How to Stop Spam Emails From Filling Up Your Inbox

13 ways to stop spam emails

The most effective way to stop spam emails is to systematically report and block spam to your email provider. Unsubscribing from unwanted email campaigns can also help, although you should only do this when you’re sure the email comes from a legitimate organization, as spoofed emails may contain bad links disguised as an unsubscribe button that triggers a malware download.

These fixes might not get rid of spam mail completely, but they will help to reduce the junk in your inbox — both now and in the future.

For a more permanent stop to spam emails blighting your inbox, you’ll need to adjust your privacy settings and change your online habits. You can also take these steps in your phone settings to help reduce spam text messages and block phone number spoofing.

Here’s a more detailed look at some of the top solutions to stop spam emails:

• Block spam email addresses.

• Report spam emails.

• Use a third-party email spam blocker.

• Unsubscribe from unwanted newsletters or mailing lists.

• Only accept mail from trusted contacts.

• Change your email privacy settings.

• Check if your email is on the dark web.

• Use an email alias.

• Use SPF and DKIM email authentication.

• Manually opt out of data broker sites.

• Disable “auto-load” for images.

• Stop sharing your email.

• Start fresh with a new email account.

1. Block spam email addresses

Blocking email addresses that send you unwanted emails helps stop spam originating from a particular sender from reaching you. But be careful not to open or interact with spam messages when blocking addresses — this can trigger more junk emails from other accounts or expose your device to malware or ransomware.

On Gmail

You can block a sender in the Gmail app on mobile or desktop by opening an email > clicking the three vertical dots > selecting Block “Sender.”

Alternatively, you can mark an email as spam from the mailbox by selecting an email with the checkbox > opening the settings by clicking the three vertical dots > selecting Report spam. Gmail will then offer the option to unsubscribe from the mailer, effectively preventing similar emails from reaching you.

You can’t create advanced filters (like auto-delete rules) on mobile devices, but on desktop, follow these steps to set up filters that will help reduce incoming spam:

1. Open Gmail > Select the checkbox on the spam email whose sender you’d like to block.

2. Click the three vertical dots at the top of your inbox > Select Filter messages like these.

3. Click Create filter > Select Delete it from the list of actions > Create filter.

On Apple Mail

In Apple Mail, you have to open an email to access the setting to block the sender. Be cautious not to tap links, download attachments, or reply to spam emails whilst doing so. Here are the steps to follow:

• On mobile: Open Apple Mail > Select a message from the sender you want to block > Tap the contact’s name next > View Contact > Block this contact.

• On desktop: Open Apple Mail > Select a message from the sender you want to block > Click the arrow next to the sender’s name next > Block Contact.

On Outlook

Open Outlook > Right-click an email from the address you want to block > Select Block > Block Sender.

The options may differ if you are using the classic version of Outlook (Junk > Block Sender) or are a Mac user (Message menu > Block).

On Yahoo Mail

1. Open Yahoo Mail > Check the box to the left of the email whose sender you want to block.

2. Click the three horizontal dots in the mailbox toolbar > Block senders.

2. Report the email as spam

To report spam using most email clients, you select the email and use your provider’s Report or Mark as Spam/Junk options. By manually flagging spam and scam emails in your inbox, you can help your email service learn which email addresses to distrust and improve their ability to detect and filter phishing emails pretending to be companies like Amazon or Apple.

Alternatively, you can create filters in your email application settings that send spam emails directly to your spam folder. For phishing or online scams, you can also forward the email to the authorities for further investigation.

But remember, thinning out the amount of junk you receive in the future won’t necessarily protect you against viruses or other types of malware hidden in unsolicited emails — for that you’ll need a malware scanner and removal tool.

On Gmail

Open Gmail > Check the box to the left of each spam email you want to report > click Report spam in the mailbox toolbar.

On Apple Mail

Open Apple Mail > Click the spam email you want to report > Click the Junk Mail icon in the mailbox toolbar.

On Outlook

Open Outlook > Right-click the spam email you want to report > Report > Report Junk.

On Yahoo Mail

Open Yahoo Mail > Check the box to the left of each junk email you want to report > Click the Spam button in the mailbox toolbar > Mark as spam.

Report directly to the FTC

You can also report spam emails directly to the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) if they involve fraud, are part of a scam, or may pose an identity theft risk. Your email provider handles general spam filtering, but the FTC collects data to track and take action against illegal or deceptive email practices.

Here’s how to report spam emails directly to the FTC:

1. Go to the FTC complaint page > Select Report Now.

2. Fill in the form:

1. Provide your email address and details about the spam email.

2. Include the sender’s address, subject line, and any suspicious links or attachments (be careful to just copy and paste and not open any links or attachments).

3. Submit the complaint. The FTC will send a confirmation of your report and advise further.

3. Use a third-party email spam blocker

Even the best junk mail filter (or the most rigorous manual spam blocking habits) can’t catch every single unwanted email. Using a third-party email blocker along with your own built-in email filter can help boost your spam defenses.

Here are some types of third-party spam blocking and email management tools you can use to cut down on spam:

• Spam decluttering tools: A third-party spam cleaning tool helps manage and reduce unwanted emails, keeping your inbox organized. Tools like SaneBox and Clean Email automate sorting and cleanup, making spam management faster and more efficient.

• Data removal/unsubscribe tools: These help reduce spam by removing your email from unwanted lists and data brokers. Tools like Incogni, Avast BreachGuard, LifeLock, and Unroll.me automate unsubscribing and data removal, saving time and protecting privacy.

• Email spam filter tools: Adding extra protection beyond built-in filters, third-party spam filters can catch more sophisticated spam, phishing, and scams that email apps might miss. Tools like Avast Free Antivirus, Mailwasher, Zerospam, and IronVest have capabilities that scan, block, and learn from spam emails to help keep your inboxes safer and cleaner.

• Email alias tools: By creating temporary or masked addresses, email alias tools like Firefox Relay and DuckDuckGo Email Protection protect your real inbox by forwarding messages while hiding your personal email, helping to reduce spam and protect privacy.

• Business and enterprise-focused spam blockers: These enterprise-level spam blockers protect organizations from harmful emails that may contain phishing attacks, viruses, and malware at scale. Tools like Spambrella, SpamTitan, and Comodo Antispam Gateway (ASG) offer advanced filtering, policy controls, and reporting to keep corporate email secure and compliant.

4. Unsubscribe from unwanted newsletters or mailing lists

Unsubscribing from mailing lists or newsletters you no longer want to receive emails from helps reduce the flood of unwanted mail that becomes a daily occurrence after years of creating accounts on online stores, forums, or social platforms.

Here’s how to remove your email from a newsletter or mailing list:

1. Enter “unsubscribe” into your email search bar to find emails with embedded unsubscribe links.

2. Scroll to the bottom of the unwanted email to locate the “Unsubscribe” link, often in small text.

3. Click the link, which will usually redirect you to a webpage to confirm the unsubscribe request.

4. Confirm your choice to unsubscribe, which may involve clicking a button, selecting specific newsletters to opt out of, or entering your email address.

5. Report as spam if no unsubscribe option is available or the sender seems suspicious — this moves it to the spam folder and informs your provider to filter similar emails.

Just be cautious when opening a spam email from an unknown sender and interacting with the unsubscribe button within the email. Cybercriminals may conceal bad links in unsubscribe buttons. Clicking a malicious link can unintentionally trigger malware or direct you to a phishing site.

What happens when you click unsubscribe on spam emails?

Clicking unsubscribe on spam emails can result in a few outcomes:

• Legitimate unsubscription: If the email is from a reputable organization that follows proper email marketing practices, clicking “unsubscribe” should remove your email from their mailing list. Reputable companies are legally required (under laws like the CAN-SPAM Act in the US) to honor unsubscribe requests.

• An increase in spam emails: Clicking “unsubscribe” on certain spam emails can inadvertently confirm that your email address is active and monitored by a real person. As a result, spammers may flood your inbox with more unwanted emails or even sell your address to data brokers or other spammers.

• Security risks: Clicking links in dangerous scam emails, including the “unsubscribe” link, can expose you to security threats. These links may lead to phishing websites designed to steal your personal information or install malware on your device.

If you’re in any doubt whether clicking unsubscribe is a risk, it’s safer to report the email as spam and ignore it.

5. Only accept mail from trusted contacts

Configuring your email settings so mail from selected, trusted contacts is marked as trustworthy helps make legitimate messages easier to recognize. To build a list of trusted senders, you need to manually add contacts to your contact list. Here’s how to do it in some popular email apps:

• In Gmail: Hover over a contact > Click the Add to contacts icon.

• In Apple Mail: Click the arrow next to the sender’s name > Click Add to contacts.

• In Outlook: Hover over a contact > Click on the three dots icon in the pop-up > Show More > Add to contacts > Save.

• In Yahoo Mail: Hover over the sender’s name or email address > Click Add to contacts > Save.

There is an obvious downside to this strategy — you might tune out legitimate emails sent to you by real people or organizations that you haven’t added to your contacts list. Make sure to keep your trusted contacts up to date to maximize the chance that you see all the emails you should.

6. Change your email privacy settings

Changing your email privacy settings to remove access from connected apps and websites can help reduce spam by controlling who can see your address, preventing third parties from sending emails, tracking your activity, or sharing your address with marketing lists.

Here’s how to adjust your email privacy settings to stop advertisers and other third parties from having access to your email address:

On Gmail

1. Open Gmail > Click your profile icon (upper-right corner) > Manage your Google Account.

2. On the left navigation menu, click Third-party connections to review your apps and services you share data with — consider removing access to your account for any third parties sending you unwanted spam.

On Apple Mail

You can also reduce spam to your Apple Mail account by limiting app access or connections directly through Apple/iCloud on your iPhone. This helps cut down spam coming through apps or services linked to your Apple ID without affecting your main email.

1. Open Settings > tap your Apple account name (at the top) > Password & Security > Apps Using Apple ID.

2. Review the list of apps and websites connected to your Apple ID > tap any you no longer want to have access > Stop Using Apple ID.

On Outlook

1. Go to Outlook > Click your account icon (upper-right corner) > Select View Account (or My Microsoft account).

2. Click Privacy > App access > Select Details next to an app related to spam you have received > Remove access.

On Yahoo Mail

1. Sign in to Yahoo Account > Scroll to Other ways you’ve signed in or Connected apps and sites > review the list of apps and websites that have access to your Yahoo account.

2. Click on any app or site you no longer want to have access > Remove Access or Revoke.

7. Check if your email is on the dark web

If your email address or other contact information has been leaked on the dark web, you could be targeted by huge amounts of spam along with a host of online scams like sophisticated spear phishing attacks.

You can check if your email address is exposed by using free or paid tools to scan the dark web or see if it has appeared in recent data breaches. If you notice potential issues, secure any accounts that are associated with the exposed email address by creating new strong passwords.

Here are some proactive steps you can take to better track your email address’s exposure:

1. Check data breaches: Use Avast’s Hackcheck to see if your email appears in known data breaches.

2. Scan the dark web: Use Avast BreachGuard to run a deeper scan of the dark web for any leaked information that appears on dark web forums or marketplaces, like your email or passwords.

3. Protect vulnerable accounts: Immediately update passwords and enable 2FA for any accounts that may be exposed.

8. Use an email alias

Hiding behind an email alias by using a secondary “burner” address lets you sign up for sites and accounts without sharing your primary email address. Then, you can set up rules to forward emails sent to your alias account to a separate folder in your main inbox, making it easy to manage both accounts while preserving the privacy of your primary account and reducing incoming spam.

Here’s how to set up an email alias on Gmail:

1. Open Gmail in a browser > click the gear icon > See all settings > Accounts and Import tab.

2. Go to Send mail as > Add another email address.

3. Enter the name and email address you want to use as an alias (it can be your Gmail address with + alias, e.g., john.smith.shopping@gmail.com).

4. Choose whether to treat it as an alias (keep it checked) > click Next Step > Send Verification.

5. Check your inbox for the verification email > click the link to confirm.

While the steps and terminology differ between providers such as Yahoo Mail, Outlook, and Apple Mail, the underlying approach remains largely the same.

9. Use SPF and DKIM email authentication

SPF (Sender Policy Framework) and DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) are authentication methods that help ensure that the emails you receive are legitimate.

• SPF ensures emails are sent from authorized servers.

• DKIM verifies the email’s content and sender through cryptographic signatures.

Most email clients have options called “show details” or “show original” that allow you to inspect the full email header, including the results of SPF and DKIM authentication checks. If you suspect an email you’ve received is spam, or otherwise illegitimate, you can use this option to check whether it was sent from an authorized server, with the right encryption.

While this can help you to reject or mark as spam those that fail relevant checks, this method won’t stop spam or other malicious emails from landing in your inbox to begin with. It’s also worth remembering that email scammers can be sophisticated, and their emails may not always be caught out by this method.

10. Manually opt out of data broker sites

Data brokers collect, store, and sell your information to third parties, meaning you could end up on spam mailing lists without even realizing it. Most data brokers, however, are required to give you the option to opt-out, which will remove your information from the website — at least temporarily.

Tracking where your data appears on data broker sites can help you identify the sources that spammers might be using to access your email address, and opting out can help limit the spam you receive in the future.

Here are some strategies you can use to find data broker or people-search directories where your information is exposed and get your data removed:

• Use data broker removal tools: Services like Incogni, DeleteMe, and Avast BreachGuard scan continuously for new data brokers and submit data removal requests on your behalf.

• Search major data broker sites manually: Look up your name and email on popular people-search databases to see where your data appears.

• Check privacy notices and opt-out links: Many US companies disclose data sharing in their privacy policies and provide “Do not sell my personal information” links.

• Monitor spam patterns: A spike in spam after signing up for a service can indicate your data was shared or sold.

• Request disclosure of data sharing: Under US state laws (such as the California Consumer Privacy Act), you have the right to request disclosure of data sharing from a company and to opt out of the sale of your personal information.

If you want to find out where your data is being leaked from in the future, use a different fake surname every time you sign up for an online account or service. Then, if that organization sells your data to brokers, you’ll be able to tell based on the name incoming spam emails are addressed to.

11. Disable “auto-load” for images

Spam emails from advertisers sometimes include hidden code embedded within images that tracks where and when you open the email. These are called tracking pixels. Disabling auto-load for images in your email account can help prevent advertisers from using this strategy to collect data that makes it easier for them to decide whether they should target you with more spam emails.

On Gmail

Open Gmail (via the app or in your browser) > Settings > General > Scroll to Images > Ask before displaying external images.

On Apple Mail

Open Apple Mail > Mail > Preferences > Viewing > Uncheck Load remote content in messages.

On Outlook

Microsoft Outlook should automatically block images from loading, but if this setting has been changed, you will need to manually update it.

On Windows:

1. Open Outlook > Go to File > Options (bottom-left).

2. Select Trust Center (left-hand navigation) > Trust Center Settings.

3. Select Automatic Download (left-hand navigation) > Check Don’t download pictures automatically in standard HTML email messages, meetings or RSS items > OK.

On a Mac:

1. Open Outlook app > Outlook > Settings > Reading.

2. Go to Download external images > Select Asking before downloading from the dropdown menu.

In a web browser:

1. Click Settings(gear icon) > View all Outlook settings.

2. Go to Mail > Message handling > External images.

3. Select Don’t automatically download images > Save.

On Yahoo Mail

Yahoo Mail blocks images from auto-loading by default, but if images are still appearing, you may need to manually adjust your settings to disable them.

To manually block images from auto-loading in Yahoo Mail:

• Open Yahoo Mail > Settings (gear icon) > More Settings > Viewing email > Images in messages > Ask before displaying external images.

12. Stop sharing your email

Each time you share your email address online, you risk receiving more spam in the future. You also broaden your exposure to data breaches that might leave you more vulnerable to scams or identity theft. Using a secondary email or email alias when signing up for services or making purchases can help reduce this vulnerability.

But if you don’t have a secondary email address, you can instead try to cut back on the amount of times you share your email. Consider whether you really need to do these things before giving up your email address:

• Making one-time purchases on unfamiliar websites.

• Signing up for giveaways, contests, or limited-time offers.

• Starting free trials.

• Subscribing to newsletters you don’t want to keep long-term.

• Filling in contact forms on personal or small business websites.

• Completing your social media bios.

• Adding a contact page to your personal website.

13. Start fresh with a new email account

If your inbox is overwhelmed with spam, deleting your Gmail or other email account and starting fresh with a new one is worth considering as an absolute last resort.

But, before you go any further, remember that this means you’ll be abandoning your current account completely and losing all of the emails, media, and data it contains. If there’s anything you want to save, make sure to back it up first.

Here’s how to start a fresh email account:

1. Choose a reliable email provider: Pick from Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, Apple Mail, or another trusted host.

2. Create a strong, unique password: Use a combination of randomly generated letters, numbers, and symbols and consider using a password manager.

3. Set up recovery options: Add a phone number and a trusted secondary email for account recovery.

4. Enable two-factor authentication: Adding 2FA means that you’ll need an extra layer of verification before you can access your account, like a code sent to your phone or biometric check.

5. Migrate important contacts and subscriptions: Notify important, trusted contacts — your bank, utility providers, and any companies sending paperless invoices or statements — of your new email address.

6. Use aliases or secondary addresses for risky sign-ups: Keep your new, primary inbox clean and divert potential junk to a different address.

7. Update accounts on apps and services: Replace your old email on payment services like PayPal, shopping and social media accounts as needed.

8. Regularly monitor spam and privacy settings: Adjust filters and privacy options to reduce junk mail and protect your information.

Why am I getting so many spam emails?

Spam emails can flood your inbox for various reasons, from your email address being exposed in a data breach to you signing up to mailing lists without reading the small print. Understanding the causes behind this unwanted influx can help you protect your privacy and reduce the number of spam messages you receive.

Here are the most likely reasons you’re getting a lot of spam emails:

• You signed up to mailing lists: When you enter your email on a shopping website or social media platform, you’ll often be added to a mailing list — and sometimes one sign-up can even result in you receiving multiple newsletters from the same company.

• You have fallen victim to a phishing scam: If you fell for a phishing message or fake link and gave your email away to a scammer, it may have been shared on the dark web or sold to data brokers, opening you up to countless spam emails.

• You have interacted with spam mail: If you reply to a spam email or click a link contained within one, you’ll signal to the sender that your email address is active, encouraging them to send more emails in the future.

• Your email appeared in a data breach: If your email was leaked in a data breach or otherwise shared online, it might have been added to a spammer’s database.

• You have weak spam filters: Spam filters block some but not all spam mail. In some email clients, reporting spam when it lands in your main inbox will help train your spam filter to detect spam more effectively in the future.

• Your email may be targeted by bots: Some cybercriminals use bots to automatically collect email addresses from websites, data breach repositories, and online form databases, potentially leaving you vulnerable to spam.

Enhance your spam email protection

The inflow of spam and other unwanted emails can feel endless, and filtering them out of your inbox is like a game of whack-a-mole. Thankfully, strong cybersecurity software like Avast Free Antivirus can help protect your email and shield your network from malicious threats.

Avast Free Antivirus features an award-winning threat-detection engine and an array of other security features like an email protection tool that automatically blocks malicious links and attachments, often found in spam or scam emails. Try it for free today to help make your inbox a little safer.