Gmail spam filter not working? How to stop junk getting through

Your Gmail inbox used to be clean. Now it's full of fake prize notices, "your account is suspended" warnings, and newsletters you never signed up for.

By the end of this guide you'll have Gmail catching junk again, and you'll know your account hasn't been tampered with.

The short answer

Report each junk message as spam instead of just deleting it, because that's how Gmail learns what you don't want. Block repeat senders, and set up a filter for anything that keeps slipping through. Then take two minutes to check your forwarding and filter settings, because a sudden flood of spam sometimes means someone else has been inside your account.

Before you start

• You'll need your Gmail password and a computer with a web browser for the filter and settings steps. The Gmail app on your phone can't create filters.
• It takes about 15 to 20 minutes.
• Nothing here deletes your existing mail, so you don't need a backup first. Just go slowly when you create filters that delete messages.

Step 1: Report spam instead of deleting it

Deleting a message gets rid of it once. Reporting it tells Gmail's filter to catch similar messages later.

On a computer (Windows 11 or Mac, any browser):

1. Go to gmail.com and sign in.
2. Check the box next to each junk message.
3. Click the Report spam icon at the top. It looks like a stop sign with an exclamation mark.

The messages should move to your Spam folder.

On iPhone or Android (Gmail app):

1. Open the junk message.
2. Tap the three dots in the top-right corner.
3. Tap Report spam.

If you read Gmail in the iPhone Mail app or Outlook, do your reporting in the Gmail app or on gmail.com instead. That's where Google's filter actually learns from what you mark.

Step 2: Block the senders who keep coming back

1. Open a message from the sender.
2. Click or tap the three dots next to the reply arrow (on the message, not at the top of the screen).
3. Choose Block "[sender name]".

Future mail from that address goes straight to Spam. Spammers switch addresses often, so blocking works best for repeat offenders. For rotating senders, a filter (next step) is stronger.

Step 3: Build a filter for junk that keeps slipping through

A filter is a rule Gmail follows automatically, like "anything with these words gets deleted." You'll need a computer for this.

1. On gmail.com, click the Show search options icon (the little sliders) at the right end of the search bar.
2. Fill in what the junk has in common. Use From for a sender or domain (like @promo-deals.biz), or Has the words for a phrase that keeps showing up.
3. Click Search first to preview what matches. Make sure nothing important shows up.
4. Open the search options again and click Create filter.
5. Check Delete it. If you'd rather review things later, check Skip the Inbox (Archive it) instead.
6. Check Also apply filter to matching conversations, then click Create filter.

The matching mail should disappear from your inbox right away. A shortcut: open a junk message, click the three dots, and choose Filter messages like this.

Step 4: Unsubscribe the safe way

Some "spam" is really marketing mail from real companies you once bought from. You can unsubscribe from those, but be careful.

1. Look for the Unsubscribe link Gmail shows right next to the sender's name at the top of the message. That link comes from Gmail, not from a button inside the email.
2. If your Gmail has Manage subscriptions in the left-hand menu, open it to unsubscribe from several senders at once.
3. For anything that looks shady, skip unsubscribing and use Report spam. Clicking "unsubscribe" inside a scam email just confirms your address is active, and the link may lead somewhere you don't want to go.

Step 5: Check for signs your account was hacked

This is the step people skip. Scammers who get into an account often quietly add forwarding or filters so they can watch your mail and hide security alerts.

1. On gmail.com, click the gear icon → See all settings.
2. Open the Forwarding and POP/IMAP tab. If mail is being forwarded to an address you don't recognize, click Disable forwarding and Save Changes at the bottom.
3. Open Filters and Blocked Addresses. Look for filters you didn't make, especially ones that delete, archive, or forward mail mentioning words like "password," "security," or your bank's name. Delete them.
4. Open Accounts and Import. Under Grant access to your account, remove anyone you don't know.
5. Check your Sent folder for messages you didn't send.

If you found anything odd, change your Google password right now. Then go to myaccount.google.com, open Security, review Your devices, sign out of any you don't recognize, and turn on 2-Step Verification (a code or prompt on your phone at sign-in). If you clicked a link before all this started, our scam link checklist walks through the rest.

Still not working? Try these

• Look for "Never send it to Spam" filters. In Filters and Blocked Addresses, an old filter with this setting can wave junk right past Gmail's protection. Edit or delete it.
• Undo accidental "Not spam" clicks. If you've been rescuing junk out of the Spam folder, Gmail learns the wrong lesson. Report a few of those messages as spam again.
• Remove spammers from your contacts. Gmail is gentler with senders saved in your contacts. If a friend's account got hacked and is sending junk, let them know and hold off on trusting those messages for now.
• Check whether other accounts feed into Gmail. Under Accounts and Import, see if Gmail is pulling mail from an old address. That old account may be the one leaking your info.
• Check Google's status page. Search for "Google Workspace Status Dashboard" to see if Gmail is reporting a problem. If it is, the filter usually recovers on its own once Google fixes it.

Keep it from happening again

• Keep reporting spam rather than deleting it. A minute a day trains the filter fast.
• Use a separate "shopping" email address for store sign-ups and giveaways so your main inbox stays quiet.
• Keep 2-Step Verification on, and run Google's Security Checkup every few months.
• Treat urgent emails about tolls, tickets, and deliveries with suspicion. The same fakes that hit New Yorkers by text, like the E-ZPass unpaid toll scam, show up by email too.

Rather have us fix it?

If junk keeps pouring in or something in your settings looks off, we're happy to take a look. An ITGoNYC tech can connect through secure remote support, clean out bad filters and forwarding, lock down your Google account, and tune Gmail so the junk stays out. Call or text 347-549-9059, or open a ticket, and we'll give you a flat quote before we touch anything.