When you open a conversation, messages that you’ve already read are minimized into a tab that indicates the number of hidden messages.
From your Gmail Inbox, tap the conversation you want to view.
Tap the contact name to open that message.
While reading a message you can tap the Unread icon (in the Gmail Inbox header at the top of the screen) to return a read message to the unread state. For example, to remind yourself to read it again later.