How to Go to the Next or Previous Message Quickly in Gmail

Read your Gmail messages faster with keyboard shortcuts

By
Heinz Tschabitscher
Heinz Tschabitscher
Heinz Tschabitscher
Writer
  • University of Vienna
A former freelance contributor who has reviewed hundreds of email programs and services since 1997.
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Updated on June 22, 2022
Reviewed by
Jon Fisher
Jon Fisher headshot
Reviewed by Jon Fisher
  • Wichita Technical Institute
Jonathan Fisher is a CompTIA certified technologist with more than 6 years' experience writing for publications like TechNorms and Help Desk Geek.
lifewire's editorial guidelines

What to Know

  • Turn on Keyboard Shortcuts: Settings > Show all settings > in General tab, select Keyboard Shortcuts on.
  • Open email and select j to go to the next message in the list. Select k to go to the previous message in the list.
  • You can also move through the messages using the > (next) and < (previous) symbols near the gear icon.

Gmail supports keyboard shortcuts to help you read and manage your messages fast and efficiently. Learn how to use both the message toolbar and keyboard shortcuts in Gmail to go to the next or previous message.

How to Turn On Gmail Keyboard Shortcuts

To use Gmail shortcuts, you must first turn them on in the Settings menu.

  1. In the upper-right corner of Gmail, select Settings (gear icon).

    The Settings gear in Gmail

  2. From the drop-down menu, relect See all settings.

    The "See All Settings" button in Gmail

  3. Ensure you're on the General tab.

    A screenshot of Gmail settings with the General tab highlighted

  4. Scroll down to the Keyboard shortcuts section and select Keyboard shortcuts on.

    A screenshot of Gmail General settings with the "keyboard shortcuts on" option highlighted

  5. Scroll to the bottom of the page and select Save Changes.

    A screenshot of Gmail settings with the Save Changes button highlighted

This article explains how to go the next or previous message quickly in Gmail. Instructions apply to the web versions of Gmail and the Gmail mobile app for iOS and Android.

How to Go to the Next or Previous Message in Gmail

To jump to the next or previous message while viewing an email:

  • Select j to go to the next message or select > beside the gear.
  • Select k to go to the previous message or select < beside the gear.

How to Scroll the Message List Cursor in Gmail

The same keyboard shortcuts also work for the email selection cursor in any message list in Gmail:

  • Press j to move the cursor down to the next message in the list and then press Enter to open it.
  • Press k to move the cursor up to the previous message in the list and then press Enter to open it.

If you are at the top or bottom of the list for the current page, pressing j or k will not advance the cursor any further; you must use the toolbar to go to the next or previous page.

How to Go to the Next or Previous Message in Gmail Basic HTML

Keyboard shortcuts do not work in Gmail Basic (simple HTML), so you must use the toolbar to browse your messages. While viewing an email:

  • Select Older in the top-right corner of the message window to go to the next message.
  • Select Newer in the top-right corner of the message window to go to the previous message.
A screenshot of Gmail Basic HTML with the Newer and Older Messages links higlighted

Go to the Next or Previous Message in Gmail Mobile

To navigate between emails quickly while viewing messages in the Gmail app or a mobile web browser:

  • Swipe left over the email to go to the next message.
  • Swipe right over the email to go to the previous message.
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