Why Email Still Needs “Mark as Unread”

Email works best when it helps me remember what still needs attention. But there’s one small thing that regularly gets in the way of that: not being able to mark an opened email as unread.

Some email services — including HEY — take a different approach by design. Rather than treating unread as a lightweight reminder, HEY leans into email as triage: once you’ve opened a message, the assumption is that you’ve made a decision about it and no longer need that unread state as a reminder.

HEY replaces the ‘unread’ state with workflow tools like Reply Later.

That philosophy works for some workflows, but not for mine. I often need the flexibility to re-mark something unread after opening it, because opening an email and being done with it are rarely the same moment. Over time, losing that distinction creates friction that’s easy to underestimate.

This post explains why the ability to mark an open email as unread still matters, and how it shapes the way I manage my inbox — including when an app like HEY challenges that convention.

Opening an email doesn’t mean I’ve dealt with it

I often open emails simply to see what they are: to check urgency, confirm who it’s from, or understand what’s being asked. None of that means I’ve had time — or headspace — to respond properly.

If opening a message automatically marks it as “read,” the inbox loses an important signal. It no longer reflects what still needs attention, only what’s been glanced at.

Being able to mark an email as unread restores that distinction.

Unread is a reminder, not a status

For me, “unread” doesn’t mean I haven’t seen this — it means I haven’t finished with this.

That subtle difference matters. An unread message in my inbox acts as a lightweight reminder — something I can return to when I have the time to respond thoughtfully rather than reactively.

Without that option, important messages are easier to lose among everything else that’s already been processed.

Flags and labels aren’t the same thing

Some people rely on flags, stars, or labels instead. I use those too, but they serve a different purpose.

Flags tend to indicate priority.
Labels help with categorisation.

Neither quite replaces the simplicity of “this still needs my attention.”

Marking an email as unread is immediate and reversible. It doesn’t require a decision about importance or category. It just says: not yet.

Email is asynchronous for a reason

One of email’s strengths is that it doesn’t demand an immediate response. It allows you to engage on your own terms, when you’re ready to think clearly.

When inboxes push everything toward a “read equals done” model — or when apps remove the option to undo that state — that advantage starts to erode. Email begins to behave more like chat: nudging you toward constant clearing rather than considered replies.

The ability to mark emails as unread helps preserve that asynchronous rhythm.

This is about attention, not productivity hacks

I’m not trying to optimise my inbox or turn email into a system.
I just want it to reflect reality.

Sometimes I read something and need to come back to it later.
Sometimes I need to wait for context, time, or energy.

Marking an email as unread is a simple way of acknowledging that without overthinking it.

It’s a small control, but it has an outsized impact on how manageable email feels.

How email apps compare on “mark as unread”

Here’s how common apps currently support (or don’t support) marking an already-opened email back to unread:

Why this matters

If you use your inbox as a mental priority space, being able to mark things as unread again is not a “nice to have” — it’s a way of preserving intention.

Apps that lack this capability often push users toward either:

• false completion — thinking something is done when it isn’t
• workarounds — using flags/stars instead of the simplest option

Final thoughts

Email doesn’t need more features.
It needs better alignment with how people actually think and work.

Being able to mark an opened email as unread is one of those small affordances that respects attention rather than trying to manage it for you. It keeps the inbox honest and makes it easier to trust that what’s visible still matters.

For me, that makes the difference between an inbox that quietly supports my work — and one that slowly becomes noise.