PDF download Download Article PDF download Download Article

Sometimes, you just happen to receive a lot of spam emails, and they can be annoying. In this wikiHow teaches you how to delete spam mail from your email inbox, as well as how to avoid it in the future. Marking enough emails from a sender as "spam" usually leads to future emails from that sender being moved to the "Spam" folder immediately.

Method 1
Method 1 of 9:

Preventing Spam in General

PDF download Download Article
  1. Naturally, you'll use your email address for social networks, bank accounts, and official websites (e.g., work services). However, if you can avoid entering your email on sites you only intend to use once or twice, you'll notice a significant reduction in the number of emails you receive.
  2. When you receive an email from a service such as LinkedIn, Best Buy, or a blog site, you can usually opt out of future correspondence by opening one of their emails, finding a link or button that says "Unsubscribe", and clicking it.
    • The "unsubscribe" button may say something like "Click here to stop receiving these emails" or something similar.
    • After clicking the "unsubscribe" button or link, you will likely be redirected to another webpage to confirm your decision.
    Advertisement
  3. There are times at which you'll need to provide a working email address to a service in order to prove that you're an active Internet user. To avoid receiving spam from other services that may purchase your email address from the original service, you can use an email address separate from your main account.
    • This doesn't apply to official accounts like Facebook, Google, and so on.
  4. Block a spam sender's email address . The process for doing this varies depending on the email provider you're using, but you can typically do so from within the desktop version of the offending email.
  5. Advertisement
Method 2
Method 2 of 9:

Using Gmail (iPhone)

PDF download Download Article
  1. It's a white app with a red "M" on the front.
    • If you aren't logged into Gmail, first enter your email address and password.
  2. After a moment, it will be selected.
    • If you need to switch inboxes or accounts, first tap ☰ in the top-left corner of the screen and select the folder or account from the pop-out menu.
  3. Doing so will select them as well.
  4. It's in the top-right corner of the screen. You'll see a drop-down menu appear.
  5. This option is at the bottom of the drop-down menu. Your selected emails will be moved from their folder into the "Spam" folder, and similar emails in the future will be moved to the "Spam" folder automatically.
    • You may have to categorize emails from this sender as spam a few times before Gmail begins moving them to the "Spam" folder of its own volition.
  6. It's in the top-left corner of the screen.
  7. You'll see this folder toward the bottom of the pop-out menu; you may first need to scroll down in order to find it.
  8. It's on the right side of the screen, directly above the top email in the "Spam" folder.
  9. Your selected spam will be permanently deleted from your Gmail account.
  10. Advertisement
Method 3
Method 3 of 9:

Using Gmail (Android)

PDF download Download Article
  1. It's a white app with a red "M" on the front.
    • If you aren't logged into Gmail, first enter your email address and password.
  2. After a moment, it will be selected.
    • If you need to switch inboxes or accounts, first tap ☰ in the top-left corner of the screen and select the folder or account from the pop-out menu.
  3. Doing so will select them as well.
  4. It's in the top-right corner of the screen. You'll see a pop-out menu appear.
  5. This option is at the bottom of the pop-out menu.
  6. Doing this will both move your email to the "Spam" folder and unsubscribe you from its mailing list.
    • If you don't see REPORT SPAM & UNSUBSCRIBE , just tap REPORT SPAM .
  7. It's in the top-left corner of the screen.
  8. You'll see this folder toward the bottom of the pop-out menu; you may first need to scroll down in order to find it.
  9. It's on the right side of the screen, directly above the top email in the "Spam" folder.
  10. Your selected spam will be permanently deleted from your Gmail account.
  11. Advertisement
Method 4
Method 4 of 9:

Using Gmail (Desktop)

PDF download Download Article
  1. You can do so by visiting https://mail.google.com/ . If you're already logged into your Gmail account, doing so will open your inbox.
    • If you aren't logged in, enter your email address and password before continuing.
  2. This will select the email.
    • If you want to select multiple emails, repeat this process for each email.
    • To select every email in your inbox, click the box icon above the "Primary" tab.
  3. It has an exclamation mark in the middle of it; you'll see it to the left of the trash icon. Clicking this will move all selected emails to the "Spam" folder.
  4. This option is in the list of options on the right side of the page.
    • You may first have to click More labels to view Spam .
  5. It's at the top of the inbox. Doing so will permanently delete all emails in the "Spam" folder.
  6. Advertisement
Method 5
Method 5 of 9:

Using iOS Mail

PDF download Download Article
  1. It's a blue app with a white envelope on it. Mail is a pre-installed app on all iPhones, iPads, and iPods.
  2. It's in the top-right corner of the screen.
    • If Mail opens to the "Mailboxes" page, first tap an inbox.
  3. Doing so will select each email you tap.
  4. It's in the bottom-left corner of the screen. You'll see a pop-up menu appear.
  5. Your selected emails will be moved to the "Junk" folder.
  6. This will take you back to the "Mailboxes" page.
  7. Doing so will open the "Junk" folder. You should see your recently marked emails in here.
    • If you're using more than one email inbox in the Mail app, make sure the "Junk" folder you open is beneath the proper inbox's heading.
  8. It's in the top-right corner of the screen.
  9. You'll see this option in the bottom-right corner of the screen.
  10. This will delete all mail from your "Junk" folder.
  11. Advertisement
Method 6
Method 6 of 9:

Using iCloud Mail

PDF download Download Article
  1. It's located at https://www.icloud.com/#mail . If you're already signed into iCloud, doing so will take you to your iCloud inbox.
    • If you aren't signed in, enter your iCloud email address and password and click .
  2. This will open the email on the right side of the webpage.
    • You can hold down Ctrl or ⌘ Command and click emails to select multiple emails at once.
  3. It's at the top of the open email. Doing so will prompt a drop-down menu.
  4. Your selected emails will be moved to iCloud's "Junk" folder.
  5. It's a tab on the left side of the page.
  6. If you moved multiple emails to the "Junk" folder, select all of them.
  7. It's near the flag icon at the top of the email side of the screen. Doing so will delete all selected emails.
  8. Advertisement
Method 7
Method 7 of 9:

Using Yahoo (Mobile)

PDF download Download Article
  1. It's a purple app with a white envelope and "YAHOO!" written below it. If you're logged into Yahoo, this will take you to the inbox.
    • If you aren't logged in, first enter your Yahoo email address and password.
  2. Doing so will select it after a moment.
  3. They will be selected as you tap them.
  4. It's in the bottom-right corner of the screen.
  5. This option is at the bottom of the screen. Doing so will move your selected emails to the "Spam" folder.
  6. It's either in the top-left corner of the screen (iPhone) or on the left side of the "Inbox" search bar (Android)
  7. This option will prompt a pop-up window.
    • If you don't see the trash icon, tap Spam , select any emails in the folder, and tap the trash can icon.
  8. All emails in the "Spam" folder will be deleted.
  9. Advertisement
Method 8
Method 8 of 9:

Using Yahoo (Desktop)

PDF download Download Article
  1. It's located at https://www.yahoo.com/ . Doing so will open the Yahoo home page.
  2. You'll see this option in the top-right corner of the page. This will take you to the inbox.
    • If you aren't signed into Yahoo, click Sign in near the top-right corner of the page and enter your email address and password.
  3. Doing so will select it.
    • You can do this for all spam emails in your inbox.
    • Click the box icon above the top email on the left side of the page to select all emails in your inbox.
  4. It's in the toolbar near the top of your inbox. This option moves all selected emails to the "Spam" folder.
  5. This folder is on the left side of the webpage, directly below the "Archive" folder.
  6. Doing so will permanently remove all emails in the "Spam" folder from your Yahoo account.
  7. Advertisement
Method 9
Method 9 of 9:

Using Outlook (Desktop)

PDF download Download Article
  1. It's at the following url: https://www.outlook.com/. If you're logged into Outlook, doing so will take you to your inbox.
    • If you aren't logged into Outlook, first enter your Outlook email address and password.
    • You cannot mark emails as spam on the Outlook mobile app.
  2. This will select the email.
    • Repeat this process for all emails in your inbox that you consider spam.
  3. It's an option at the top of your inbox. Doing so will mark the selected email(s) as spam and move all selected items into the "Junk" folder.
  4. You'll find it on the left side of the page.
  5. This button is at the top of the "Junk" folder.
  6. Doing so deletes all mail that's in the "Junk" folder.
  7. Advertisement

Community Q&A

Search
Add New Question
  • Question
    How do I stop spam from the same source (exact same formatting) if the unsubscribe button does not remove me from their list?
    Community Answer
    Go to the site and click on "Change email." Make yourself a new e-mail. Give that new address to the site. Never check this e-mail, and only give it to junk sites.
  • Question
    What do I do if I have been doing this to all email for several months and the same ones keep arriving?
    Community Answer
    Suggestion(outlook/exchange): Create a filter using words that are in every copy of the spam message you continue to receive which sends the message to a spam filter (for now) after verifying it is not catching anything you want you can edit the filter to auto delete these messages as well as add it to your spam list for you. You can also do this same sort of thing for a list of keywords you know are linked to spam. (for example maybe "Viagra" )
  • Question
    How do I remove an email address I accidentally added to a spam list?
    Community Answer
    Click or tap the email, there should be a box that pops up saying "remove from list."
See more answers
Ask a Question
      Advertisement

      Tips

      • Once you've marked several emails from one recipient as "spam" or "junk", your email provider will begin moving them into the "Spam" or "Junk" folder by itself.
      Submit a Tip
      All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published
      Thanks for submitting a tip for review!
      Advertisement

      Warnings

      • Unfortunately, spam is a byproduct of Internet use. You'll eventually get some in your inbox no matter how careful you are.
      Advertisement

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      1. Open the Gmail app.
      2. Tap and hold the spam message.
      3. Tap additional messages if desired.
      4. Tap the three-dot menu.
      5. Tap Report spam .

      Did this summary help you?
      Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 463,458 times.

      Reader Success Stories

      • Dave Summersgill

        Dec 28, 2017

        "Being a bit thick when it comes to using any form of technology the nice straight forward step by step instructions ..." more
      Share your story

      Is this article up to date?

      Advertisement