How to Stop Unwanted Emails in Gmail in 4 Ways

Inbox Zapper

May 5, 2025

•

13 minutes

read

You open Gmail to find many emails, most of which look like junk. Sure enough, as you start sifting through the clutter, you discover many unsolicited marketing emails. Before you can even begin to tackle the emails from your contacts, you get distracted by the constant notifications from this pile of unwanted messages.

Stopping these unwanted emails in Gmail is crucial to cleaning up your inbox so you can focus on what matters, and the AI email organizer Inbox Zapper can help you do just that. This guide will show you how to stop unwanted emails in Gmail so that you can clean up your inbox faster with AI.

The first step to cleaning up unwanted emails is stopping them from returning. The Gmail cleanup tool from Inbox Zapper automatically removes unwanted emails and can even unsubscribe you from their mailing lists. This helps you achieve your goals of cleaning up your inbox faster so you can focus on what matters.

Types of Unwanted Emails

email - How to Stop Unwanted Emails in Gmail

1. Ads: The Ubiquitous Spam

Advertisements make up one of the most common types of unwanted emails. If you have an email address, you’ve probably received tons of unsolicited emails offering products and services. Weight loss pills, tennis equipment, and “male enhancement” are but a few examples of the junk that clutters your inbox. In many cases, these pesky offers are scams. But sometimes, the advertisements are legitimate.

2. Chain Letters: They’re Back!

“Something bad will happen to you.” Remember the creepy chain letters from decades ago? They’re still around, and they still creep people out. Chain letters usually tell exciting and thrilling stories and persuade you to pass the message along under penalty of having something very bad happen to you. In other words, if you don’t share the email with others, you’re going to have a run of bad luck. Buuuuuu!

3. Email Spoofing: A Dangerous Impersonation

Spoofing email spam is related to phishing scams. They happen when spammers or phishers try to fool you by impersonating someone you know or a company you have a relationship with. This is one of the most dangerous types of spam.

4. Hoaxes: Offers That Sound Too Good to Be True

In this type of spam, we include offers and miracle promises, such as, for example, “get rich in less than a month” or “gain the body of your dream by eating more and working out less.” In general, spammers use this tactic to hold your attention and direct you to a malicious website.

5. Money Scams: Easy Money Promises

Here we’ve spam messages with easy money promises, such as the Nigerian prince scheme. In this case, you only have to lend a small amount of money to receive a big reward in the future. Money spam also involves asking for money for hungry children in Africa or families who have suffered losses due to a natural disaster.

6. Malware Warnings: A Scary Trap

If you receive an email warning you about a malware infection on your devices, such as ransomware or a virus, this is probably malware warning spam. Sometimes, the spammers say they have the solution to your problem and that you just need to provide some information or download an attachment. Watch out!

7. Porn Spam: Explicit and Unwanted

We added this type of spam to the list because it’s very common. Sending pornography through email is widely used by spammers because the pornography market is very lucrative, increasing people’s interest. Of course, spammers know that and use it to create malicious emails using erotic images and videos.

How to Stop Unwanted Emails in Gmail in 4 Ways

man smiling - How to Stop Unwanted Emails in Gmail

1. Block Specific Senders: A Clear Path to Better Email Management

You can stop future emails from specific senders in Gmail by blocking them. Blocking a sender stops their email from appearing in your inbox and directs future messages to your spam folder instead.

Here’s how to block a sender

Open the unwanted email.
Click the three-dot menu in the top-right corner.
Select Block [Sender] and confirm.

2. Mute Conversations: Silence the Noise of Unwanted Emails

If you receive unwanted replies to an email thread, you can mute the conversation to stop notifications and silence future responses. Here’s how to do it:

Open the conversation.
Click the three-dot menu and choose Mute.

This moves the conversation to your archive, bypassing the inbox.

3. Report Spam: Help Gmail Filter Unwanted Emails

Reporting spam helps Gmail improve its filters for unwanted emails.

Here’s how to do it

Select the suspicious email.
Click the Report Spam icon (exclamation mark) in the toolbar.

The email is moved to spam, and Gmail learns to filter similar messages.

4. Create Filters: Automate Your Email Management Tasks

Creating filters allows you to automatically organize or delete unwanted emails based on criteria you set.

Here’s how to create a filter in Gmail

Click the down arrow in the search bar.
Set criteria (e.g., sender, keywords).
Choose actions like Skip the Inbox, Apply label, or Delete.

Filters help organize or remove unwanted emails automatically.

‍Inbox Zapper is the Gmail cleanup tool that works. You can unsubscribe from emails and newsletters and mass delete emails with one click. It scans your inbox for email lists and unwanted emails. None of your email data ever leaves your device, preserving complete privacy. Inbox Zapper was designed with privacy in mind from day one. Other tools resell your data; we just help you clean your inbox.

Join 15,687 people who have used Inbox Zapper to clean 28,384,924 emails. For now, Inbox Zero only supports Gmail, but we will also expand to other email services. Inbox Zapper is the easiest way to clean your Gmail inbox. Try Inbox Zapper's Gmail cleanup tool for free today to clean up your Gmail inbox with one click.

How to Delete Unwanted Emails in Gmail in 10 Ways

man on keyboard - How to Stop Unwanted Emails in Gmail

1. Use Inbox Zapper to Clean Up Your Gmail

If you’re looking for a fast and effective way to get rid of unwanted emails in Gmail, try Inbox Zapper. Inbox Zapper is a cleanup tool designed specifically for Gmail that works. With just one click, Inbox Zapper scans your inbox for email lists and unwanted emails, allowing you to mass unsubscribe from emails and newsletters and mass delete emails. You can get rid of unwanted emails in no time.

Moreover, no email data ever leaves your device, preserving complete privacy. Inbox Zapper was designed with privacy in mind from day one. Other tools resell your data; we just help you clean your inbox. Join 15,687 people who have used Inbox Zapper to clean 28,384,924 emails. For now, Inbox Zapper only supports Gmail, but we will also expand to other email services. Try Inbox Zapper's Gmail cleanup tool for free today to clean up your Gmail inbox with one click.

2. Delete Individual Emails in Gmail

You can delete unwanted emails in Gmail individually. Some people often experience issues with deleting individual emails. If you are also a novice Gmail user, you may experience some initial hazards. Follow the simple process of deleting individual Emails from Gmail.

Enter your Gmail credentials, such as your ID and password.
Open your Gmail inbox on your Laptop, PC, or Phone.
Label the emails you want to delete by putting a tick mark against the individual emails.
Go to the top of Gmail; you will now see a trash icon at the top of your Gmail.
Click on the delete or trash icon.
You have now deleted an individual email. Similarly, you can delete all the respective Emails individually.

3. Delete Emails in Bulk to Quickly Clean Up Your Gmail

If you’re looking for a fast way to delete unwanted emails in Gmail, you can delete them in bulk. Do you often search for how to delete thousands of emails in Gmail? Don’t worry; here is how to delete emails in Bulk.

Select the particular folder whose emails you want to delete. For example, you can select the inbox or the trash.
If you want to delete all the emails from a single page of your inbox, you will see a rectangular box at the top of Gmail.
Select that rectangular box, and you will see various open options, like All, none, read, unread, starred, and unstarred.
Select All if you want to delete all the emails of a particular page of your inbox.
Click on the trash icon.
As soon as you click on it, you will see that all the emails on that particular page of your inbox have been deleted.

Deleting Emails in Bulk on Your Phone

Enter the credentials like your Email ID and password, and open your Gmail application on your phone.
Now, search the folder you want to delete in your Gmail inbox.
Tap on the Email to open it. Depending on the interface, you may also have to select the swipe left or swipe right option.
Now tap on the delete or trash icon. You will see that you have deleted the bulk email folder.

4. Deleting Multiple Emails in Gmail

There are two ways to delete multiple emails in Gmail: on the desktop and mobile app. Follow these Steps if you are using Gmail in a Web Browser.

Click the checkbox next to your inbox if you look forward to deleting your emails individually.
You should select the checkbox at the top left corner to delete all the emails.
If you want to delete specific emails, you can look for various search operators in the search bar.
Select these multiple emails that you are looking forward to deleting.
Go to the toolbar and click the trash icon. You have learned how to delete multiple Emails in Gmail.

Deleting Multiple Emails in Gmail Mobile App:

To reveal the check box, you should swipe right on your email.
Tap the email to select it.
You will see a circle at the top left; select that particular circle.
Now, you will see that all the emails have been selected as soon as you choose the circle.
To delete selected emails, tap the trash icon.

5. Permanently Delete Emails in Gmail

If you want to permanently delete emails from your inbox, follow the steps below.

First, delete those emails you want to remove from your inbox permanently.
Select the checkbox against that email and click the delete or trash can icon to delete these emails.
Now, you will find your deleted emails in the Trash folder.
Explore the trash folder and look for the particular deleted email.
Go ahead and delete that email from the Trash folder.

6. Emptying Trash and Spam Folders in Gmail

To empty the trash folder in Gmail, follow these steps:

In the left-hand sidebar of your inbox, you will see more options.
Click on more to view the trash option right below spam.
Simply click on the empty trash icon.

To empty the spam folder in Gmail, follow these steps:

You will find a spam folder under More. It is right above the trash icon and below All mail.
Now, select particular spam emails that you wish to delete.
Click the trash icon at the top.

7. Delete Gmail Emails By Search Range

You can use the search bar method to delete Emails by date range. Follow these simple steps.

Type the date range in the Gmail search bar. It should be in the format ( YYY/MM/DD).
If you want to search emails after a specific date range, type after Y/MM/DD
For emails before a specific date range type before: Y/MM/DD
Press Enter to see all the desired emails based on a date range.
Select all the emails based on a specific date range for deletion.
Select these emails by clicking on the box at the top-left corner of your Email.
Now, click the text and select all conversations that match the search result.
Click on the trash icon to delete all these emails.

8. Delete Emails By Category

You can delete emails in Gmail by category. First of all, select the particular email category that you want. There are varied categories in which to choose your emails. For example, these categories are social, promotions, updates, etc. Now, click the rectangular checkbox at the top to select all the conversations. Click on Select All X conversations. Finally, click Delete.

9. Delete Emails By Read or Unread Status

Gmail does not offer a direct way to delete emails based on reading status. However, you can still delete emails by unread status. Here’s how to delete Gmail emails by unread status.

Go to the Gmail inbox search bar and type unread.
Now, click the checkbox at the top left to select all the unread emails.
Click on the trash icon to delete these emails.

10. Delete All Emails in Gmail

Using Gmail, you can quickly delete all emails on your desktop and mobile device.

Delete All Emails in Gmail Via Desktop

Enter your Login credentials, and open your inbox on your desktop.
Select the category you want to use. For example, you can select the inbox, All Mail, etc.
Click on the rectangular checkbox at the top left corner.
Click on the trash icon or delete button to delete all emails in Gmail.

Delete All Emails in Gmail via Mobile

Go to your Gmail app via mobile.
Tap the checkbox next to an email.
Select all the emails that you desire to delete.
Click on the trash icon in the top left corner.

How to Identify Spam Emails

woman working - How to Stop Unwanted Emails in Gmail

1. Suspicious Sender Email Address

Emails from familiar organizations will use a legitimate address that includes the organization’s domain (e.g., @company.com). Be wary if the email originates from a public domain, such as @gmail.com, or if the address contains misspellings. For example, an email from @paypall.com instead of @paypal.com is suspicious and likely a scam.

If you’re unsure about the validity of an email, don’t click any links or download any attachments. Instead, go directly to the organization’s website by typing their URL into your browser to check for alerts regarding the email. You can also call the organization to verify whether they sent the email.

2. Unusual Content and Style

Scammers often use phishing emails to steal your sensitive data. These emails typically contain grammatical errors, unusual phrasing, or an urgent tone (e.g., “Act now” or “Your account will be suspended”). The communication style may also differ from the organization’s typical emails. For example, if you receive an email from your bank that looks different from its usual correspondence, be cautious. It could be a phishing attempt.

3. Questionable Links and Attachments

Before clicking any links in an email, hover over them to see the URL. Be suspicious if the link doesn’t match the displayed text or leads to an unfamiliar site. Also, use caution when handling unexpected email attachments. If you weren’t anticipating receiving a file, don’t open it. Even if the attachment has a familiar name, it could contain malicious code. For example, an unexpected file titled “invoice.pdf” could be a cover for a virus.

4. Requests for Sensitive Information

Legitimate organizations won’t ask for sensitive information over email. If you receive a message requesting personal details, passwords, or financial information, assume it’s a scam. Instead of responding, delete the email. If you’re concerned about an email’s legitimacy, contact the organization using a verified phone number or web form.

5. Security Red Flags

Be suspicious of emails that pressure you to bypass standard security procedures or threaten negative consequences for inaction. These messages are likely fraudulent.

What is Inbox Zapper?

Inbox Zapper is the Gmail cleanup tool that works. You can unsubscribe from emails and newsletters and mass delete emails with one click. It scans your inbox for email lists and unwanted emails. None of your email data ever leaves your device, preserving complete privacy. Inbox Zapper was designed with privacy in mind from day one. Other tools resell your data; we just help you clean your inbox.

Clean Up Your Inbox With One-Click with Inbox Zapper's Gmail Cleanup Tool for Free Today

inbox zapper - How to Stop Unwanted Emails in Gmail

The Gmail cleanup tool that works is Inbox Zapper. With one click, Inbox Zapper allows you to mass unsubscribe from emails and newsletters and mass delete emails. Inbox Zapper scans your inbox for email lists and unwanted emails. None of your email data ever leaves your device, preserving complete privacy.

Inbox Zapper was designed with privacy in mind from day one. Other tools resell your data; we just help you clean your inbox. Join 15,687 people who have used Inbox Zapper to clean 28,384,924 emails. For now, Inbox Zapper only supports Gmail but will expand to other email services soon. Inbox Zapper is the easiest way to clean your Gmail inbox. Try Inbox Zapper's Gmail cleanup tool for free today to clean up your Gmail inbox with one click.

📬 😩

Tired of dealing with junk mail?

The easiest way to unsubscribe from junk and delete old emails. Use Inbox Zapper to get your email back under control.

Get Inbox Zapper