What is the difference between a label and a folder?

An email can have several labels but sits in only one folder. Labels also do not take an email out of the inbox unless you archive it.

Can other people see my Gmail labels?

No. Only you can see your labels. The people you email never see them.

Can I change a label’s colour?

Yes, on a computer. Hover over the label in the left menu, click More, then Label colour, and pick one or add a custom colour.

Does deleting a label delete its emails?

No. Removing a label leaves the emails in your mailbox; they just lose that label.

Gmail guide

How to create a label in Gmail

17 October 2026 · 2 min task · Tested

By Elias Brandt

Elias Brandt writes about marketing, email and analytics tools for Appcyclopedia, working on a ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10 and a Galaxy S25.

Web
iOS
Android

Short answer

On a computer, click Create new label next to Labels in the left menu, type a name and click Create. On an iPhone, open the menu and tap Create new under Labels; on Android, tap Create label under All labels. Then select emails and add the label to them.

Labels are not folders: one email can have several labels at once, and only you see them. The people you email never do.

Below: creating and applying labels on each device, nested labels, and colours.

How to make a Gmail label and add it to emails

To create a label in Gmail, make the label first and apply it second. The first group covers each device, the second puts the label on your emails.

Create the label

On a computer, click Create new label

Open Gmail in a browser. In the left menu, find Labels and click Create new label next to it (the plus sign). You may need to click More to see it.
Name it, nest it if you like, and click Create

Type a name. To put it inside another label, tick Nest label under and choose the parent. Click Create, and the label appears in the left menu. You can have up to 5,000 labels.
On an iPhone, tap Menu, then Create new

Open the Gmail app and tap Menu at the top left. Under Labels, tap Create new, type the name and tap Save.
On Android, tap Menu, then Create label

Open the Gmail app and tap the menu at the top left. Under All labels, tap Create label, type the name and confirm.
Put the label on emails

On a computer, select emails and click Labels

Tick the box next to one or more emails in the inbox, click the Labels icon at the top and tick the label. The emails stay in the inbox and also appear under the label. To label a new email, click More options in the compose window, then Label.
On a phone, touch and hold, then add labels

Touch and hold an email, tap More at the top right, then Label as on Android or Labels on iPhone. Tick the labels and tap OK or Done.

Keeping house paperwork together: create a label called Home, then nested labels Home/Bills and Home/Insurance. Select the latest energy bill and add Home/Bills. Next year it is one click away in the left menu instead of a search.

Make a few broad labels and nest the detail inside them: a short label list in the menu stays usable, a long flat one does not.

More about Gmail

Google’s free email service, included with every Google Account.

Read Gmail’s profile →

If your Gmail label is not working as expected

You cannot see the new label in the left menu: Gmail hides some labels under More. Open it, or go to the label settings and set the label to show in the list.
The email still sits in your inbox: Adding a label does not move an email out of the inbox. Archive it to leave it only under the label, or use Move to on a computer, which adds the label and archives in one step.
Deleting an email removed it from every label: An email exists once, with labels attached. Deleting it removes it everywhere. It stays in Bin for 30 days if you need it back.

Labels or folders: how Gmail is different

Gmail uses labels where other mail apps use folders, and the difference changes how you file things.

	Gmail label	Folder in other apps
One email in several places	Yes, add as many labels as you like	No, one folder at a time
Stays in the inbox	Yes, until you archive it	No, moving it takes it out
Visible to recipients	No	No
Deleting the email	Removes it from every label	Removes it from the folder

Use Move to when you want folder behaviour: it labels the email and takes it out of the inbox in one step.

Nested labels and colours

Nested labels let you build a tree: Work, with Work/Clients and Work/Invoices inside it. Create them with Nest label under, and the left menu shows them indented under the parent.

Colours make labels stand out in the inbox. On a computer, hover over the label, click More, then Label colour. You can use up to 100 custom colour combinations.

What to do after creating your labels

Labels pay off when they are applied without thinking. Add them to new mail as it arrives, or let a filter do it for you.

Create a few broad labels, nest the detail inside, and add them to emails as they come in. To label mail automatically, the guide to Gmail filters that archive shows how to set one up.

Gmail labels, explained

What is the difference between a label and a folder?: An email can have several labels but sits in only one folder. Labels also do not take an email out of the inbox unless you archive it.
Can other people see my Gmail labels?: No. Only you can see your labels. The people you email never see them.
Can I change a label’s colour?: Yes, on a computer. Hover over the label in the left menu, click More, then Label colour, and pick one or add a custom colour.
Does deleting a label delete its emails?: No. Removing a label leaves the emails in your mailbox; they just lose that label.

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Test log

Followed the steps? Tell us how it went on your device. Entries appear here after we check them.

Worked Every step, start to finish · Daniel Okonkwo and Marta Kowalczyk Team 16 October 2026

I tested this

Steps performed and confirmed 16 October 2026 6 days ago

When you need this

If you want to sort your Gmail into groups such as Work, Bills or Travel, create a label and add it to the emails. Labels work like folders, but one email can have several.

Describes: Gmail in a browser on a computer · Gmail app for iPhone and Android
Takes: A minute or two
Platforms: Web · iOS · Android
Published: 17 October 2026
Facts checked: 10 October 2026

Steps repeated and verified by Daniel Okonkwo and Marta Kowalczyk on 16 October 2026

Daniel Okonkwo: the iPhone steps on an iPhone 15 (iOS 27.0.1) and the web steps on a MacBook Pro (macOS 27.0.1).
Marta Kowalczyk: the Android steps on a Galaxy A55 (Android 16).

Limits quoted here come from Gmail’s documentation and were not tested.

Sources: Gmail Help, Create & manage labels in Gmail (computer)Gmail Help, Create & manage labels in Gmail (Android)Gmail Help, Create & manage labels in Gmail (iPhone & iPad)