How to Show Folders in iPhone Mail

To show folders in the iPhone Mail app, return to Mailboxes, then open the email account that owns the folder. To change the shortcuts in the Mailboxes list, tap Edit, select the mailboxes you want to see, and tap Done. These are different tasks: choosing a shortcut does not configure which server folders your account can sync.

This guide is for Apple’s built-in Mail app. Gmail and Outlook have their own folder and label controls. The Mail settings route below follows Apple’s current documentation; older iOS releases can show different account settings. For the other basics, see our guide to using Mail on iPhone.

Open a folder belonging to an email account

1. Open Mail. If you are reading a message, use the back button to return to its message list.
2. Keep going back until the screen title is Mailboxes.
3. Look for the account that contains the folder. If you use several accounts, choose the relevant one rather than a combined inbox.
4. Open the account’s mailbox list and tap the folder you want. For example, an iCloud Sent mailbox shows that account’s sent messages.

A folder in one account will not contain another account’s messages just because both accounts are configured in Mail. Apple explains the distinction in its mailbox organization guide.

Looking for a message you archived? See how to find archived emails on iPhone. The account’s Archive mailbox, Gmail’s All Mail label, and Mail’s inbox category view are different places to check.

Choose which mailboxes appear in the main list

1. On the Mailboxes screen, tap Edit.
2. Select the checkboxes beside the available entries you want to display.
3. To change their order, touch and hold an entry’s reorder handle, then drag it to the desired position.
4. Tap Done to finish. Check the list for the entries you selected.

You can use optional views such as Flagged or VIP to find particular messages. They are not additional copies of your email. For example, you can get an Attachments folder in iPhone Mail this way. Apple’s mailbox and message organization instructions cover these views.

Do not confuse changing the displayed list with deleting a mailbox. If you only want to adjust what you see, use the selection controls. Delete Mailbox is a separate action that can permanently delete the messages inside that mailbox.

Create a new folder in the correct account

Check whether your account supports creating a mailbox in Mail. Some mailboxes cannot be changed, and account restrictions can limit the available controls.

1. Go to Mailboxes and tap Edit.
2. Tap New Mailbox.
3. Enter a useful name, such as Receipts.
4. If you have multiple accounts, tap Mailbox Location and choose the account where the folder should belong.
5. Tap Save, then Done. Look for the new mailbox under that account.

For iCloud Mail, you can also create folders and subfolders on iCloud.com/mail. Apple’s iCloud folder guide explains how those folders appear on devices where iCloud Mail is turned on. This is an iCloud-specific feature, not a guarantee that every email provider handles folders identically.

If the account or an existing folder is missing

Check that the account is configured in Mail

Open Settings > Apps > Mail > Mail Accounts and check the account list. If the account is absent, use Add Account and follow your provider’s sign-in prompts. Apple’s account setup instructions distinguish automatic setup from manual setup. For a manually configured account, ask the provider which account type and server settings to use.

Compare with the provider’s website

Sign in to the same account through its webmail site and look for the folder there. This helps distinguish a Mail display problem from a folder that is missing from the account itself. Also check that you are looking at the correct email address on the phone.

If the folder exists in webmail but is still absent in Mail, check your internet connection and the provider’s service status. Ask the provider or your workplace administrator whether that folder is available to this account in Apple Mail. Do not repeatedly recreate a folder or change unrelated server settings to make it appear.

Separate missing folders from delayed messages

If you can open the folder but new messages are delayed, the folder is already visible. Apple’s email receiving troubleshooting guide covers account authentication, service outages and Fetch settings. Fetch controls when Mail receives new data; it is not a checkbox list for showing folders.

Before removing an account, confirm that its messages are available in webmail or saved somewhere other than the iPhone. An iPhone backup preserves mail settings, not the email itself. Removing or changing account settings can remove downloaded messages from the device. Have the credentials and any provider-required authorization ready before attempting account setup again.

Why Mailbox Behaviors is not the general folder switch

Account-specific advanced controls can affect where discarded messages go. For example, Apple’s Trash and Archive instructions use the account’s Advanced settings to choose a Deleted Mailbox or Archive Mailbox. Our guide to Mail swipe options on iPhone shows where that setting is and how it changes a swipe.

That setting solves a destination or deletion-behavior problem. It does not provide a universal “show all folders” option. Start with the Mailboxes screen when the problem is simply finding or displaying a mailbox.

Common questions

Will every folder and subfolder automatically appear?

Do not assume this for every account. iCloud documents its own folder synchronization, while other providers and managed accounts can have different capabilities. Check the account’s folder list and ask its provider about a specific missing folder.

Are Mail’s categories the same as account folders?

No. Primary, Transactions, Updates and Promotions categorize incoming messages. If you are trying to see messages hidden by that presentation, use List View from the inbox’s More menu when available. Return to Mailboxes to work with account folders.

Begin with the account’s mailbox list, then customize the shortcuts you actually use. If a folder remains missing, checking that same account in webmail is a more useful next step than changing Mailbox Behaviors at random.