🐽 Can the spam: You can set up rules in your inbox so your uncle’s rants or high school friend’s pyramid scheme emails are automatically filed away in a folder of your choosing. In Outlook, Gmail or Apple Mail, go to your filters and look for an option like “Skip the inbox.”
Reader question: Is it safe to hit the ‘unsubscribe’ button on spam?
I got an email from a reader asking if hitting the “unsubscribe” button in her inbox is smart. Like many things in tech, it depends. In some cases, reacting to spammers might make your email a hot commodity, leading to more unwanted emails or even a spot on a “for sale” list.
Here’s the lowdown on how to stop getting emails you don’t want — without opening yourself up to more junk.
It could go one of two ways
With reputable companies, clicking unsubscribe should do the trick. If you’re receiving newsletters or promotional emails from brands you know, they generally follow email marketing regulations.
For unsolicited spam from unknown senders? Clicking unsubscribe may indeed make things worse. You inadvertently confirm that your email address is active … possibly leading to even more spam.
‘How do I know what to pick, Kim?’
Stick to familiar ground: If the email is from a trusted source (think brands you’ve shopped with or newsletters you’ve signed up for), go ahead and hit that unsubscribe button.
Dodge the unknown: If it’s a random email about a long-lost prince or a miracle cure, steer clear of the unsubscribe link. Mark the email as spam in your email client.
For Outlook:
- Select the messages you want to report as junk.
- From the top toolbar, select Report > Report Junk.
For Apple Mail:
- On your iPhone or iPad, swipe left on the message, tap More, then Move to Junk.
How to make sure emails you want to see don't end up lost in spam
Have you ever felt like spam is that one friend who just can’t take a hint? You know, the one who keeps inviting you to their pyramid scheme parties? Out of nowhere, your inbox is flooded with offers of “get rich quick” pitches. Some email providers block these kinds of messages before they cause trouble.
The cost of using the internet goes up
Will all basic social media features go from free to costing a fee? Here’s why the outlook isn’t great, in one minute.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
🚨 Outlook is bleak: Some 400 million Outlook users are at risk thanks to a bug that could let anyone impersonate official Microsoft emails. I’ll let you know when there’s a fix, but be very careful of any requests you get from an “official” Microsoft account. And never share payment or account details over email.
Email tips: 4 pro tips to get more out of Outlook
Outlook’s undoubtedly changed a lot over the years. Some updates are fantastic. Others? Maybe not the best, but it’s still an incredibly robust way to correspond with others.
These Microsoft Outlook tips can streamline daily tasks no matter which version you’re using. We’ll show you things like how to sort through your messages and organize the most important ones.
Tech tip: How to schedule an email on Gmail, Outlook and Yahoo Mail
Sometimes, you remember an email you have to send — but it’s 8 p.m., and you don’t want to bother someone at night. Sure, you could just write the email and send it in the morning, but you might forget. Once you know how to schedule emails, you can ensure that the message pops up in their inbox at a better time.
Livin’ the dream: Elon Musk is doubling down on his prediction about AI replacing humans, but this time, his outlook is less gloomy. He says there’s an 80% chance we’ll have universally high incomes, no one will have to work, and there’ll be no shortage of goods and services. What are the odds it’s because he’s the one selling it?
Get it together: Microsoft’s beefing up its Copilot AI chatbot for Excel and Outlook. They say it’ll make life easier for finance pros, but hold the applause. The latest version of Outlook sends unencrypted passwords, emails, contacts, calendar details and even passwords straight to Microsoft’s servers when you add a new email account. No fix yet, so stick to using Outlook’s web version for now, not the desktop client.
Save space on your computer by disabling these 7 Windows 10 features
Your computer doesn’t come out of the box perfectly optimized. There are a few built-in features that might even slow your system down. Some exist to help you, like Windows 10’s Power saver plan.
This feature lowers your PC’s performance to save energy. If you don’t like it, change it by heading to Control Panel and clicking Hardware and Sound. Click Power Options > Show additional plans > High performance.
Start 2023 right: How to give your inbox a fresh makeover
We’re at the threshold of the new year, and it’s not too early to get a head start on getting your home in order. We’re not talking about scrubbing your floors and dusting the blinds. Tap or click here for seven tools to get your digital life in shape.
Can't access Outlook? Here's the fix until Microsoft patches it
Google’s Gmail is one of the most popular email services in the world. But the tech giant is known for tracking your every move. If you want more privacy, there are options. Tap or click here for details on a Gmail alternative focused on privacy.
Use Gmail, Hotmail or Outlook? Be on the lookout for a new tax scam
Your inbox is a prime target for scammers, who use email to find victims. Email phishing scams can consist of warnings that one of your accounts has been compromised or even tempt you with promises of a prize. In each case, the scammer is trying to get your personal or financial information, if not both.
Use Outlook or Microsoft Office? Malware red flag uses a new twist on an old trick
Cybercriminals constantly update their techniques to make malware, viruses and other cyber-threats as hard as possible for humans and artificial intelligence to spot. Antivirus apps check for infected files and malware, but there’s one kind of attack that humans and apps are relatively bad at noticing.
Outlook is getting a huge redesign - Here's a sneak peek
When you want to discuss a promotion with your boss, you send an email. When you want to file a complaint with a company, you send an email. Email carries weight and formality lacking in other forms of communication such as text messages.
This is why you need an email address for your home
While text messaging is usually the quickest and easiest way to get a message across, email is still king in professional, financial and academic correspondence. And it’s a great way to save on paper.
When sending an email to more than one person, you should know why you include others before hitting send. Do all the recipients need to take action or just one of them? Do all the recipients know each other? This is what CC and BCC were made for. Tap or click here to learn about proper email etiquette.
Your email is being tracked – Learn the secret advertisers don’t want you to know
It’s impossible not to be tracked online. Still, you can take steps that make a difference.
If you don’t like the idea of advertisers knowing everything about you, shut them out. Tap or click here for simple, actionable steps you can take now.
A major change is coming to your Gmail inbox
In the age of texting, chat platforms and video conferencing, email is still king in many office settings. There’s no pressure to respond right away, and you’re not limited to one or two sentences at a time.
We’re human, and we make mistakes. How often do you send a message and wish you could take it back? One advantage of email over text is that you can unsend a message, and your recipient won’t be the wiser. Tap or click here to learn how to unsend a message using Gmail and Outlook.
Tech tip: How to unsend an email before it goes through
We have an abundance of methods to communicate with each other. Beyond traditional phone calls (which people tend to avoid nowadays), we have texting, video calls, direct messaging through social media, comments and posts, dedicated chat apps, email and more.
Millions of iPhone users will soon lose access to Outlook - How to make sure you don't
There is a real danger when you use outdated software, whether on your computer or your mobile phone. Operating systems get updated frequently, and they usually include security updates and new functions.
Known as Patch Tuesday, Microsoft updates its operating system on the second Tuesday of every month. Google and Apple don’t usually follow this trend, but they still update their mobile phones regularly.