Why I Need to Mark an Open Email as Unread
Why the ability to mark an opened email as unread is essential for keeping track of messages and managing attention.
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.
Once an email has been opened, many clients treat it as “done”, even when it clearly isn’t. That assumption doesn’t match how I actually use email, and over time it creates friction that’s easy to underestimate.
This post explains why the ability to mark an open email as unread still matters, and why I rely on it as part of how I manage my inbox.
Opening an email doesn’t mean I’ve dealt with it
I often open emails simply to see what they are. That might be 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, 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”
Different email apps handle marking opened mail as unread in slightly different ways. Here’s a quick comparison of how common apps support (or don’t support) this behaviour:
| App | Can Mark Opened Emails as Unread? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Gmail | ✔ Yes | You can mark any email as unread after opening via the menu or right-click. |
| Outlook (Web/Apps) | ✔ Yes | Fully supported across platforms. |
| Apple Mail (iOS/macOS) | ✔ Yes | Works via swipe actions or menu. |
| Proton Mail | ✔ Yes | Clearly supports marking opened messages as unread. |
| Fastmail | ✔ Yes | Fully supported and visible in UI. |
| HEY.com | ❌ Not consistently | HEY’s UI does not yet offer a clear “mark unread” action after opening in all views. |
| Yahoo Mail | ✔ Yes | Supported in web and app. |
Notes
- ✔ means a user can explicitly mark a previously opened message back to unread.
- ❌ means the client either doesn’t offer the option or makes it difficult/confusing to access.
- Some apps may support this only in certain views (e.g., mobile app but not web, or in threaded/conversation modes).
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” feature — 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), or
- Workarounds (flags, stars, labels) that aren’t as intuitive.
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.