Gmail FAQ: Deleting an Individual Email

Removing one message from a conversation

What to Know

  • In the message, select the down (More) arrow.
  • Select Delete this message.

This article describes how to delete an individual message in Gmail without deleting the entire thread. These instructions apply to the desktop version of Gmail running on any modern web browser.

How to Delete One Email From a Thread Gmail

To delete only one message (even from a conversation) in Gmail:

  1. Open the conversation that contains the message you want to delete.

    A Gmail conversation
  2. Expand the desired message if you cannot yet see it.

  3. Select the down (More) arrow next to the Reply button in the message's title bar. If you see no Reply and no arrow, select More Options.

    Gmail with the More Options menu button highlighted
  4. Select Delete this message from the menu that appears.

    Gmail with the Delete this Message command highlighted
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