Did this article
help you?

This helped me

How to Stop Spam

This wikiHow teaches you how to identify, prevent, and block email spam. While blocking spam in your inbox won't always prevent future spam from arriving, it will help your email provider determine which messages constitute spam. You can block spam messages in desktop and mobile versions of Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, and Apple Mail.

Part 1
Part 1 of 9:

Preventing Spam

  1. Don't use your personal or business email to sign up for contests, online services, apps, or mailing lists. Many spammers monitor these mailing lists and look for email addresses to spam. You can easily create a new Gmail, Outlook or Yahoo account for free. It's a good idea to have a separate email account that you use to sign up for frivolous services and mailing lists.
  2. Most of the time, spam comes from an unrecognized sender, often with odd email addresses. That doesn’t mean all unrecognized email is spam—legitimate newsletters, website administration emails (password resets, authentication requests, etc.), and more may come from addresses you don’t recognize—but spam emails usually have multiple numbers, dashes, and/or odd letter combinations in them. [1]
    • Only open emails and links in emails if you trust the sender. You should either know the sender, be expecting an email from them, or have a reasonable reason for why the other person would send you an email randomly.
    Advertisement
  3. The goal of most spam emails is to get you to click on a link, so only click links in emails from people who you know and trust. [2]
    • If you're unsure of a link in an email from a friend, consider calling them and asking about the link. It is possible their contacts list was compromised by spam. If you receive a suspicious email from a company, bank, or organization that you have an account with, you can usually find out if there is a problem with your account by opening a new browser window and logging in to your account from their website.
  4. Spam often contains misspellings and oddly-worded sentences. This can include bizarre capitalization and weird punctuation, or awkward formatting such as bolding, italics, and randomly colored text.
  5. Anything that claims you won a contest you never entered, offers you access to unclaimed money or promises free electronics, jewelry, or anything 100% free is never legitimate. Any message that asks for your password is never real. All legitimate websites have automated password reset programs. Requests from strangers should always be ignored. [3]
    • Many email services have a preview window that will allow you to read the beginning of an email message without opening it. This will help you avoid downloading any malicious attachments within the email.
  6. Scripts created to comb through websites for email addresses can quickly gather thousands of emails at a time from websites where the email addresses are made public. Avoid entering your email address to sign up for things like coupons. Never type out your email address in a comment or post online or make your email address publicly available on Facebook or other social media services. Always be careful who you give your email to. If you need an email address to sign up for frivolous services, you can create one for free using Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo.
  7. If you must provide your email address in a public context, try writing it out in creative ways (e.g., "name [at] yahoo [dot] com" instead of "name@yahoo.com"). This will prevent would-be spammers from pulling your email address with an automated program.
  8. Usernames are almost always public. This makes email discovery a simple matter of figuring out the correct service to add at the end.
    • Services such as Yahoo! Chat make this even easier, since chances are everyone using it has a @yahoo.com email address.
  9. Replying or clicking the “Unsubscribe” link confirms that your email address is valid and active. This will generate more spam. It is best to report and delete the spam using the steps in the following sections. [4]
    Advertisement
Part 2
Part 2 of 9:

Blocking Spam with Gmail on Desktop

  1. Go to https://www.gmail.com/ in your browser. This will open your Gmail inbox if you're logged in.
    • If you aren't logged in, enter your email address and password before continuing.
  2. Click the checkbox on the far-left side of a spam email to select it.
    • Alternatively, you can click and drag an email to your Spam folder in the panel to the left.
  3. It resembles a stop sign with an exclamation mark on it. You'll find it in the row of buttons above your inbox. This displays a prompt informing you how to stop spam.
  4. 4
    Click Report spam or Report spam & unsubscribe . Clicking "Report Spam" will report the email as spam and move the email to your Spam folder. If you click "Report Spam & unsubscribe", the email will be moved to your spam folder and then you will be taken to a page that allows you to unsubscribe to the email. Select the option to unsubscribe to the email.
  5. It's in the panel to the left.
    • If you don't see the Spam folder in the panel to the left, click More below your inboxes, and scroll down to view more inboxes.
  6. This link is at the top of the page.
  7. Doing so removes all spam messages from the Spam folder.
    Advertisement
Part 3
Part 3 of 9:

Blocking Spam with Gmail on Mobile

  1. Tap the Gmail app icon on your Home screen or Apps menu. It resembles a red "M" on a white letter. This will open your inbox if you're logged in.
    • If you aren't logged in, enter your email address and password before you continue.
  2. A checkmark will appear next to the email to indicate it is selected.
  3. It's in the upper-right corner of the screen. A menu will appear.
  4. It's on the menu. Doing so moves the email to the Spam folder.
  5. This icon is in the top-left corner of the screen. A pop-out menu will appear.
  6. It's on the menu near the bottom.
  7. This option is at the top of the screen below an icon that resembles a trashcan.
  8. Doing so empties the Spam folder.
    Advertisement
Part 4
Part 4 of 9:

Blocking Spam with Outlook on Desktop

  1. Go to https://www.outlook.com/ in your browser. This will open your Outlook inbox if you're logged in.
    • If you aren't logged in, enter your email address and password before proceeding.
  2. Hover over an email that you want to mark as spam. Then click the white circle that appears on the left side of the email's preview. A checkmark will appear in the circle.
    • If you're not using the Outlook beta, you'll click a square checkbox here instead.
    • Alternatively, you can click and drag an email to Junk Email folder to the left.
  3. It's a tab near the top of the inbox page. This displays a drop-down menu with options.
  4. Click Junk to move the email to your Junk Email folder. Click Phishing to report the email for attempting to hack your account. This does not block the user or move the email to your junk folder. Click Block to block the sender.
  5. It's in the list of inboxes in the panel to the left. It's next to an icon that resembles a circle with a slash through it.
    • Outlook also comes with McAfee Anti-Spam. You can view any emails that McAfee Anti-Spam has filtered by clicking McAfee Anti-Spam below your Inbox.
  6. It's above the list of emails.
  7. Doing so empties the Junk Email folder.
    Advertisement
Part 5
Part 5 of 9:

Blocking Spam with Outlook on Mobile

  1. Tap the Outlook app icon on your Home screen or Apps menu. It has an icon that resembles a blue sheet on a white background. This will open your Outlook inbox if you're logged in.
    • If you aren't logged in, enter your email address and password before you proceed.
  2. A checkmark will appear next to the email indicating it is selected.
  3. It's the icon in the upper-right corner. This displays a menu.
  4. It's next to an icon that resembles a folder with a cross-circle over it. This displays a menu at the bottom.
    • If you are signed into an email account that is not Outlook (i.e. Gmail), you may see "Move to Spam" instead of "Report Junk".
  5. 5
    Tap Junk or Phishing . Tap Junk to move the message to your Junk Mail folder. Tap Phishing to report the email for attempting to hack your account. This does not move the email to your Junk folder or block the sender.
    • Currently, there is no way to block senders using the mobile app. [5]
    • If you tap "Move to Spam" instead of "Report Junk", this option may not be available.
  6. On Android, tap the white icon with a blue sheet of paper in the upper-left corner. On iPhone and iPad, tap the icon with your profile image or initial in the upper-left corner. This displays the menu.
    • If you are signed in using another account beside Outlook (i.e. Gmail), tap the icon that resembles your service instead.
  7. It's in the pop-out menu below your Inbox.
    • Additionally, Outlook comes with McAfee Anti-Spam. Tap McAfee Anti-Spam below your inbox to view emails filtered by McAfee Anti-Spam.
  8. On iPhone and iPad, tap the button that says Empty Folder in the upper-left corner. On Android, tap the trashcan icon in the upper-right corner.
  9. Doing so will remove all of the Spam emails here.
    Advertisement
Part 6
Part 6 of 9:

Blocking Spam with Yahoo on Desktop

  1. Go to https://mail.yahoo.com/ in your browser. This will open your inbox if you're logged in.
    • If you aren't logged in, enter your email address and password before continuing.
  2. This selects the email and displays the options at the top of the page.
    • If you are using the free version of Yahoo Mail, you may see ads in your inbox. The only way to get rid of these is to upgrade to ad-free.
  3. It's at the top of the inbox. Doing so will immediately move the selected email to the Spam folder.
    • Alternatively, you can click and drag an email to your Spam folder to the left.
  4. It's in the panel to the left.
  5. Clicking the checkbox at the top of the list of emails checks all emails in the folder.
  6. It's at the top of the page next to an icon that resembles a trashcan.
  7. This deletes all checked emails in the Spam folder.
    Advertisement
Part 7
Part 7 of 9:

Blocking Spam with Yahoo on Mobile

  1. Tap the Yahoo Mail app icon, which resembles an envelope on a purple background. Your inbox will open if you're logged into Yahoo.
    • If you aren't logged in, enter your email address and password before proceeding.
  2. A checkmark will appear next to it.
  3. It's in the bottom-right corner of the screen. A pop-up menu will appear.
  4. It's in the menu at the bottom. Doing so moves the selected email to the Spam folder.
  5. It's at the bottom of the screen. This displays a menu with all of your email folders.
    • If you have not selected a profile image, your initials will appear as your profile icon.
  6. The trash can icon is next to your Spam folder in the list of email folders. This deletes all emails within the Spam folder.
    • Alternatively, you can tap Spam to view the emails within the folder. Tap and hold to select individual emails you want to delete. Then tap Delete at the bottom of the screen.
    Advertisement
Part 8
Part 8 of 9:

Blocking Spam with Apple Mail on Desktop

  1. Go to https://www.icloud.com/ in your browser. This will open the iCloud login page.
  2. To do so, enter the email address and password associated with your Apple ID. Then click the arrow icon (→).
    • Skip this step if you're already logged into iCloud.
  3. Its app icon resembles a white envelope on a light-blue background.
  4. This selects and opens the email.
  5. 5
    Click the "Reply" icon. It's the icon that resembles a curved arrow pointing left. It's in the upper-right corner. This displays a drop-down menu.
    • If you don't want to open the email, simply click and drag it to the Junk folder to the left.
  6. It's at the bottom of the menu that appears when you click the "reply" icon in the upper-right corner.
  7. It's on the left side of the page.
  8. Clicking the email highlights it in blue to indicate that it is selected. To select multiple emails, hold Ctrl on Windows or Command on Mac and click the emails you want to select. To select all emails in the spam folder, hold shift and click the first email and the last email.
  9. It's at the top of the page. This deletes all selected emails.
    Advertisement
Part 9
Part 9 of 9:

Blocking Spam with Apple Mail on Mobile

  1. Tap the Mail app icon, which resembles a white envelope on a light-blue background.
  2. Generally, Apple Mail opens to the latest email in your inbox. Tap the Back arrow in the upper-right corner to display your email list in the inbox.
  3. It's in the top-right corner of the screen.
  4. Tap an email that you want to mark as spam. This places a checkmark next to the email. You can select as many emails as you need to.
  5. It's the first option at the bottom of the screen.
  6. This moves the selected emails to the Junk folder.
  7. It's next to the back arrow in the upper-left corner of the screen.
  8. It is below the "Inbox" folder.
  9. You'll find this in the top-right corner of the screen.
  10. It's in the upper-left corner. This selects all emails in the Junk folder.
  11. It's in the bottom-right corner. This displays a pop-up.
  12. This deletes all selected emails.
    Advertisement

Expert Q&A

Search
Add New Question
  • Question
    How do I stop spam emails permanently?
    Luigi Oppido
    Computer & Tech Specialist
    Luigi Oppido is the Owner and Operator of Pleasure Point Computers in Santa Cruz, California. Luigi has over 25 years of experience in general computer repair, data recovery, virus removal, and upgrades. He is also the host of the Computer Man Show! broadcasted on KSQD covering central California for over two years.
    Luigi Oppido
    Computer & Tech Specialist
    Expert Answer
    While you are able to set up filters and spam blockers, you might not be able to prevent every spam email from coming to your inbox. The best thing to do is just be able to recognize when an email is spam and to not respond to it.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
    Yes No
    Not Helpful 0 Helpful 1
  • Question
    What is the evidence that unsubscribing increases spam?
    Community Answer
    If you click the unsubscribe button, that confirms that your email is a valid email. Ignore it and they will eventually assume it is abandoned or fake.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
    Yes No
    Not Helpful 28 Helpful 80
  • Question
    How do I stop spammers from using my email address as the permitted sender?
    Community Answer
    Some email services (such as Gmail) provide double authentication to log in to the account. Usually a mobile phone is needed. Make sure to enable this, and check to see whether the junk mail is still sent from there. If it is, then there is possibly a virus installed on your phone which is used to catch data on it. Otherwise it may be one of your friends having a laugh.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
    Yes No
    Not Helpful 51 Helpful 66
See more answers
Ask a Question
200 characters left
Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.
Submit

      Advertisement

      Tips

      • If you have to provide an email address for a service, you can create an alias in Yahoo that forwards the emails to your Yahoo account without exposing your true Yahoo email address.
        Thanks
        Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
      Advertisement

      Warnings

      • Reporting an email as spam will usually mark future emails from the same person or service by default, but you may have to mark the same sender or service as spam a few times before you no longer see their messages in your inbox.
        Thanks
        Helpful 0 Not Helpful 1
      Advertisement

      You Might Also Like

      How to
      Recover Deleted Messages in WhatsApp
      How to
      Copy a QR Code on Android
      How to
      Log in to WeChat
      How to
      Take Screenshots on an Android
      How to
      Crop an Image with Microsoft Paint
      How to
      Make a Snapchat Lens
      9 Quick Steps to Share Facebook Live to Instagram
      16 Pro Tips for Growing Your Network on LinkedIn
      How to
      Get More Followers on Twitter
      How to
      Delete an Instagram Post
      How to
      Hide Your Number of Friends on Facebook on a PC or Mac
      How to
      Mute Someone on Twitter
      How to
      Turn Off Notifications on PC or Mac
      How to
      Create Folders in Google Docs
      Advertisement

      References

      1. ↑ Luigi Oppido. Computer & Tech Specialist. Expert Interview. 10 June 2020.
      2. ↑ Luigi Oppido. Computer & Tech Specialist. Expert Interview. 10 June 2020.
      3. ↑ Luigi Oppido. Computer & Tech Specialist. Expert Interview. 10 June 2020.
      4. ↑ http://www.spamcop.net/fom-serve/cache/125.html
      5. ↑ https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/msoffice/forum/msoffice_outlook-mso_amobile-mso_mobapps/how-to-block-senders-with-the-outlook-mobile-app/329dcfca-a7c6-4bbc-ab49-c88443f4dc63?auth=1

      About this article

      Article Summary X

      1. Avoid clicking links in emails.
      2. Don't give out your real email address online.
      3. Make your address unscannable.
      4. Never reply to spam.
      5. Block senders.
      6. Report spam when possible.

      Did this summary help you?
      Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 1,240,215 times.

      Reader Success Stories

      • Jack P.

        Feb 6, 2017

        "This page presents very useful and beneficial suggestions for smartly tightening up your volume of junk/spam ..." more
      More reader stories Hide reader stories

      Is this article up to date?

      Advertisement