Is it possible to do a select all from a folder within the mail app?

[Darran]

Hey guys

Is it possible to do a select all from a folder within the mail app? I want to be able to select all emails from my sent mail folder and there doesn't seem to be a way. It only gives me the option of taping mark all then only the choice of mark all as read or flag. There's no way I can select all items to perform a mass delete or select all and then uncheck the few I want to keep.

Is it possible? I can't imagine such a basic feature would be missing surely?

 

[Just_Me_D]

Re: How do you select all within mail?

Only from the Junk and Trash folder can you choose the "select all" option...I think..

 

[cyberpaw]

Tried it with Outlook, yahoo and Gmail and couldn't get it to work.

 

[Darran]

Re: How do you select all within mail?

Only from the Junk and Trash folder can you choose the "select all" option...I think..

Yeah I know that's all I could get to work also. I mean I have no idea why they would leave this feature out! There's loads of reasons why you might need to select all within a mail folder! It's so annoying!

As an example when I get email receipts for online shopping or stores like apple who email you a receipt I keep them for a period of time but then I periodically delete them from the folder because after a year I no longer need the receipt or am able to use it for anything. If I'm not on my computer I cannot bulk delete the old emails! I don't want to delete the entire folder itself I just want to delete most of the contents by selecting all then unticking the ones I still want.

 

[gordol]

Hey guys

Is it possible to do a select all from a folder within the mail app? I want to be able to select all emails from my sent mail folder and there doesn't seem to be a way. It only gives me the option of taping mark all then only the choice of mark all as read or flag. There's no way I can select all items to perform a mass delete or select all and then uncheck the few I want to keep.

Is it possible? I can't imagine such a basic feature would be missing surely?

Sure you can! Tap the "edit" button at the top of the message list, then select each message individually or the Mark All button at the bottom. You can then delete or move the selected message in bulk.

(The "Mark All" command appears to be new, I don't remember seeing it before.)

 

[Darran]

Sure you can! Tap the "edit" button at the top of the message list, then select each message individually or the Mark All button at the bottom. You can then delete or move the selected message in bulk.

(The "Mark All" command appears to be new, I don't remember seeing it before.)

Sorry but you're wrong. The mark all button only allows you to mark all as unread or flag it doesn't actually select all to then allow you to bulk delete.

Whilst you can select each message individually this isn't practical when trying to bulk delete over 1000 messages.

 

[Darran]

Sure you can! Tap the "edit" button at the top of the message list, then select each message individually or the Mark All button at the bottom. You can then delete or move the selected message in bulk.

(The "Mark All" command appears to be new, I don't remember seeing it before.)

I'm guessing you never actually tapped the mark all button to then see it doesn't do the same as select all it only allows you to mark them which isn't the same.

 

[Just_Me_D]

Re: How do you select all within mail?

Yeah I know that's all I could get to work also. I mean I have no idea why they would leave this feature out! There's loads of reasons why you might need to select all within a mail folder! It's so annoying!

As an example when I get email receipts for online shopping or stores like apple who email you a receipt I keep them for a period of time but then I periodically delete them from the folder because after a year I no longer need the receipt or am able to use it for anything. If I'm not on my computer I cannot bulk delete the old emails! I don't want to delete the entire folder itself I just want to delete most of the contents by selecting all then unticking the ones I still want.

That has been and is still my biggest gripe with iOS. I'd like to see a "select all" option in any menu that allows us to "select" something.

 

[Ledsteplin]

Sorry but you're wrong. The mark all button only allows you to mark all as unread or flag it doesn't actually select all to then allow you to bulk delete.

Whilst you can select each message individually this isn't practical when trying to bulk delete over 1000 messages.

It doesn't take that long to delete 1,000 emails. It is a hassle though. I try not to build up mail that way. I drop iPhone tips from iPhone Life in a folder. I go in once a week and delete some I don't want to keep. Some emails I can copy and paste in a Box note. This saves it in the cloud and I can delete the email.


Sent from my ancient but trustworthy iPhone 5

 

[gordol]

I'm guessing you never actually tapped the mark all button to then see it doesn't do the same as select all it only allows you to mark them which isn't the same.

No, I hadn't. My bad.

 

[Darran]

It doesn't take that long to delete 1,000 emails. It is a hassle though. I try not to build up mail that way. I drop iPhone tips from iPhone Life in a folder. I go in once a week and delete some I don't want to keep. Some emails I can copy and paste in a Box note. This saves it in the cloud and I can delete the email.


Sent from my ancient but trustworthy iPhone 5

Haha trust me it does take time to select 1,000 emails! I'm not sure what your definition of a long time is but for me individually tapping 1,000 emails on an iPhone 6 is a royal pain!

It's not even 1,000 emails in total it can be 1000 emails in each of my folders. There's instances where my contract with a client ends and for the 12months I've been with them I've had to keep all their emails so cannot delete as I go and I might not be near a computer to do this there instead. In some instances I need to select all then in select a dozen that I do need to keep so when doing it manually you have to be weary of each email which takes time.

Like others have mentioned select all is a basic and commonly used function that should be a highlighted feature. There's many other instances throughout iOS where select all is also missing too.

 

[Ledsteplin]

Haha trust me it does take time to select 1,000 emails! I'm not sure what your definition of a long time is but for me individually tapping 1,000 emails on an iPhone 6 is a royal pain!

It's not even 1,000 emails in total it can be 1000 emails in each of my folders. There's instances where my contract with a client ends and for the 12months I've been with them I've had to keep all their emails so cannot delete as I go and I might not be near a computer to do this there instead. In some instances I need to select all then in select a dozen that I do need to keep so when doing it manually you have to be weary of each email which takes time.

Like others have mentioned select all is a basic and commonly used function that should be a highlighted feature. There's many other instances throughout iOS where select all is also missing too.

I guess if you're a busy man. I'm not. So spending an hour deleting emails doesn't seem long to me. A pain, yes!


Sent from my ancient but trustworthy iPhone 5

 

[Darran]

Haha yeah we definitely have different definitions of a long time haha! I'd certainly never spend an hour individually selecting emails to delete from a folder on my iphone. To be fair if I was really that bothered I'd just use the gmail app or log into gmail via safari and do it via them as I presume the gmail app allows select all

My post was more of a gripe than a work around. I just get frustrated that such a vital function isn't possible in perhaps my most used tech device that never leaves my person.

 

[Darran]

Wow scrap that I just downloaded the gmail app and you can't select all in there either unless I'm missing something because I don't use this app so only had a quick look.

 

[Brownie Peck]

It is possible to "Mark All" messages in a mailbox folder but only works in an individual account mailbox or the All Inboxes folder. Does not work in a filtered view (e.g. "Unread"). I just opened the All Inboxes folder, selected Edit at top right, then Mark All at bottom left. I was then able to Mark as Read.

You can also do this in the folders under Accounts heading on Maiboxes view.

 

[gordol]

It is possible to "Mark All" messages in a mailbox folder but only works in an individual account mailbox or the All Inboxes folder. Does not work in a filtered view (e.g. "Unread"). I just opened the All Inboxes folder, selected Edit at top right, then Mark All at bottom left. I was then able to Mark as Read.

Which is not the same thing. For example, you cannot delete the messages that way. Or move them to another mail folder.

 

[Brownie Peck]

Nope. You can mark as read or flag but cannot delete all or move.

 

[briancb]

Hey guys

Is it possible to do a select all from a folder within the mail app? I want to be able to select all emails from my sent mail folder and there doesn't seem to be a way. It only gives me the option of taping mark all then only the choice of mark all as read or flag. There's no way I can select all items to perform a mass delete or select all and then uncheck the few I want to keep.

Is it possible? I can't imagine such a basic feature would be missing surely?

Yes it is...

To delete all messages in any folder,

-Select first message
-Press and hold on move
While holding,
-Deselect first message with other finger/hand.
-Let go of hold
-Choose destination folder

Celebrate

;-)

Cheers

 

[Noel Peden]

Yes it is...

To delete all messages in any folder,

-Select first message
-Press and hold on move
While holding,
-Deselect first message with other finger/hand.
-Let go of hold
-Choose destination folder

Celebrate

;-)

Cheers

Thanks Briancb! This works for me. I can move a folder to the trash this way.