How to See Multiple Views Side by Side in Gmail

Say, do you switch between Gmail labels and the inbox and starred mail and your drafts and, occasionally, the trash often — about every few minutes? Do you have Gmail organize mail, labeling certain messages automatically, skipping the inbox?

Would you like to keep tabs on additional labels or searches, say all recent messages from your boss (even if they've slipped to your Gmail inbox's second screen)? It's not tabs exactly, but you can put additional collections next to your Gmail inbox — below, above or next to the standard view.

To place additional views (for drafts e.g., a label or search results) next to your Gmail inbox:

• Click the Settings gear in Gmail.
• Select Settings from the menu that shows.
• Go to the Labs tab.
• Make sure Enable is selected for Multiple Inboxes.
  • You can start typing "multiple inboxes" under Search for a lab: to find the entry more quickly.
• Click Save Changes.

To set up the message lists to appear next to your Gmail inbox:

• Click the Settings gear in your Gmail.
• Now follow Settings from the menu that appears.
• Go to Multiple inboxes.
• Under Current searches for the multiple inboxes:, enter the desired message views to appear.
  • You can use any Gmail search term and operator.
  • "label:myproject" displays mail in the "myproject" label, for example, "has:attachment" all messages with files attached, "from:peter" everything from any Peter and "lang:Chinese" all messages in Mandarin.
  • To delete an additional view, empty its Pane field.
• Click Save Changes.

To have the additional lists appear below or above the standard inbox or to its right:

• Click the Settings gear in, for instance, the Gmail Inbox.
• Pick Settings from the drop-down menu.
• Go to Multiple inboxes.
• Choose the desired place under Extra panels positioning:.
• Click Save Changes.