Choose between Archiving and Deleting Messages in iOS Mail

A woman weighing archive and trash icons in her hands

When you’re viewing a message in Mail on an iPhone or iPad, you get five buttons: Flag, Move, Archive or Delete, Reply/Forward/Print, and New Message.

iPhone Mail toolbar showing Flag, Move, Delete, Reply, and Compose buttons

But what determines whether that middle button is Archive or Delete? iOS hides that option in Settings > Passwords & Accounts > YourEmailAccount—the details then vary by account type before you see the Move Discarded Messages Into options.

  • iCloud as your primary address: Mail (under Advanced) > Advanced
  • iCloud as a secondary address: Account > Mail > Advanced
  • Gmail or other email provider: Account > Advanced

But what if you want to archive a message when you have Deleted Mailbox selected, or vice versa? Simply tap and hold on the Archive or Delete icon, and a menu appears, giving you both choices.

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