How to Clear Samsung Mailbox Email, Voicemail & Storage

This guide walks you through clearing your Samsung phone’s mailbox — that includes deleting old emails, removing voicemail messages, and freeing up storage space that those items occupy. You’ll learn the exact steps for the stock Samsung Email app, the Phone app’s voicemail tab, and how to clear the cached data that can bloat your storage over time. No special tools or computer knowledge are needed — just your phone and a few minutes.

What You’ll Need

• Your Samsung phone (Galaxy series or similar) with the stock Samsung apps — this works on One UI 4.0 and newer.
• Your voicemail password or PIN (if your carrier requires one to access voicemail).
• Your email account password (in case you need to re-authenticate after clearing data).
• Optional: a computer or cloud backup if you want to save any emails or voicemails before deleting them.

Step-by-Step

Part 1: Clear Emails in the Samsung Email App

1. Open the Samsung Email app (the icon looks like an envelope).
2. Tap the hamburger menu (three horizontal lines) in the top-left corner to open the sidebar.
3. Select the email account you want to clean (e.g., Gmail, Yahoo, or your work account). If you have multiple accounts, you’ll need to repeat these steps for each.
4. In the inbox, tap the three-dot menu (vertical ellipsis) in the top-right corner.
5. Choose Select all to highlight every visible email. If you have hundreds, you may need to scroll and select more, or use the Select all option again after loading more messages.
6. Tap the trash icon (or choose Delete from the menu) to move them to the Trash folder.
7. Go to the Trash folder (usually in the sidebar under the account name).
8. Tap the three-dot menu again and select Empty trash or Delete all. This permanently removes them and frees up space.
9. Repeat for other folders like Spam or Sent if they are large.

Part 2: Clear Voicemail Messages

1. Open the Phone app (the icon with a phone handset).
2. Tap the Voicemail tab at the bottom (it looks like a tape recorder or a message bubble).
3. You’ll see a list of voicemail messages. Tap the three-dot menu in the top-right corner.
4. Select Delete all (or Select all then the trash icon). Confirm when prompted.
5. If you prefer to delete individual messages, swipe left on a message and tap Delete.
6. Note: Some carriers also store voicemail on their servers. To clear those, you may need to call your voicemail box (press and hold the 1 key) and follow the prompts to delete messages. This is separate from the on-phone list.

Part 3: Clear Storage Space Used by Email and Voicemail

1. Go to Settings → Apps (or Application manager).
2. Scroll down and tap Email (the Samsung Email app).
3. Tap Storage.
4. Tap Clear data and confirm. This will remove all emails stored on the phone and reset the app to its initial state. You’ll need to re-add your email account afterward.
5. If you want to keep your emails but just free up space, tap Clear cache instead — this only removes temporary files.
6. Repeat for the Phone app (or Call app) — its storage includes voicemail data. Clear cache first; if that’s not enough, clear data (but note this will also reset your call log and speed dials).
7. You can also use Device Care (in Settings) to clean up overall storage, but the app-specific method is more targeted.

Common Mistakes

• Deleting emails but not emptying the Trash. Emails in the Trash still occupy space until you permanently delete them.
• Clearing data on the Email app without knowing your password. You’ll be locked out until you re-enter your credentials.
• Assuming voicemail deletion on the phone also deletes it from the carrier. Often they are separate; you must call your voicemail to delete server-side copies.
• Clearing cache on the Phone app and expecting voicemail to disappear. Cache is just temporary data; voicemail audio files are in the app’s data, so you need to delete messages or clear data.
• Selecting only visible emails. If you have thousands, the app may only load a subset — you need to scroll and select more or use the server-side cleanup.

Tips

• Before clearing data on the Email app, sync your emails to a computer or cloud if you need to keep them. You can also export them via the app’s settings (look for Export in the menu).
• Set your email app to delete messages from the server after a certain period (e.g., 30 days) in the account settings — this prevents future buildup.
• For voicemail, consider using a visual voicemail app that stores messages in the cloud, so they don’t take up phone storage.
• Use the Storage section in Settings to see which apps are taking up the most space before you start — this tells you if email or voicemail is actually the culprit.
• If you’re low on storage, also clear the cache of other apps like Photos and Chrome, but focus on the mailbox apps first.

Troubleshooting

• Emails reappear after deletion. This happens if your email account is set to sync and the server still has them. Delete them on the server (via webmail) or change the sync settings to Delete from server.
• Voicemail messages won’t delete. Try restarting the phone, then go to Settings → Apps → Phone → Force stop, then try again. If that fails, call your carrier’s voicemail system and delete via the keypad.
• Storage space doesn’t increase after deleting. Check if you’re looking at the right storage metric. Also, deleted items may still be in the Trash or Recycle Bin — empty those. If using a microSD card, emails are on the phone’s internal storage, not the card.
• Email app crashes after clearing data. Re-add your account and give it a few minutes to sync. If it still crashes, restart the phone.
• You can’t find the Voicemail tab. Some carriers disable the visual voicemail tab. You can still access voicemail by calling your number or pressing and holding 1. The messages are stored on the carrier side.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will clearing the Email app data delete my emails from the server?

No, it only removes the local copies on your phone. Your emails remain on the server (Gmail, Yahoo, etc.) and will re-download when you re-add the account.

How do I permanently delete emails so they don’t come back?

After deleting emails, go to the Trash folder and empty it. Also, check your server-side settings — some providers have a Delete from server option in the app’s sync settings.

Does deleting voicemail on my phone also delete it from my carrier?

Usually not. The phone app only removes the local copy. To delete carrier-side voicemail, call your voicemail box and follow the prompts to delete messages.

What’s the difference between clearing cache and clearing data?

Clearing cache removes temporary files (like thumbnails) and is safe — you won’t lose any personal data. Clearing data resets the app to its original state, removing all emails, voicemail, and settings.

Will I lose my call log if I clear data on the Phone app?

Yes, clearing data on the Phone app will erase your call history and any settings like speed dials. It’s a last resort for freeing space.

How often should I clear my mailbox storage?

It depends on your usage. If you receive many emails or voicemails, a monthly cleanup is a good habit. Otherwise, do it when you see a storage warning.

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