How to Search Everything (Including the Trash) in Gmail

Here's how to expand the scope of a Gmail search to find and recover any message, even if it's in the Trash or Spam.

How to Search for Messages in Gmail

To search all categories in Gmail:

1. On the far-right side of the search bar, select the filter icon.

2. A dialog box appears. To the far right of the Search item, select the down-arrow. Select Mail & Spam & Trash.

3. Make additional selections to find the item you want, then select Search.

Still Can't Find It?

The above method may not work if the message was in the Trash or Spam and then permanently deleted, as these messages cannot be recovered. However, messages might be cached in a desktop email client (like Microsoft Outlook or Mozilla Thunderbird) if you disconnect from the Internet before you look for them. Although it's not common, some people who use Post Office Protocol (POP) to check email with a desktop email client will see all emails deleted from Gmail after the other email program downloads them.