized and working for you.

Best Practices for Organizing Gmail Labels

To maintain a streamlined inbox and improve your email workflow, here are some effective tips for organizing Gmail labels:

• Use Nested Labels: Group related labels under a broader category, such as "Work > Projects" or "Personal > Family," to create a clear hierarchy and reduce clutter.

• Archive, Don’t Label: Instead of labeling emails you want to keep, consider archiving them. This helps store important messages without adding unnecessary labels to your inbox.

• Automate Labeling with Filters: Set up filters to automatically apply labels based on criteria like sender or specific keywords. This minimizes manual effort and keeps labels organized.

• Limit Your Labels: Avoid creating too many labels that overlap. Keep it simple and limit the number of labels and only create new ones when necessary.

• Review and Clean Up Regularly: Periodically review your labels to remove outdated or unnecessary ones. This helps maintain a clean and relevant organizational structure.

• Colour-Code Labels: For quick identification, use colour-coded labels to visually differentiate categories. It’s a simple way to enhance organization without adding complexity. 

• Consolidate Labels with Similar Purposes: Instead of creating multiple labels for similar topics, consolidate them. For example, instead of having "Work - Reports" and "Work - Invoices," one label like "Work - Documents" might suffice. 

NewMail AI’s smart labeling feature can help automate the organization of emails, ensuring that everything is categorized neatly with minimal effort. Try NewMail AI today!

By following these best practices, you'll keep your Gmail labels organized and save time by reducing clutter that can often overwhelm your inbox.

Conclusion

Deleting unnecessary labels in Gmail is a crucial step toward a more organized inbox and better productivity. Regularly reviewing and removing outdated or irrelevant labels helps to significantly reduce visual clutter and improve your ability to locate important emails quickly. Streamlining your Gmail labels ensures a more efficient email experience, allowing you to stay focused on what matters most.

While deleting labels is a straightforward process, maintaining an organized inbox long-term can feel overwhelming. That’s where NewMail AI comes in. With its intuitive features, you can make email management seamless:

• Smart Labeling: Automatically categorizes emails, so you don’t need to worry about adding unnecessary labels manually.

• Automated Email Organization: NewMail AI uses filters to intelligently assign labels based on keywords and sender, reducing manual labeling.

• Inbox Prioritization: Focus on what matters most with NewMail AI’s smart sorting and prioritization, ensuring only the important emails stand out.

• Daily Email Summaries: Get a brief daily update on important messages, tasks, and events so you can stay ahead without sifting through clutter.

• Personalized Priority: Emails are ranked according to your priorities. No more unecessary CC's and cold calls cluttering your inbox.

• Actionable Insights: Actions are automatically tracked in a linked to-do list you can use to navigate. Never lose track of tasks.

Try NewMail AI today to take control of your Gmail and streamline your email management!

FAQs

1. How do I delete unwanted labels in my Gmail?

A: To remove an unwanted label, simply open Gmail on your desktop, hover over the label on the left sidebar, click "More," and select "Remove Label." This will clean up your inbox and remove the label for good.

2. How do I delete a label in Gmail on my iPhone?

A: On your iPhone, open the Gmail app, tap the menu icon in the top left, go to Settings, then "Inbox Customizations." Choose "Labels," select the label you want to delete, and tap "Delete."

3. How do I cancel a label in Gmail?

A: If you want to cancel or remove a label from an email, just open the message, click the "Labels" button at the top, uncheck the label you wish to remove, and you're done!

4. How do I remove a label?

A: You can easily remove a label by going to Gmail on your desktop, by going to "Settings," then "Labels," and selecting "Remove" next to the label you wish to delete. It's a quick way to tidy up your email organization.

5. Can I hide labels instead of deleting them?

A: Yes. If you don't want to delete a label entirely but want to declutter your sidebar, you can hide it. Go to Gmail settings, select the "Labels" tab, and choose "Hide" next to the label you want to remove from view. It stays in your account, just out of sight!

6. How do I remove a label from a specific email?

A: To remove a label from a single email without deleting the label itself, select the email, click the "Labels" button at the top, and uncheck the label you wish to remove. The label stays, but the email is no longer categorized under it.