How to Use Gmail as a Spam Filter

Dealing with spam in your inbox can be a drag. However, an answer to all your spam woes can be in your Gmail account if you learn how to use Gmail as a spam filter. Read the following tips to learn how to use Gmail to keep spam out of your inbox.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Log in to your current email address when your inbox has spam in it. Login to your Gmail account to make sure it's still working. Log out of both accounts.

2. Sign up for a new email address. You may create a new email address on the same domain as your current one or you can use a completely different domain.

3. Log back into your current non-Gmail email address. Access the preferences or options panel that allows you to forward email and configure your account so that it forwards your email to your existing Gmail address.

4. Visit your Gmail address and access the "Settings" link. Click the "Forwarding and Pop" tag. Find the "Forwarding" section of the tab, select "Forward a Copy of Incoming Mail to…" and enter your newly registered email account address. Choose "Keep Gmail's Copy in the Inbox." Save your changes.

5. Go to your newly registered email account and change the "Reply To" and "From" fields to reflect your original account information.

6. Enjoy having all of your email forwarded to Gmail and filtered for spam before receiving it at your new address.

Tips & Warnings

• Keeping track of new email addresses can be difficult. Consider using the same username if you're registering an account on a different domain so that you can remember it. If you're creating the account on the same domain, consider using a slightly modified version of your current username. Try adding a single number or the word "filter" to the end of it.