Inbox Zero is a phrase coined by Merlin Mann, writer, speaker, and broadcaster from San Francisco, California. It's an approach to managing our emails so that your inbox remains empty.
We all want to achieve it, we each strive for it, yet we seem have trouble getting there. If you struggle to reach Inbox Zero like the rest of us, then these five iPhone apps can help you get there.
Unroll.Me (Free)
Unroll.Me is a handy tool for not only managing your email subscriptions but for rolling up emails and receiving them as a package. The app also provides a simple way for you to unsubscribe to emails you no longer want to receive, just swipe to unsubscribe.
Unroll.Me also has a rollup feature where you can have messages such as newsletters, sales bulletins, and similar items you want to keep, rolled up into one daily digest. Those emails will then bypass your inbox and be grouped for you to check out when you have the time.
So, for ridding yourself of subscriptions you no longer want as well as rolling up those you do, Unroll.Me is a convenient tool. The app supports multiple email accounts including Gmail, Yahoo Mail, AOL, iCloud, and Outlook.com.
Mailswipe (Free)
Mailswipe is a great tool for processing your email quickly. Each message is displayed as a card, simply swipe to take an action. Swipe left to move the message to the trash or right to save it for later. You can also swipe up when you are finished reading the email or down to reply to it.
You will see a count of unread messages as well as those saved for later at the bottom and you can navigate between them. When reviewing those you have saved, you can unsubscribe with a tap. If you set up more than one email account, the app provides a unified inbox for easy scanning.
Mailswipe is free for one email account (Gmail or IMAP) and offers in-app purchases for a power pack, providing unlimited mailboxes, and an unsubscribe action which will replace the reply swipe.
Triage: Email First Aid ($2.99)
Similar to Mailswipe is an app called Triage: Email First Aid. This app also displays your messages as cards and with quick swipes you can keep or archive the messages.
Triage allows you to move through your messages rapidly. By swiping up to Archive or down to Keep, you can fly through your inbox in no time. Triage also lets you tap to read the complete message and offers replying and forwarding options.
With a clean and easy interface, Triage can help you stay on top of your inbox. The app supports Gmail, Yahoo Mail, iCloud, Outlook, and most IMAP services.
Unlistr (Free)
Unlistr provides a fast and simple way to get rid of unwanted emails. Begin by choosing a specific folder or your main inbox. The app will then search for what it considers junk mail and lists the results for you to review. You can then view the number of emails per sender and zip through them in a few taps.
Mark the checkboxes for those you no longer want to receive and tap the Unsubscribe button. Or, mark those that you would like to continue receiving and tap the Keep button which will inform the service to no longer display those emails as “junk mail.”
Unlistr is an easy-to-use tool for getting rid of unwanted messages currently and in the future. There is also a setting for how many emails you would like for it to scan at a time, depending on your Wi-Fi connection, plus you can set up a customized scan schedule. The app works with multiple email accounts and supports Gmail, IMAP, and POP.
Cannonball Email (Free)
Cannonball Email is a little different than the other apps in that it also functions as an email client. But its main draw is the way it automatically organizes your inbox for you. The app groups your subscriptions at the top with the rest of the messages below, and also provides two ways to move through your inbox quickly.
By tapping on the subscriptions you can see them all in a nice grid format and sort them with ease. Then with simple swipes you can block or archive each one. If there are emails at the bottom that you would like to move to the subscription section, just tap, drag, and drop.
With a second method for managing messages, Cannonball Email offers a clean overview of your unread emails and subscriptions. If you decide to start unsubscribing, tap and begin swiping left to unsubscribe or right to keep.
You can zip through your personal messages by swiping as well. Swipe left to delete, up to reply, right to mark as read, or down to mark as unread. These actions can be customized if you'd rather each behaved differently. Cannonball Email supports Gmail, Yahoo Mail, iCloud, Outlook.com, AOL, and other IMAP accounts.
How Do You Manage Your Inbox?
Each of these apps can assist you with zipping through your inbox quickly and getting rid of unwanted messages easily. Have you given up on trying to reach Inbox Zero or do you have a different app that helps you get there? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below!