Gmail’s inbox type changes which messages you see first. It does not create another email account or duplicate your mail. Choose a layout based on how you review incoming work, then check it with a few known messages before building rules around it.
Choose a layout in Quick settings
Open Gmail on a computer and click Settings. Under Inbox type, review the available choices. Default supports category tabs. Unread first puts unread mail above everything else; Starred first and Important first emphasize their respective markers.
Priority Inbox provides configurable sections, while Multiple inboxes uses searches or labels to display additional queues. These are two different layouts, not two names for the same feature.
Match the layout to your workflow
- Use Default when category tabs help separate routine updates from personal exchanges.
- Use Unread first when unread status is a reliable indicator of work you have not reviewed.
- Use Priority Inbox when importance, stars, and selected labels form useful sections.
- Use Multiple inboxes on a computer when you need explicit search-based queues.
Unread is not the same as unfinished. A preview or another client can mark a message read. Likewise, Gmail’s importance prediction is not a guarantee that a deadline belongs in the first section.
Verify location independently of layout
After changing the inbox type, find one recent message, one archived message, and one message in a custom label. Search can help confirm that mail remains present even when its position changes. A label or queue is a view of messages, not a separate stored copy.
Settings and available layouts differ on mobile; Google specifically limits Multiple inboxes setup to a computer. Do not expect the phone app to reproduce every web section. If you need to return to category tabs, select Default and customize its categories. Avoid deleting mail simply because a new layout makes it less prominent; first establish whether it moved, was archived, or is just outside the current section.
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References
Reviewed against the linked product guidance, standards, and identified vendor or public-authority guidance on October 29, 2026. Available options and screen labels can vary by account, device, region, and organization policy.