How to Sort Gmail by Sender (Web, iPhone, Android) for 2026

Gmail does not have a built-in "Sort by sender" button like Outlook or Apple Mail. The fastest workaround: type from: followed by the sender's email or name into the search bar (for example from:[email protected]), and Gmail returns every email from that sender in date order. To group every email by sender as an ongoing system, you can also set up filters that auto-label messages from specific senders, or use the multiple inboxes layout to pin sender groups in your main view.

This guide covers every method for sorting Gmail by sender across web, iPhone, and Android, plus how to build a sender-based organisation system that survives the lack of a native sort button.

For the wider context on Gmail organisation, see our guide on how to organize your Gmail inbox.

Why Gmail does not have a "sort by sender" button

Outlook, Apple Mail, and Thunderbird all let you click a column header (From, Subject, Date) to sort the inbox. Gmail does not — the inbox is always sorted by date, newest first, with no option to change it.

The reason: Gmail was designed around search and labels rather than folders and sorting. Google's intent was for users to search for the sender or topic they want, rather than re-sort the inbox. In practice this means you sort Gmail by sender using the search bar, filters, or the multiple-inbox layout — not a column header.

The good news: the search-based workaround is faster than the sort-by-column approach once you know the operators.

How to sort Gmail by sender on web (search method)

The simplest method works the same on Gmail web (mail.google.com), Outlook on the Web, and any browser-based Gmail-style client.

Open Gmail and click the search bar at the top.
Type from: followed by the sender's email or name. Examples:
- from:[email protected] — every email from a specific address
- from:Acme — every email where the sender name contains "Acme"
- from:@acme.com — every email from anyone at acme.com
Press Enter.

Gmail returns every email from that sender, sorted by date with the newest first. This is functionally identical to "sort by sender" — you have isolated one sender's emails into a single view.

Combine `from:` with other search operators

You can stack search operators to narrow further:

Search	What it returns
`from:[email protected]`	All emails from one address
`from:[email protected] has:attachment`	From that address, only with attachments
`from:[email protected] -in:trash`	From that address, excluding deleted mail
`from:[email protected] before:2025/01/01`	From that address, sent before a date
`from:[email protected] after:2025/01/01`	From that address, sent after a date
`from:[email protected] larger:10M`	From that address, only larger than 10 MB

For the broader set of Gmail search operators, see our guide on how to create rules and filters in Gmail.

Show "from this sender" with one click

If you already have an email from the sender open, there is a one-click shortcut on Gmail web:

Open any email from the sender.
Click the sender's name at the top of the email.
A pop-up appears with the sender's contact info. Click More emails from [sender].
Gmail switches to a search view showing every email from that sender.

This is the fastest way to see every email from a sender you are already reading.

How to sort Gmail by sender on iPhone

The Gmail iPhone app supports the same from: search operator, plus a tap-on-sender shortcut.

Method 1: Search by sender on iPhone

Open the Gmail app.
Tap the search icon (magnifying glass, top-right).
Type from: followed by the sender's address or name (from:[email protected]).
Tap Search on the keyboard.

Every email from that sender appears in the results.

Method 2: Tap the sender's name

Open any email from the sender you want to filter on.
Tap the sender's name or avatar at the top of the email.
Tap See emails or View contact details.
Tap Show all emails to view every email from that sender.

The exact wording varies by Gmail iOS app version, but the path is the same: sender's name → all their emails.

How to sort Gmail by sender on Android

Android Gmail behaves almost identically to iPhone.

Method 1: Search by sender on Android

Open the Gmail app.
Tap the search bar at the top.
Type from: followed by the sender (from:[email protected]).
Tap Search.

Every email from that sender appears in the results.

Method 2: Tap the sender's avatar

Open any email from the sender.
Tap the sender's avatar or name.
Tap All emails from this sender (or similar wording on your Gmail version).
The view filters to that sender's emails.

How to group emails by sender automatically

If you regularly want to see emails grouped by sender — not just for a one-off search — set up filters that auto-label messages from each sender. This gives you a permanent "folder" per sender in the left sidebar.

Set up a per-sender label and filter

Click the search bar at the top of Gmail.
Click the search options icon (small slider icon on the right of the search bar).
In the From field, enter the sender's email or domain.
Click Create filter at the bottom.
Tick Apply the label and either pick an existing label or create a new one named after the sender.
Tick Also apply filter to matching conversations to label existing emails from that sender.
Click Create filter.

From now on, every email from that sender gets the label automatically. Clicking the label in the sidebar shows every email from that sender, current and historical — functionally the same as a sort-by-sender view.

Repeat for each sender you want to track. Most users find 8–12 sender-based labels covers 80% of their important email traffic.

For the broader filter and rule-building patterns, see our guide on how to create rules and filters in Gmail.

How to use multiple inboxes for sender groups

A more advanced layout: Gmail's Multiple Inboxes view lets you pin search results (including per-sender searches) as boxes alongside your main inbox.

Open Gmail on web.
Click the gear icon → See all settings.
Go to the Inbox tab.
In Inbox type, select Multiple inboxes.
In Section 1 query, enter from:[email protected] (or any sender-based search).
Repeat for Section 2, 3, 4, 5 with different senders or topics.
Click Save changes.

Now each section appears next to your inbox showing the matching emails. Effectively a permanent sender-grouped view, without leaving the inbox screen.

This is the most powerful sender-organisation system Gmail offers. It is overkill for most users, but if you regularly handle 10+ recurring senders (customer support, finance, vendors), it pays back the setup time within a week.

For the multi-inbox view alongside other organisation patterns, see our Gmail inbox organisation guide.

How to find all emails from one sender on iPhone (mobile-specific)

On iPhone, the multiple-inbox layout is not available, but the per-sender label workflow still works. Set up the filters on web first (as above); the labels appear in the iPhone app under the menu.

Set up the filter on web (steps above).
Open the Gmail iPhone app.
Tap the menu icon (top-left).
Scroll down to Labels.
Tap the sender label you created.

Every email with that label appears, grouped by date.

Why this matters for shared inboxes

If you handle customer email through a shared Gmail account, the per-sender search and label workflow is the closest thing to "see every email from this customer in one view" that Gmail offers natively. It works but it has limits: there is no assignment, no internal collaboration, no audit trail.

For teams handling more than 50 customer emails per day, the per-sender Gmail workflow runs out of road. A shared inbox tool gives each customer a permanent thread with assignment, internal comments, and resolution history that Gmail labels alone cannot provide.

Frequently asked questions

Can I sort Gmail by sender like Outlook?

Not directly. Gmail does not have a "Sort by sender" column header like Outlook. The closest equivalent is searching for from:[email protected] in the Gmail search bar, which returns every email from that sender in date order. For a permanent sender-grouped view, set up a filter that auto-labels emails from each sender.

How do I see all emails from one sender in Gmail?

Type from: followed by the sender's email or name into the Gmail search bar (for example from:[email protected]), then press Enter. Every email from that sender appears in the results. On mobile, you can also tap the sender's name at the top of any email and select "All emails from this sender".

How do I sort Gmail by sender on iPhone?

The Gmail iPhone app supports the from: search operator. Tap the search icon, type from: followed by the sender's address or name, and tap Search. You can also tap the sender's avatar inside any email and select See emails or Show all emails to filter to that sender.

How do I sort Gmail by sender on Android?

The Gmail Android app works the same way as iPhone. Tap the search bar, enter from: followed by the sender, and tap Search. Or tap the sender's name inside any email and choose All emails from this sender to filter the view.

Can you group emails by sender in Gmail?

Not as a one-click setting, but you can build the same effect by creating a filter for each sender that applies a label. The label acts as a permanent "folder" for that sender. Click the label in the sidebar to see every email from that sender, current and historical.

What is the fastest way to find every email from one sender in Gmail?

The fastest method on web: open any email from the sender, click their name at the top of the message, and click More emails from [sender]. That switches Gmail to a filtered view of every email from that sender in two clicks.

How do I sort Gmail emails by name?

You sort by the sender's name the same way you sort by their address: use the from: operator with the name instead of the email. For example, from:Acme returns every email where the sender's name or email contains "Acme". You can also use from:"Acme Billing" with quotes for an exact-match name search.

Why does Gmail not let me click a column to sort by sender?

Gmail was designed around search and labels rather than columns and folders. Google's intent was for users to search for the sender they want rather than re-sort the whole inbox. In practice, the search-based workflow is faster once you learn the from: operator. There is no setting that adds a sort-by-sender column to the inbox view.

Bringing it all together

Gmail's lack of a "Sort by sender" button looks like a limitation but the from: search operator covers 90% of the same intent in two clicks. For ongoing sender-based organisation, set up filters that auto-label emails per sender — and use the multiple-inbox layout if you need 5+ sender groups pinned alongside the inbox.

For the related Gmail-power-user workflows, see our guides on creating a Gmail rule to move emails to a folder (the natural next step after sorting by sender), sorting Gmail by size for storage cleanup, and delegating Gmail access when an assistant or colleague needs to read and respond on your behalf.

If your team handles customer email through a shared Gmail account at scale, the per-sender search and label workflow runs out of road past ~50 messages a day. A shared inbox tool gives proper customer-level threading, assignment, and resolution history alongside the email workflow your team already knows. Start a free 14-day trial.