# Ability to mark private messages as unread
**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/ability-to-mark-private-messages-as-unread/20320
**Category:** Feature
**Created:** [2014年九月22日 11:44 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/ability-to-mark-private-messages-as-unread/20320 "2014-09-22T11:44:27Z")
**Posts on this page:** 11
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@CamilleRoux](https://meta.discourse.org/u/CamilleRoux)
#### Post date: [2014年九月22日 11:44 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/ability-to-mark-private-messages-as-unread/20320/1 "2014-09-22T11:44:28Z")
Hi,
Quite often, I read a private message but I can’t answer immediately, so I’d like to mark it as “unread” to answer it later.
Did I miss something or this feature is really missing?
Thanks
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### Author:  [@codinghorror](https://meta.discourse.org/u/codinghorror)
#### Post date: [2014年九月22日 18:35 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/ability-to-mark-private-messages-as-unread/20320/2 "2014-09-22T18:35:57Z")
I would bookmark it, or star it. Then just refer to your bookmark list or starred topic list.
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### Author:  [@mcwumbly](https://meta.discourse.org/u/mcwumbly)
#### Post date: [2014年九月22日 18:38 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/ability-to-mark-private-messages-as-unread/20320/3 "2014-09-22T18:38:06Z")
FYI, looks like you can’t star PMs, but you can bookmark them
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### Author:  [@sam](https://meta.discourse.org/u/sam)
#### Post date: [2015年十二月11日 10:14 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/ability-to-mark-private-messages-as-unread/20320/4 "2015-12-11T10:14:05Z")
I have been thinking about this issue a lot recently now that I am working on the messaging system.
I think I would like to change it so you can “archive” any PM you have, once archived it goes into an “archive” section until an new PM arrives as a reply.
Effectively giving you a proper inbox that you can clear. As it stands it is very hard to manage PM workflows.
**EDIT** inbox/archive and the more fancy inbox/archive for group messages is now implemented.
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### Author:  [@sam](https://meta.discourse.org/u/sam)
#### Post date: [2016年三月14日 13:00 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/ability-to-mark-private-messages-as-unread/20320/5 "2016-03-14T13:00:21Z")
Should we close this now that we have inbox/archive.
You simply keep inbox zero like you would in mail if you must. Stuff in inbox is not handled.
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### Author:  [@carlokok](https://meta.discourse.org/u/carlokok)
#### Post date: [2016年三月14日 14:44 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/ability-to-mark-private-messages-as-unread/20320/6 "2016-03-14T14:44:45Z")
Was there a plan to have a combined inbox view with all unread messages from index & groups? (Currently there’s 1 “inbox” per group + the main one)
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### Author:  [@jomaxro](https://meta.discourse.org/u/jomaxro)
#### Post date: [2016年三月17日 15:32 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/ability-to-mark-private-messages-as-unread/20320/7 "2016-03-17T15:32:10Z")
I think there is still a use-case for `mark as unread`. Here is what we have currently:
1. Unread in inbox: Never opened.
2. Read in inbox: Opened at least once, likely requires further action.
3. Archived: Done with message.
Sometimes I have a message in my inbox due to a conversation with a user (as a staff member). I wrote something to the user, and am waiting for a reply. I’m not done yet (as I will write again if I don’t get a response in a reasonable amount of time), so I won’t archive it. But, it isn’t urgent, so no need to mark as unread. Then I get a new PM. It is important, and needs a well-written response. But it is the end of the day, and I don’t have time to do so now. I want to mark it as unread so it is very clear to me (or in a group box, everyone) that it needs to be dealt with. Does that make sense @sam?
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### Author:  [@mcwumbly](https://meta.discourse.org/u/mcwumbly)
#### Post date: [2016年三月17日 15:58 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/ability-to-mark-private-messages-as-unread/20320/8 "2016-03-17T15:58:54Z")
I use “mark as unread” all the time in Gmail, and I also archive most messages pretty immediately… Basically, what you describe @jomaxro.
That said, I think the _priority_ of this feature is much lower now that archive exists… Perhaps this goes into the `pr-welcome` bucket?
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### Author:  [@Stefan\_Fairphone](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Stefan_Fairphone)
#### Post date: [2019年一月10日 15:56 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/ability-to-mark-private-messages-as-unread/20320/9 "2019-01-10T15:56:22Z")
I receive an email for every PM so that I can mark them as unread in my email client (K-9 Mail for Android).
**Preferences \> E-Mails \>**
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### Author:  [@sam](https://meta.discourse.org/u/sam)
#### Post date: [2019年六月6日 06:10 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/ability-to-mark-private-messages-as-unread/20320/10 "2019-06-06T06:10:15Z")
This is now doable if you enable defer per `Enable defer to mark topics unread`
In your user profile in the interface section `/my/preferences/interface`
This works perfectly with both messages and topics.
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### Author:  [@sam](https://meta.discourse.org/u/sam)
#### Post date: [2019年六月10日 08:00 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/ability-to-mark-private-messages-as-unread/20320/11 "2019-06-10T08:00:02Z")
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