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With over a decade of experience at Which?, Tom covers everything from tech advice to money-saving tips, and highlights the best deals during major sales events.
Spam filters do a useful job of keeping suspicious emails out of your inbox, but they don't always get it right. Sometimes, genuine messages from friends, family or trusted companies end up in your junk folder instead.
It can be frustrating trying to work out why important emails are being marked as spam. Fortunately, our Which? Tech Support experts have some simple tips to help more genuine messages reach your inbox.
Below, we explain why legitimate emails sometimes end up in your junk folder and how to stop it happening in Gmail, Outlook and Apple Mail.
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'I've missed a couple of important emails recently, including a booking confirmation and a message from a friend arranging to meet up. I only found them when I happened to check my junk folder.
'Why are genuine emails being marked as spam, and is there anything I can do to stop it happening?'
Which? Tech Support member
Whether you use Gmail, Outlook or Apple Mail, spam filters are there to help protect you from suspicious messages, including scams and phishing attempts (see also: easy ways to outsmart scammers). They look for warning signs, such as dodgy links, unusual wording or signs that the sender might not be who they claim to be.
Unfortunately, they don't always get it right. You might find that a booking confirmation, order receipt or message from someone you've never emailed before has ended up in your junk folder. This can be particularly frustrating if you're waiting for something important. Sometimes, your email provider will explain why a message has been flagged, but this isn't always the case.
If you use an app such as Apple Mail to check your Gmail account, it's worth remembering that Gmail still handles some of the spam filtering. This means an email could end up in your junk folder because of Gmail's settings, rather than anything you've changed in Apple Mail.
The steps below cover the desktop versions of Gmail, Outlook.com, the new Outlook app and Apple Mail. If you're still using classic Outlook, you might find some of the settings in different places.
If you spot a genuine email in your junk folder, don't just move it back to your inbox. Instead, look for an option to mark it as 'Not spam' or 'Not junk'. This tells your email provider it's made a mistake and can help prevent future messages from the same sender being flagged.
How to block spam emails for good – we've heard from Which? members struggling to stop unwanted messages clogging up their inboxes, but there's a fix.
If emails from a particular person or company keep ending up in your junk folder, try adding their email address to your contacts. Gmail and iCloud Mail can use your contacts to help stop genuine messages being marked as spam, although other email services may work differently.
Outlook also has a Safe senders list, where you can add email addresses you don't want marked as spam.
Here's how to add trusted senders:
Email rules can help keep your inbox organised by automatically moving or deleting certain messages. But if you've forgotten about a rule you created, it could explain why some emails seem to have disappeared.
For example, the Outlook rule shown above moves messages containing the word 'booking' into a separate folder. You might also have rules that automatically file newsletters, move shopping receipts into a dedicated folder or delete emails containing certain words. This could mean a genuine booking confirmation or another important message ends up somewhere other than your inbox, without you realising.
Here's how to check your existing rules and filters:
It's worth checking your junk folder every so often, particularly if you're waiting for a booking confirmation or appointment reminder. Messages in this folder are often deleted automatically after a set period, so you could lose something important if you don't spot it in time.
For more ways to keep your email account safe, see our guide to 7 ways to secure your social media and email accounts.
Before marking an email as 'Not spam', make sure it's genuine. Scammers can make messages look like they've come from your bank, a delivery company or another organisation you recognise.
Take a close look at the sender's email address (hover your cursor over it) and watch out for messages that pressure you to act quickly. Be particularly careful if you're asked to click a link, download an attachment or share personal information. Remember that even a familiar-looking email address doesn't guarantee a message is genuine.
If you're unsure, don't click any links in the email. Instead, visit the company's official website or contact it directly using details you've found yourself.
For more advice on staying safe, see our guide on how to spot an email scam.
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