How to Create Custom Folders in the iOS Mail App

Use custom folders to organize the email on your iPhone

By
Heinz Tschabitscher
Heinz Tschabitscher
Heinz Tschabitscher
Writer
  • University of Vienna
A former freelance contributor who has reviewed hundreds of email programs and services since 1997.
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Updated on December 22, 2022
Reviewed by
Jon Fisher
Jon Fisher headshot
Reviewed by Jon Fisher
  • Wichita Technical Institute
Jonathan Fisher is a CompTIA certified technologist with more than 6 years' experience writing for publications like TechNorms and Help Desk Geek.
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What to Know

  • From the Mail app inbox, tap the left arrow (<) to see your Mailboxes, then tap Edit > New Mailbox. Then, enter a name for the new mailbox.
  • To move messages, go to the mailbox containing the messages you want to move, tap Edit, then select the emails and tap Move.
  • Custom mailboxes can be especially helpful if you use the Mail app to access Gmail, Yahoo Mail, or another email service.

This article explains how to add new email folders on iPhone. The instructions apply to all iPhones and iPads.

How to Make a Folder on the iPhone Email App

Creating new mailboxes takes just a few taps, and you can name them whatever you like.

  1. Open the Mail app on your iPhone.

  2. From your inbox, tap the icon (<) in the upper-left corner to see your Mailboxes list.

  3. Tap Edit at the top of the screen.

  4. Select New Mailbox in the lower-right corner.

    Three iOS screens showing Mail app icon, Edit button, and New Mailbox button in Mail app

  5. Type the desired name for the new folder in the field provided.

  6. To pick a different parent folder, tap the account under Mailbox Location, and select the desired parent folder.

  7. Tap Save, then tap Done.

    Creating a new mailbox in iOS Mail

You can also create custom folders in the Apple Mail application on your Mac and sync them to the iPhone or iPad. Delete any folders you set up in the iOS Mail app when you no longer need them.

How to Move Messages to a Custom Mailbox

As you receive emails in your inboxes, move them into custom folders to organize them.

  1. Open the Mail app on your iOS device.

  2. On the Mailboxes screen, tap the mailbox containing the messages you want to move.

  3. Tap Edit, then select the emails you want to move by tapping the circles beside each one.

  4. Tap Move.

  5. Select the custom mailbox from the list that appears to move the chosen emails.

    Moving inbox mails to a custom folder in iOS Mail
FAQ
  • How do I create a new folder in Gmail?

    Instead of "folders," Gmail uses "labels," which you can use to sort your emails in the same way folders would. To create a new label in Gmail, go to Settings > Labels > Create New Label.

  • How do I add another email in the iPhone mail app?

    To add an email account to your iPhone's mail app, go to Settings > Mail > Accounts > Add Account. Choose an email client (iCloud, Microsoft Exchange, Google, Yahoo, AOL, or Outlook), add login info, and follow the remaining instructions.

  • How do I get email notifications on an iPhone?

    To get email notifications in iOS 16, go to Settings > Mail > Notifications. Make sure Allow Notifications is turned on. You can tap Customize Notifications to make further changes to a specific email account.

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