Gmail for Android is testing a handy new feature that could make managing your inbox a lot easier. A ‘Mark as read’ button is being added directly to Gmail notifications, letting users mark emails as read without opening the app. 
This new option appears next to ‘Reply’ and ‘Delete’ at the bottom of the notification panel.
Spotted by X user Kurt Gomez, the update appears to be part of a limited A/B server-side test. Not all Android users – even those running Gmail version 2025.06.15 – have access to it yet. For instance, one Pixel 6 Pro user with Android 16 QPR1 Beta 2.1 hasn’t seen the change.
Interestingly, iPhone users already enjoy this feature in the Gmail app for iOS. Android users who haven’t received the update and want similar functionality can try a third-party app like AutoNotification from the Play Store, which lets you customize Gmail notifications and include a ‘Mark as read’ button.
By default, Gmail notifications on Android include ‘Reply’ and either ‘Archive’ or ‘Delete’. You can customize this second action by opening Gmail, tapping the menu icon, navigating to Settings > General Settings > Default email notification action, and choosing your preferred option.
While this feature might seem minor, it’s a real time-saver for anyone juggling a busy inbox. No more tapping through each email just to clear your notifications. Once the update rolls out more broadly, expect smoother inbox management with just a tap.