Tech tips: How to block spam emails on Gmail and clean storage

KrishnaQ Best of 2023

2023-06-26 20:18

This step-by-step guide will walk you through the process, helping you streamline your Gmail experience and stay focused on important messages.


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  • The first line of defense against spam is Gmail's built-in spam filter.
  • If any spam emails slip through the filter, you can manually mark them as spam.
  • To free up storage space and declutter your Gmail account, you can identify and delete unnecessary emails and attachments.


Dealing with spam emails and managing storage space can be a time-consuming task for Gmail users. However, with a few simple steps, you can effectively block spam emails and clean up your storage, ensuring a clutter-free inbox. This step-by-step guide will walk you through the process, helping you streamline your Gmail experience and stay focused on important messages.


1) Activate Gmail's Spam Filter:


The first line of defense against spam is Gmail's built-in spam filter. To activate it, follow these steps:


-Open Gmail and click on the gear icon in the top right corner to access Settings.


-In the Settings menu, select "See all settings."


-Navigate to the "Filters and Blocked Addresses" tab.


-Check the box next to "Enable spam filtering" to activate the spam filter.


-Save the changes by clicking on the "Save Changes" button at the bottom of the page.



2) Mark Emails as Spam:


If any spam emails slip through the filter, you can manually mark them as spam to help Gmail learn and improve its filtering. Here's how:


-Open the spam email.


-Click on the three vertical dots (more options) located next to the reply arrow.


-From the dropdown menu, select "Report spam."


-Gmail will move the email to the spam folder and learn from your action to improve future filtering.



3) Create Custom Filters:


Gmail allows you to create custom filters to block specific senders or filter emails containing certain keywords. Follow these steps to set up custom filters:


-Go to Gmail's Settings menu by clicking on the gear icon.


-Select "See all settings" and navigate to the "Filters and Blocked Addresses" tab.


-Click on "Create a new filter."


- Specify the criteria for your filter, such as the sender's email address or specific keywords.


-Click on "Create filter" to proceed.


- Choose the actions you want Gmail to take with the filtered emails, such as deleting them or sending them to a specific folder.


-Save the filter by clicking on "Create filter.



4) Clean Up Storage Space:


To free up storage space and declutter your Gmail account, you can identify and delete unnecessary emails and attachments. Here's how:


-In the Gmail search bar, type "size:5m" to find emails larger than 5MB (you can adjust the size value according to your preference).


  • Gmail will display a list of emails exceeding the specified size. Review them to determine which ones you can delete.
  • Select the emails you want to delete by checking the boxes next to them.
  • Click on the trash bin icon to move the selected emails to the trash folder.
  • To permanently delete the emails, go to the trash folder and click on "Empty Trash now."

By following these step-by-step instructions, you can effectively block spam emails and clean up storage on Gmail.

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