Starring a message in Outlook, Gmail or other email services allows you to easily mark messages as important or save them for later reference. When you star a message, here’s what happens:
The message is flagged
Starring a message flags it and makes it stand out visually in your inbox. In Outlook, starred messages show a gold star icon next to them. In Gmail, starred messages have a yellow star.
This allows you to easily spot your important messages at a glance among all your other emails.
The message can be filtered
Most email services let you create filters or search folders based on starred messages. For example, you can make a folder in Outlook that automatically collects all your starred emails.
This lets you quickly access all your starred messages in one place, separate from the rest of your inbox.
The message stays accessible
Starred messages remain flagged even after you archive or delete the email. Unlike setting an email as unread, starring creates a permanent marker for the message.
So if you need to find the message again later, you can easily search for or filter your starred emails to access it.
Removing the star
It’s easy to unstar a message if you no longer need it flagged. In Outlook and Gmail, just click the gold or yellow star icon again to remove it. The star icon will turn grey or transparent.
This removes the starred status from the message so it no longer stands out or gets collected into your starred email filters or folders.
Other star icon uses
The star icon has a few other uses in Outlook and Gmail beyond flagging messages:
- Starred messages can be given priority over unstarred emails in some inbox sorting views.
- Stars help identify messages when selecting multiple emails to archive, delete or mark as read/unread.
- Star icons can indicate level of importance, with multiple stars sometimes used to denote emails needing immediate follow-up.
Conclusion
Starring an email flags it as important and makes it easier to track down later. The visual indicator helps quickly spot priority messages, while starred message filters give quick access to all your vital emails. So if you find yourself needing to follow up on messages often, make good use of the humble star icon to stay organized.
How to Star Messages in Different Email Services
Outlook
To star a message in Outlook:
- Select the message you want to star
- Click on the ribbon and select Follow Up > Set Flag
- Choose the flag with the gold star icon
The message will now show a gold star next to it indicating it is starred. Click the star again to unstar the message.
Gmail
To star a message in Gmail:
- Select the message you want to star
- Click the gray star icon next to the message
- The star will turn yellow indicating the message is now starred
To unstar a message, simply click the yellow star again and it will revert to gray.
Outlook.com
To star a message in Outlook.com:
- Select the message you want to star
- Click the More Actions icon (ellipsis)
- Select Mark as Favorite
The star icon will turn gold, flagging the message as starred. Click Mark as Favorite again to remove the star.
5 Benefits of Starring Important Emails
Here are 5 key benefits of using email stars to mark your most important messages:
| Benefit | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Prioritization | Starring emails allows you to visually distinguish your most important messages at a glance |
| Organization | Starred emails can be automatically filtered into a separate folder for quick access |
| Follow-up | Flagged messages serve as a visual reminder to follow up on important action items |
| Searchability | Finding starred messages is easy using search filters |
| Archiving | Star status remains even after email is archived, for later retrieval |
When to Star an Email
Consider starring messages in these situations:
- Emails needing follow-up action from you
- Confirmation emails for purchases, travel plans or important events
- Messages containing information you need to reference later
- Emails from important contacts you want to easily find again
- Notifications with key status updates or reminders
Star Email Like a Pro
Follow these professional tips for maximizing your use of message starring:
- Use stars consistently: Get in the habit of starring actionable or noteworthy emails right away.
- Don’t overdo stars: Starring less important messages dilutes the usefulness. Reserve stars only for your highest priority emails.
- Review stars periodically: Scan your starred messages every so often to catch anything that needs follow up.
- Filter stars into one folder: Group all starred messages together for quick access later.
- Remove stars once handled: Unstar any messages you’ve acted on so your starred folder stays relevant.
Key Takeaways
- Starring emails flags them as important for follow-up.
- Starred messages are visually marked and can be automatically filtered.
- Starring is a simple way to prioritize your most vital emails.
- Use stars consistently but judiciously to stay organized.
- Regularly review starred messages to catch needed actions.