Google has introduced a handy new way for Android users to keep on top of their emails – a Mark As Read option.
This may sound like nothing new, but this is not just any Mark As Read option. It is a new Mark As Read option that can be accessed from. The notification that appears when a new email arrives.
For some Gmail users this will seem like an utterly insignificant addition; for others it will be near life-changing. The Android notification for Gmail can still be used to read and email by tap it, archive or delete it using the customizable swipe actions, and reply via the dedicated button.
But there is now a nice, shiny (not literally) new Mark As Read button that does very much what you would expect. The button provides an easy way to stop Gmail from including an email that you have not opened but have “read” without requiring you to fire up the app. A quick tap in the notification is all that is needed.
The button sits nestled in the bottom-center of the notification, between the Delete or Archive button (whichever you have selected ) and the Reply button.
It is a small change, but one that will make a big difference to anyone who receives a large number of emails to their Gmail account. It makes inbox management incredibly simple, so you need never be confused by the unread message count again.
For some people this “new” Mark As Read button will not be completely new. Google has been engaged in one of its glacial rollouts of the feature, but it is now finally rolling out to everyone rather than just a select few.
The new arrival comes at the same time as Google rolls out the Material 3 Expressive update to Gmail. There’s nothing you need to do other than make sure you have the latest version of the Gmail app installed. You should see the Mark As Read button in notifications in version 2025.08.04.x and later of the app.
For now it does not appear that there is any way to either disable the Mark As Read button or to change its location, or to customize it in the same way you can choose between Delete or Archive. This may change further down the line, but for now you are stuck with it.