Gmail labels--bypass inbox

[sfrrr]

In past versions of Gmail, I've been able to keep my inbox empty by automatically sending messages to various folders. (The first time a new sender sent me an email, I'd assign it a folder, and Gmail would pop up and ask whether I wanted all messages from Across Central, say, assigned to Tech. I'd tap yes, and messages from Android Central sent straight to Tech without any action on my part. Now, Gmail no longer asks ,although it remembers to put the correct label on incoming messages .however, it also adds an inbox label and leaves the message sitting in the Inbox. Is there a way to go back to the older, less cumbersome technique? I'm wasting a lot of time trying to maintain a zero - inbox.

 

[sfrrr]

I'm bumping this because I have a half - bit of new info. Apparently, filters in Gmail do the same job as rules in, say, Outlook email on the PC. Fine. But how do you create a filter on a mobile device? I can find instructions only for a PC.

 

[sfrrr]

And while I'm at it, how do tell Gmail to show me just this year's mail without deleting old messages?