A long-absent Gmail feature may finally be coming to Android

Like many of you, I use labels in Gmail to organize my inbox, so it never made much sense that I couldn’t create or delete them from my phone. Google somehow managed to roll out an AI Inbox for Gmail before giving Android users proper label controls. Thankfully, it looks like that wrong is finally about to be righted.

In a recent version of Gmail for Android (v.2025.12.29.855765709.Release), we were able to activate new options that let you create, edit, and delete labels directly from the app. That’s something Gmail has supported on the desktop for years, and even something iPhone and iPad users have already had access to, but this would be its debut on Android.

In testing, label creation lives exactly where you’d expect it to, as shown in the screenshot above. A new Create label option appears in Gmail’s main sidebar, alongside your existing system and custom labels. Tapping it opens a simple dialog where you name the label and save.

These controls only apply to labels you’ve created yourself, including ones originally made on desktop or iOS. Built-in system labels are still locked down, just as they are elsewhere. And if you delete a label, Gmail makes it clear that your emails aren’t going anywhere.

As with all APK teardowns, there’s no guarantee this feature will ever roll out publicly or arrive exactly as shown here. That said, the UI looks polished, and the behavior closely mirrors what’s already available on other platforms. More importantly, it’s not doing anything revolutionary, and it’s long overdue, so we expect it to be a matter of time.