Having the ability to star important emails in Gmail can be extremely useful for organization and prioritization. However, once you’ve starred a message it can sometimes be tricky to locate it again later when you need it. Here are some tips on how to easily find starred messages in Gmail.
Searching for starred messages
The easiest way to find all your starred messages is to use Gmail’s search function. At the top of your inbox, click on the search bar and type: is:starred. This will pull up all emails you have starred. You can also narrow it down further by adding labels or sender names. For example: is:starred from:[email protected] would show all starred emails from [email protected].
Using advanced search operators
Gmail has several advanced search operators that allow you to refine your search queries. Here are some useful ones for finding starred messages:
- is:starred – Finds all starred messages
- is:unread is:starred – Finds unread starred messages
- is:starred before:YYYY/MM/DD – Finds starred messages before a certain date
- is:starred after:YYYY/MM/DD – Finds starred messages after a certain date
- is:starred from:[email protected] – Finds messages from a certain sender that are starred
Using these search operators in different combinations enables you to precisely locate specific starred messages.
Searching within a label
If you have a lot of messages under a particular label, you may want to narrow your search down to just that label. To search for starred messages within a label:
- Click on the label name in the left sidebar
- Type is:starred into the search box
- Only starred messages from that label will be shown
This helps cut down on irrelevant search results when you only want to look within a specific category of emails.
Finding individual starred threads
Once you star an email thread, the entire conversation becomes starred. To find an individual starred thread:
- Open the label or inbox section you think the message is under
- Look for a small yellow star next to the message thread
- Click that thread to open it and view the starred email
Using the stars as visual indicators can help pick out important threads quickly when scanning your inbox.
Jumping to the next starred message
When reading a long email thread, you may want to skip ahead to the next starred message. To do this:
- Open the email thread you’re currently viewing
- Click the down arrow next to the reply button
- Select “Next starred” – this jumps to the next starred email chronologically
This is handy for scrolling through long conversations to find the key starred messages quickly.
Starred messages in default Gmail views
Starred messages will also show up in certain default Gmail views:
- Starred – Shows all your starred messages in one place.
- Important and Unread – Displays unread emails that are either starred or from priority senders.
Using these views can provide another way to easily access your most important messages.
Installing other email clients
If you use Gmail through an email client like Outlook or Thunderbird, starring messages will sync across devices. On most email clients you can:
- See starred messages under their own designated folder or category
- Sort emails by star/no-star
- Search for is:starred to find starred messages
This provides a consistent experience for managing starred messages across multiple platforms.
Using browser extensions or apps
There are various Chrome extensions and mobile apps that can enhance the experience of finding and organizing starred messages in Gmail. Some popular options include:
Name | Key Features |
---|---|
Checker Plus for Gmail | – Easily flag emails with different colored stars – Filter by star color – Quickly access favorite messages |
Mixmax | – Star tracking to see new stars at a glance – Integration with calendar for easy access |
Boomerang | – Schedule messages to return at later dates – Visual reminders for starred messages |
These tools provide handy ways to customize starred email management to your personal workflow preferences.
Keyboard shortcuts
Gmail also has keyboard shortcuts that can help navigate between starred messages with ease:
Action | Keyboard Shortcut |
---|---|
Star a message | s |
Remove star | shift + s |
Next starred message | shift + n |
Previous starred message | shift + p |
With these handy shortcuts, you don’t need to take your hands off the keyboard to manage starred messages efficiently.
Conclusion
Starred messages in Gmail provide a useful way to mark important emails for later reference. While there are many options for searching, filtering, and accessing these highlighted messages, the search operator is:starred is one of the most direct methods. Using labels, advanced search filters, default views, email clients, browser extensions, mobile apps, and keyboard shortcuts can also streamline access further. With all these tools at your fingertips, your most critical messages will never be more than a few clicks away.