How to Delete an Email on PC or Mac

This wikiHow teaches you how to delete an email from the Mac and Windows Mail apps, as well as web-based apps like Gmail and Outlook Online.

Method 1
Method 1 of 4:
Windows Mail

  1. Image titled Delete an Email on PC or Mac Step 1
    1
    Open the Windows Mail app. To do this, click the
    Image titled Windowsstart.png
    menu, type mail into the search bar, and then click the Mail icon.
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    2
    Click Inbox. It’s in the left column.
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    3
    Click the message you want to delete.
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    4
    Press Del on the keyboard. The message is deleted.
    • Another way to delete a selected message is to click ⋯ at the top-right corner of the message and select Delete.

Method 2
Method 2 of 4:
Mac Mail

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    1
    Open the Mail app on your Mac. It’s the postage stamp icon in the Dock or the Launchpad.
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    2
    Click Inbox.
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    3
    Click the message you want to delete.
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    4
    Click the Edit menu. It’s in the menu bar at the top of the screen.
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    5
    Click Delete. The message is now deleted.
    • You can also delete the message by clicking the trashcan icon.

Method 3
Method 3 of 4:
Gmail

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    1
    Open https://mail.google.com in a web browser. If you’re not already signed in to your account, sign in now.
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    2
    Select the message you want to delete. To select the message, click the empty box to the left of its subject.
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    3
    Click the trash icon. It’s above the message list. The message is now deleted.

Method 4
Method 4 of 4:
Outlook.com

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    1
    Open https://www.outlook.com in a web browser. If you’re not already signed in to your account, sign in now.
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    2
    Click Inbox. It’s in the left column.
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    3
    Click the message you want to delete. This opens the message.
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    4
    Click Delete. It’s above the message list and also displays a trashcan icon. This deletes the message.

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About This Article

Nicole Levine, MFA
Written by:
Nicole Levine, MFA
Tech Specialist
This article was written by Nicole Levine, MFA. Nicole Levine is a Technology Writer and Editor for wikiHow. She has more than 20 years of experience creating technical documentation and leading support teams at major web hosting and software companies. Nicole also holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Portland State University and teaches composition, fiction-writing, and zine-making at various institutions. This article has been viewed 2,027 times.
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Co-authors: 2
Updated: August 26, 2018
Views: 2,027
Categories: Organizing Your Email