Simple Ways to Manage Your Email Settings on Yahoo! Mail

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Locate and change the settings on a mobile or a desktop computer
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Email settings allow you to customize how your inbox and messages appear, as well as customize your sent email messages. You can add multiple accounts and inboxes, customize your filters, add a signature, or create a vacation response, block unwanted senders or domains, upgrade your account, and more. This wikiHow article teaches you how to locate and manage your email settings for Yahoo! Mail on a desktop computer and using the mobile app.

Locate the Settings menu.

To find the Settings menu on a desktop computer, click the icon with three dots (•••) in the menu to the left. Then click Settings. If you are using the mobile app, tap your profile icon in the upper-left corner. Then tap the Settings/Gear icon at the top of the screen.

Method 1
Method 1 of 2:

Using a Desktop Computer

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  1. Step 1 Go to mail.yahoo.com...
    Go to mail.yahoo.com and sign in. If you are not logged in automatically, enter your Yahoo! username and password to log in.
  2. Step 2 Open the Settings menu.
    To do so on a desktop computer, click the icon with three dots (•••) in the menu to the left. Then click Settings.[1]
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  3. Step 3 Change your inbox appearance.
    To do so, click Appearance in the menu bar to the left. Then use the options to change the look and feel of your inbox.
    • Light or Dark mode allows you to select if you want black text on a while background (Light), or white text on a black background (Dark). Selecting “Device” will go with whatever fits your computer’s visual settings and theme best.
    • Message layout allows you to select if you want your emails to display in List form with no preview window, or if you want the list to appear to the preview window to appear to the Right of the list, or at the Bottom of the list.
    • Turning on Message tabs allows you to have multiple emails open at the same time and you can switch between them by clicking the tabs at the top fo the page.
    • Message Preview allows you to select if you want to display a preview of a selected email in a window.
  4. Step 4 Add more mailboxes.
    You can add more than one mailbox to your Yahoo! Account. To do so, click Mailboxes in the menu to the left. Click Add mailbox below “Mailbox list”. It will give you the option to sign in with a Yahoo!, Google, Outlook, or AOL email address.
    • Additionally, you can click Add below “Send-only email address” to add an email address that can send emails but not receive. This is good for sending out mass emails.
    • Lastly, click Add below “Temporary email addresses” to create a new temporary burner email. This is good if you want to sign up for something quickly or if you want to send an anonymous email. You can have 3 temporary emails. If you want more, you need to upgrade to Yahoo! Mail Plus.
  5. Step 5 Change your notification settings.
    To do so, click Notifications in the menu bar to the left. Click the toggle switch next to “Desktop Notifications” to enable them. Then you can click the toggle switch next to “All new emails” to receive a notification every time an email comes in. Alternatively, you can click “Just email categories I choose” and then click the toggle switch next to enable or disable notifications from your categories.
  6. Step 6 Change your email writing settings.
    To do so, click Email Writing in the menu to the left. Then use the following options to change your settings:
    • Compose window: This allows you to select if you want to display the email composition window in Full-screen mode or Compact mode.
    • If you want to automatically generate previews for links, click the toggle switch next to Automatically generate a preview of links.
    • Signature: If you want to add a signature block to your emails, click the toggle switch next to “Signature.” This creates a text window you can use to create a signature block.
    • Default rich-text font: Use the drop-down menus below “Default rich-text font” to select what text you want to use for your emails and the font size.
    • Default sending address: If you have multiple mailboxes, you can use the drop-down menu below this option to select the default mailbox you want to send from.
  7. Step 7 Change your email viewing settings.
    To do so, click Viewing email in the menu bar to the left. Then use the following steps to change your email viewing settings:
    • Group by Conversation: Click the toggle switch next to this option if you want all your email threads to be grouped together in a single conversation.
    • Dynamic message: This feature enables you to use certain features, like shopping and recommendations, from within the email message. This is turned on by default, but you can turn it off by clicking the toggle switch next to this option.[2]
    • Mark as read interval: This allows you to select how long after opening an email it takes for it to be marked as “read.” You can select “Immediately,” “After 2 seconds,” “After 5 seconds,” or “Never.”
    • After moving a message: This option allows you to select what happens after you move or delete a message. You can select “Go back to original folder,” “Go to previous message,” or “Go to next message.”
    • Show images in message: This option allows you to select if you want to display images in email messages. You can select “Always, except in spam folder,” or “Ask before showing external images.”
  8. Step 8 Create a vacation response.
    If you are going to be away from your email for a while, you can create a vacation response. To do so, click Vacation response in the menu bar to the left. Then click the toggle switch next to Turn on vacation response and use the text box to create a message that will be automatically sent as a reply while you are on vacation.
  9. Step 9 Create an email filter.
    Filters allow you to add different ways of organizing your email. To create a filter, click Filters in the menu bar to the left. Then click Add new filter. Use the menu on the left to create a name for the filter and the rules you want to apply to it (i.e., To, From, Subject, etc).
  10. Step 10 Block and unblock email addresses or domains.
    If you want to block a sender or an email domain, click Privacy & Security in the menu bar to the left. Then use one of the following steps to block or unblock an email or domain:
    • Block an email address: Click Add below “Blocked email addresses.” Then enter the email address you want to block and click Save. Click the trashcan icon next to an email in the list to unblock it.
    • Block a domain: You can also block all emails from a specific domain (i.e., “@salescompany.net”). To do so, click Add below “Block unwanted sender domains.” Then enter the domain name you want to block and click Save. Click the trashcan icon next to a domain in the list to unblock it. You can only block three domains with a basic account. If you want more, you will need to upgrade to Yahoo! Mail Plus.
  11. Step 11 Import contacts from another service.
    If you want to import your contacts from another service, click Contacts in the menu bar to the left. Then click Import next to one of the account options (i.e., Yahoo!, Google, Outlook, AOL). Then sign in to the service you want to import contacts from and follow the prompts.
  12. Step 12 Upgrade to Yahoo Mail Plus.
    Basic Yahoo! Mail is free. If you want to upgrade to the Plus service (which is $5 a month), click Yahoo! Mail Plus in the menu bar to the left and then click Try it free to start a free trial. Follow the prompts to start your free trial.
    • Features include no ads, unlimited blocking of domains, more temporary email addresses, and automatic forwarding.
  13. Step 13 Enable or disable AI message summaries.
    If you want to enable or disable AI email summaries, click AI features in the menu bar to the left. Then click the toggle switch next to “Message summaries.”
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Method 2
Method 2 of 2:

Using the Mobile App

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  1. Step 1 Open the Yahoo Mail app.
    It has a purple icon with an image that resembles a while envelope. Tap the Yahoo! Mail app on your Home screen or apps menu.
    • You can download the Yahoo! Mail app from the Google Play Store on Android or the App Store on iPhone and iPad.
    • If you haven’t signed in already, sign in with the username and password associated with your Yahoo! Account.
  2. Step 2 Open the Settings menu.
    To do so, tap your profile (or initial) icon in the upper-left corner. Then tap the Settings tab at the top. It has an icon that resembles a gear.
  3. Step 3 Add more accounts and mailboxes.
    You can use the options below “Accounts & Security” to add more accounts or mailboxes. You can also add mailboxes from other services, such as Google or Outlook. The options are as follows:
    • If you have more than one Yahoo account, you can tap Manage accounts and sign in to multiple Yahoo! Accounts. Tap Add account at the bottom of the menu to sign into another account. You can also tap the toggle switch next to any account you are signed into to turn it on of off in the app.
    • To add additional mailboxes, tap Manage email addresses in the main Settings menu. Then tap Add an email address at the bottom. You will be given a list of services you can sign into (i.e., Yahoo!, Google, Outlook, AOL, etc). Tap the account type you want to sign in to, and then sign in to your account.
    • To add a LinkedIn account, tap Add LinkedIn and then sign in to your LinkedIn account.
  4. Step 4 Adjust the app lock options.
    To select how long you want the app to wait until it locks and requires a security PIN, pattern, or Fingerprint to unlock, tap Security on the main Settings menu. Then tap the toggle switch next to “Account changes” to require a PIN to make changes to your account. If you want the app to lock after being idle for a specific amount of time, tap the toggle switch next to App unlock and select how long you want the app to wait before it locks.
  5. Step 5 Organize your inbox categories.
    If you want to change the order in which your inbox categories appear, tap Inbox categories on the main Settings menu. Then tap and drag the different categories to change their order.
  6. Step 6 Enable dark mode.
    Dark mode changes the color scheme so that white text appears on a black background. To enable dark mode, tap Dark mode on the main Settings menu and select Dark mode (white text on black back) or Light mode (black text on a white background). Tapping System default will select the mode that best fits your phone’s theme and color scheme.
  7. Step 7 Add swipe actions to your account.
    To do so, tap Swipe actions on the main Settings menu, and then tap the toggle switch next to the actions you want to enable. The two most common swipe actions are swipe right to mark and email as read, and swipe left to delete an email.
    • You can add additional swipe actions, such as Star, Archive, mark as Spam, or Move to folder. To do so, tap Choose action at the bottom and then select the action you want to add.
    • To add a custom swipe action for each account, tap Customize for each account at the top. Then tap an account to select custom swipe actions for that account.
  8. Step 8 Enable to disable quick replies.
    Quick replies allow you to reply to emails in a chat-like window. To enable or disable quick replies, simply tap the toggle switch next to Quick Replies.
  9. Step 9 Enable or disable checkboxes.
    If you want a sender’s profile image to appear as a checkbox in your inbox, tap the toggle switch next to Checkboxes in the main Settings menu. This allows you to more quickly select multiple emails.
  10. Step 10 Enable or disable tappable stars.
    If you want starred or favorited emails to appear in your inbox, tap the toggle switch next to Stars to enable star emails to be displayed in your inbox.
  11. Step 11 Manage the message preview window.
    The message preview window is the bit of text that appears below an email in the inbox. To manage this, tap Manage preview in the main Settings menu. Then select an option. 1 to 3 lines, or “No preview.” You can also select “No avatars, no preview.” Avatars are the profile icons.
  12. Step 12 Select if you want to group conversations by subject.
    If you want to group all emails under a single subject, tap the toggle switch next to “Conversations.” This option is enabled by default.
  13. Step 13 Manage your notifications.
    Tap Notifications on the main Settings menu. Then, manage your Notification settings. The options are as follows:
    • System settings: This option allows you to select if you want your notifications to make a sound or vibrate. You can also select a custom notification sound.
    • Troubleshoot: This option automatically checks your notification settings for any issues and lets you know if any issues are detected.
    • Customize for each account: If you want to create custom notification settings for each account, tap the toggle switch next to this option and then select an account to change notification settings for.
    • Select what you want to receive notifications for. Your options are “All messages & features,” “High priority emails only,” “Just the email categories I choose” (you will then be given a list of categories to select), or “None.”
  14. Step 14 Create a signature for your emails.
    To add a signature to your emails, tap Signatures in the main Settings menu. Ensure the toggle switch next to “Include signature in new messages” is turned on, and then enter a signature message on the line.
    • If you want to create a custom signature for each individual account, tap the toggle switch next to “Customize for each account” and select an account you want to create a signature for.
  15. Step 15 Change your reply-to address.
    If you want recipients to reply to a different address than the one you are sending from, tap Reply-to Address on the main Settings menu. Then tap an account you want to create a reply-to address for. Enter the email address you want recipients to reply to on the line.
  16. Step 16 Block images in emails.
    If you want to block images in emails, tap the toggle switch next to “Block images.”
  17. Step 17 Block unwanted email domains.
    You can block all emails from a specific domain (i.e., “@salescompany.net”). To do so, tap Block unwanted sender domains on the main Settings menu. Then select an account. Tap Add a domain and enter the domain name you want to block. Then tap Ok.
    • You can block 3 domains on a basic account. To block more requires Yahoo! Main Plus.
  18. Step 18 Hide deal summaries.
    If you want to remove retailer recommendations, tap the toggle switch next to Hide deal summaries. This requires Yahoo! Mail Plus.
  19. Step 19 Enable or disable undo send.
    This feature displays an “Undo” button for 2 seconds after an email is sent. Tap the toggle switch next to Allow undo send to enable or disable this feature.
  20. Step 20 Change your seamless navigation options.
    These options allow you to select what happens when you delete or move an email. To change this option, tap Seamless message navigation on the main Settings menu. Then select Go back to original folder, Show previous message, or Show next message. More options are available with a Yahoo! Mail Plus subscription.
  21. Step 21 Clear your cache.
    If you are experiencing glitches or issues when viewing your emails, you may need to clear the cache. Clearing the cache deletes email and attachment data. To clear your cache, tap Clear cache on the main Settings menu. Then tap Clear cache at the bottom of the screen.
  22. Step 22 Enable message summaries.
    If you want to get message summaries of high-priority messages, tap Message summaries and then tap the toggle switch next to Message Summaries at the top.
  23. Step 23 Upgrade to Yahoo!
    Mail Plus. If you want to upgrade to Yahoo! Mail Plus, tap Upgrade to Yahoo! Mail Plus on the main settings menu and follow the prompts to upgrade. This costs $5 a month.
    • Features include no ads, unlimited blocking of domains, more temporary email addresses, and automatic forwarding.
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Community Q&A

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  • Question
    I do not want my email address displayed on the Yahoo sign-in page. How can I delete it?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    If the email is filling in automatically when you reach the sign-in page, you should delete your cookies and tell Yahoo not to remember your information next time you are prompted.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
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    Not Helpful 4 Helpful 7
  • Question
    How can I prevent suspicious emails from my contacts from being placed into my spam folder?
    Umairhp
    Umairhp
    Community Answer
    Add your contacts in the Safe Sender's list. If you have their email addresses in your contacts white-list they will not go to Spam.
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     Thank you for your feedback.
     If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
    Yes No
    Not Helpful 5 Helpful 7
  • Question
    Why has my Yahoo Mail condensed to a tiny list in the middle of my screen?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    Go to Settings and decide how big or how small you want it and where you want it.
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References

  1. ↑ https://help.yahoo.com/kb/manage-account-settings-basic-mail-sln37018.html
  2. ↑ https://help.yahoo.com/kb/new-yahoo-mail/SLN36686.html?impressions=true

About This Article

Travis Boylls
Written by:
Travis Boylls
wikiHow Technology Writer
This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Travis Boylls. Travis has been a tech writer at wikiHow for more than 10 years. He has also worked in technical support for Dish Network and AT&T Wireless. He studied graphic design and web design at Pikes Peak Community College. He specializes in Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, and video game consoles. Travis has had a fascination with computers and technology that goes all the way back to childhood. He is proficient in all manner of software and computer operating systems. This article has been viewed 230,812 times.
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Co-authors: 6
Updated: October 15, 2025
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Categories: Yahoo! Mail
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