Does your inbox feel like a messy pile of junk mail? You open it hoping for a note from a friend or an update from your team, but instead, you find ads for things you will never buy. It is annoying. It wastes your time. It can even hide important messages.
Fortunately, you do not have to live with it. You can fight back with a few simple tricks. By adding some basic email security habits, you can clean up your inbox fast.
Use the block or report button:
This is your first and fastest weapon. When spam gets through, do not just delete it. Tell your email program it is junk. Look for the button that says “Report Spam” or “Block Sender.” Clicking it sends that sender to a blacklist. Your email service learns from this. It will send future messages from that address straight to the trash. The more you do this, the smarter the filter gets.
Hide your main address:
Do not put your main email address on every website that asks for it. Some sites sell your info. Instead, keep a second email address for sign ups. Use it for newsletters, store rewards, or free downloads. If that address gets too much spam, you can simply stop using it. Your main address stays clean and safe.
Stop clicking on links:
Spam emails often come with links. Do not click them. Even the “Unsubscribe” link can be a trick. Sometimes, clicking tells the sender they found a real person. This leads to even more spam. If you know the company, type their web address yourself. If you do not know them, just mark it as spam and move on.
Watch out for checkboxes:
When you buy something or sign up for a service, look closely at the page. There are often small checkboxes already ticked. They say things like “Yes, send me offers.” These boxes give companies permission to spam you. Untick them every time. It takes two seconds and saves you months of clutter.
Use filters to sort your mail:
Most email tools let you set up rules. These are called filters. You can tell your email to send certain words straight to the trash. For example, if you keep getting messages about “lottery wins” or “cheap pills,” make a filter. Any email with those words skips your inbox. It is like having a guard at the door.
