How to Delete Inbox Categories in Gmail

This practical guide walks through how to delete inbox categories in gmail, explains the main requirements, and highlights common issues that may appear along the way.

Delete inbox categories in Gmail web

First, open a web browser on your computer and access Gmail as usual. Click the Settings icon in the upper right corner (it looks like a gear) and select the 'See All Settings' option.

In Settings, you navigate to the 'Inbox' tab. In the 'Categories' section, uncheck the categories you want to delete.

Once you've selected the inbox categories you want to delete, scroll down and click the 'Save Changes' button.

Gmail will immediately reload and you will see that the incoming mail categories have been updated based on your selection. If you uncheck all categories, the inbox will show all incoming emails in a single view, without any tabs (as you can see in the screenshot below).

Delete inbox categories in Gmail for iOS and Android

In the mobile Gmail app for iPhone and Android, inbox categories are displayed in the sidebar menu. Although the interface of the Gmail app on iPhone and Android is slightly different, the process for removing incoming mail categories is generally the same.

To get started, open the Gmail app on your Android smartphone and tap the Menu button (three parallel lines) in the top left corner of the screen.

Scroll down and select the "Settings" option.

Next, tap on the email account for which you want to delete the incoming mailing categories.

In the Inbox section, click 'Inbox Categories'.

Uncheck the categories that you want to hide, delete (such as 'Updates', 'Ads', 'Social' and 'Forums'). If you're using an iPhone, you'll see familiar toggles. Then, click the 'Back' button in the top left corner to return to the main Gmail screen.

You should now see an updated Inbox view with the selected categories. If you delete all categories, the inbox will show all available emails directly.