What Gmail’s built-in filter does
Gmail sorts out spam by itself. Google says Gmail automatically identifies suspicious emails and puts them into the Spam folder. At the top of an email in Spam, Gmail shows a note that explains why it is there.
- For phishing, Google says Gmail “might show a warning or move the email to Spam”.
- The more spam you report, the better Gmail recognises similar emails, according to Google.
Guard Mail, scam email filter
Connects to the mailbox you already have and moves scam and phishing emails into a separate folder. Nothing is deleted.
Free to try.
Where the controls are
| What you want | Where to click |
|---|---|
| Report spam | Select the email and click Report spam at the top. The email moves to Spam. |
| Report phishing | Open the email. Next to Reply, click More, then Report phishing. |
| Block a sender | Open the email. Next to Reply, click More, then Block and the sender’s name. Future emails from this sender go to Spam. |
| Make your own filter | In the search box, click Show search options. Enter what the filter should look for, click Create filter and choose what should happen. A filter can label, archive, delete, star or forward an email. |
| Rescue a good email | Open the Spam folder, select the email and mark it as not spam. |
Is there a spam blocker for Gmail?
Gmail has no separate “spam blocker” that you switch on. The tools above are the spam blocker: the automatic filter, Report spam, Block and your own filters. Google’s help pages describe no setting that makes the automatic filter stricter or looser. What you can do is teach it with your reports.
What the built-in tools cannot do
- Block works per sender. Scammers change their sender addresses all the time, so the next email often comes from an address you have not blocked.
- Your own filters need fixed conditions. A filter catches what you described in advance, such as one sender or certain words. It does not judge what an email is trying to get you to do.
- No filter catches everything. Google itself tells Gmail users to look out for warnings and not to enter passwords after clicking a link in an email.
Where a filter from outside fits in
Gmail’s spam filter stays on. Guard Mail adds a second check from outside, for the emails that arrive in your mailbox anyway.
- Connect the mailboxGmail connects through an app password: a separate password that you create in your Google Account for this one purpose. Google requires 2-Step Verification for it. The setup explains each step.
- New emails are checkedA few minutes after an email arrives, Guard Mail checks it.
- Scam emails are movedScam and phishing emails go into a folder called “Suspicious”. Spam goes to the spam folder. Everything else stays untouched.
Guard Mail itself never deletes an email. The “Suspicious” folder is never emptied automatically. Mail providers empty their own spam folder after a while, usually after around 30 days, so look into it now and then.
If you want, newsletters, advertising and notifications are moved into their own folders as well. You can also write your own rules in plain language. You keep your usual email program.
Good to know: according to Google, app passwords are not available for work or school accounts, for accounts with Advanced Protection, or when 2-Step Verification is set up only with security keys. Google removes app passwords when you change your Google password; you then create a new one.
To check an email, its sender, subject and text are sent to our servers and to an AI model. The details are in the privacy policy.
Price: $6 a month or $60 a year for up to two mailboxes. Each further mailbox costs $2.50 a month. It is free to try.
Guard Mail, scam email filter
A second check for the emails that reach your inbox.
Free to try.
Questions and answers
Does Gmail have a spam filter?
Yes. Gmail automatically identifies suspicious emails and moves them to the Spam folder. You can also report spam and phishing yourself, block senders and create filters.
How do I block spam emails in Gmail?
Open the email, click More next to Reply and choose Block with the sender’s name. Future emails from this sender go to Spam. To report an email as spam, select it and click Report spam.
Can I make the Gmail spam filter stricter?
Google’s help pages describe no setting for that. You can teach the filter by reporting spam, and you can add your own filters for senders or words.
Can I use a third-party spam filter with Gmail?
Yes. A filter that connects from outside works with a personal Gmail address through an app password. Google requires 2-Step Verification for app passwords.
Sources
Official pages we opened for this guide, as of November 2026.