Go to the next or previous message quickly in Gmail

Read Gmail messages faster with keyboard shortcuts

Gmail supports keyboard shortcuts for reading and managing messages quickly and efficiently. Learn how to use the Gmail message toolbar and keyboard shortcuts to navigate to the next or previous message.

The instructions in this article apply to Gmail on the web and the Gmail mobile app for iOS and Android.

How to enable Gmail keyboard shortcuts

To use Gmail shortcuts, you must first enable them in the menu Institutions †

1. Select acceleration in the top right corner of Gmail, then select Institutions in the drop-down menu.

   

2. Scroll down to the section Keyboard Shortcuts and choose Shortcuts in †

   

3. Scroll to the bottom of the page and select Saving Changes †

   

Go to the next or previous message in Gmail

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

• Click J to go to the next (older) message, or select † Near acceleration †

• Click k to go to the previous (newer) message, or select Near acceleration †
  

or

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:

• Click J to move the cursor to the next (older) message in the list, then press Enter to open it.

• Click k to move the cursor to the previous (newer) message in the list, then press Enter to open it.

If you are at the top or bottom of the list for the current page, press J or k will not move the cursor any further; You must use the toolbar to navigate to the next or previous page.

Go to the next or previous message in Gmail Basic HTML

Keyboard shortcuts don’t work in Gmail Basic (regular HTML), so you’ll need to use the toolbar to view your messages. When viewing an email:

• Select old in the top right corner of the message window to go to the next (older) message.

• Select newer in the top right corner of the message window to go to the previous (newer) message.

Go to the next or previous message in Gmail Mobile

Quickly switch between emails when viewing messages in the Gmail app or mobile web browser:

• Swipe left on an email to go to the next (older) message.

• Swipe on an email to go to the previous (older) message.