How to stop spam emails on iPhone permanently in 2026

Spam emails are more than just a minor annoyance — they clutter your inbox, but also pose security risks. The Anti-Phishing Working Group recorded over 1 million phishing attacks in the first quarter of 2025, which is an increase compared to prior years. You can easily deal with promotional spam, but removing phishing malware is an entirely different task.

I'll walk you through how to stop spam emails on your iPhone for good. To get rid of spam, you can change your email client settings manually. You can also subscribe to an automated solution like Incogni to reduce spam by deleting your personal information from data brokers’ databases.

Remember that infectious email attachments deliver the majority of malware. Let’s explore the best ways to prevent spam emails on your iPhone so you can have a cleaner, more organized and secure inbox.

How to stop unwanted emails on iPhone in 2026

1. Manually block spam: You can block specific senders on your iPhone Mail app or mark emails as junk to keep them out of your inbox.
2. Use a data removal service: A data removal service like Incogni can automatically wipe your personal data from data brokers' databases, ensuring you’re not on their mailing list and don’t receive spam messages.

What is spam and why is it dangerous?

Spam is an unsolicited electronic communication sent to a large number of recipients. Typically, it happens over email, but you can also encounter spam in text messages, person-to-person chat apps, and social media and forums.

Because there's so much of it, people tend to let spam pile up or simply ignore it, which I don't recommend. Phishing emails are particularly dangerous because they are crafted to mimic legitimate mail. Within piles of spam, it's easy to lose caution and infect your device by downloading a fraudulent attachment.

A fake Apple ID warning is a real-world iPhone Mail spam case. For example, one version alerted users of a Bitcoin purchase using their account. To stop it, victims had to verify their accounts by passing a security challenge and using a password, which attackers stole.

With this information, criminals can make purchases via Apple Pay. Apple ID also protects your iCloud account, and stolen data from there can be used for impersonation and identity theft. Apple ID can also be used to access other related accounts, so the outcomes vary in risk and severity.

How to identify spam emails

Typically, spam emails are relatively easy to identify if you know the signs. But contemporary AI-powered email scams are much more convincing, made in multiple languages without apparent grammar errors. Here's how to identify them.

• Check the sender's address. Verify the sender's address is authentic. For example, Apple does not have an official customer support email address, so if you receive mail from someone called [email protected], you can be sure it's a scam.
• Anonymous greetings. Hackers who do not have your name and surname will use the generic Dear Sir or Madam, or Dear customer, which is an indication of spam.
• Look for typos. Even with AI, automatically generated spam emails may have typos or obvious grammar mistakes a human would hardly make when writing.
• Urgent tone. Scams pose a sense of urgency to catch victims off guard. If you see a prompt to act immediately, like fill in a survey or transfer an amount of money, you are likely being duped.
• Inspect links. Move your mouse over all links. Compare the addresses in the pop-up with the ones displayed; if they don't match, chances are good it's a scam.
• Do not download attachments. Most malware comes from infectious attachments. Before downloading, go through all the steps above. If you're still unsure, you can also contact the company to verify. For example, if someone is impersonating your bank, you can call them directly for verification.

How to deal with spam emails

Most importantly, do not interact with spam mail. It's best not to open it, but if you do, do not click on any links, download attachments, or respond.

Afterwards, take a proactive approach to securing your email. Mark such mail as spam, report it for phishing, and block the sender. Also, consider subscribing to services like Incogni to minimize your personal data exposure online.

How to block unwanted emails on iPhones: Step-by-step process

There are two main ways to stop spam emails on your iPhone: manually block unwanted emails or use an automatic solution like Incogni to get to the root of the problem.

The manual method is straightforward and free, but can be time-consuming if you get a lot of spam. Automated services like Incogni take the hard work out of your hands by reducing the chances of your email address being sold to marketers and spammers in the first place.

How to stop junk emails automatically

If you’re tired of blocking spam emails individually, using a data removal service like Incogni offers a more efficient way to tackle the problem. Incogni sends requests to data brokers — companies that collect and sell your personal information — to delete your details from their databases.

Since many spam emails come from companies that buy your data from these brokers, removing your information can help cut down on the number of unsolicited emails you receive.

Here’s a step-by-step guide to using Incogni.

1. Visit the Incogni website and create an account. The signup process is quick and easy — you just need to enter your name, email address, and phone number and create a secure password.

   

2. Once your account is set up, sign the authorization form giving Incogni permission to contact data brokers on your behalf and request that they delete your information.

   

3. After the 24 to 48 hours initial scan, Incogni will automatically send data removal requests to over 420 brokers. These companies often have your email address and other details, which they sell to third parties. By getting them to delete your data, Incogni helps to stop spam before it reaches your inbox.
4. You can log in to your Incogni dashboard to track the data removal process. You’ll see which data brokers have responded and deleted your data and which requests are still pending. Keep in mind that brokers can take up to 14 days to start responding, so it may take a while to see results.

   

5. Over time, as more brokers remove your data, the number of spam emails in your inbox should drop significantly, and you won’t have to spend time managing your email.

Get started with Incogni

Incogni will continue scanning brokers' lists to look for your personal data and send requests to remove it. Keep in mind that hackers also scout these websites and use the data to personalize email, text, and call scams. Incogni prevents attackers from getting this information to combat future spam.

How to manually block spam emails on Apple Mail app

If you prefer a hands-on approach, the Apple Mail app has built-in features that allow you to block specific senders and mark emails as junk. While this method is free, it requires regular attention, especially if you receive a lot of spam.

Here’s how you can manually block spam emails on your iPhone.

1. Open the Mail app on your iPhone.

   

2. Find the email you want to block and open it.

   

3. At the top of the email, tap the sender’s name or email address to access their contact details.
4. Scroll down and tap "Block this Contact." This will stop future emails from this sender from reaching your inbox — they’ll automatically be sent to your Trash or Junk folder.

   

5. To help Apple’s spam filters, mark the email as junk. Tap the "Flag" icon and select "Move to Junk." This will teach your Mail app to recognize similar emails as spam in the future.

How to block spam on the iCloud Mail app

Using the Apple Mail app is not the only way to organize your inbox. Your emails are stored on the Apple iCloud, and you can access the iCloud Mail app on a browser. However, blocking spam there follows identical steps as outlined above because these are not separate mail services.

How to block unwanted emails on other email apps

Not everyone uses the Apple Mail app to manage their emails. Some people prefer using Gmail, Yahoo, or Outlook, which all come with their spam-blocking features. In this section, I'll walk you through easy, step-by-step instructions on how to block unwanted emails in these popular apps.

How to block spam emails on iPhone in the Gmail app

It’s easy to block unwanted emails on the Gmail app for iPhone. Here's how you can do it:

1. Open the email from the sender you want to block.

   

2. Tap the sender’s name at the top of the email.

   

3. Choose "Block [sender's name]" from the drop-down menu. If you change your mind, you can always unblock them by selecting "Unblock sender" in the warning box that appears.

   

Alternatively, if you don’t want to block the sender but still wish to stop receiving their emails, you can mark the message as spam like this:

1. Open the Gmail app on your iPhone.
2. Tap the sender's email.
3. Click on the three horizontal dots (More) in the top-right corner.

   

4. Select "Report spam." When you report a message as spam, it is sent to Google for analysis. This helps improve Gmail’s spam filters and protects you and other users from future spam and abuse.

How to block unwanted emails on iPhone in the Outlook app

Here’s how to block unwanted emails on the Outlook app for iPhone:

1. Open the Outlook app on your iPhone.

   

2. Go to your Inbox and find an email from the sender you want to block.
3. Tap the three vertical dots in the top-right corner of the email.

   

4. Select "Report a concern."

   

5. Confirm by tapping "Spam" in the pop-up window or what you think suits better in your case. Once confirmed, any future emails from that sender will automatically go to your Junk folder.

   

If you change your mind later, you can always unblock the sender by visiting the Junk folder.

Note: If you’re using an older version of the Outlook app, the option to block senders might not be available. In that case, you’ll need to visit Outlook.com on your mobile browser or computer to block unwanted emails there.

If you haven’t received a message from the sender yet but still want to block them, go to the Outlook web app, navigate to Settings > Mail > Junk email settings, and add the sender’s address under "Blocked senders and domains." Outlook allows you to block up to 1,024 addresses, ensuring you can stop unwanted messages from reaching your inbox.

How to stop unsolicited emails on iPhone in the Yahoo mobile app

You can't block emails directly in the Yahoo mobile app, but you can easily mark them as spam to keep unwanted messages out of your inbox. This prevents future emails from those senders from showing up in your main inbox, sending them straight to your Spam folder instead.

Here’s how you can do it:

1. Open the Yahoo Mail app and go to your Inbox.

   

2. Tap the email of the sender you want to mark as spam.

   

3. If there are multiple emails from the same sender, check the empty boxes next to those messages.
4. Tap "More" at the bottom of the screen, then select "Mark as Spam."

   

After marking them as spam, any future emails from that sender will automatically land in your Spam folder. Although the Yahoo app doesn’t let you block senders outright, this method works well to manage unwanted emails and keep your inbox clean.

How to avoid getting spam emails

Even after completing the steps above, there's more you can do to protect yourself from spam. Here are X additional tips that will minimize clutter and scam mail in your inbox.

• Use an alternative email address. Consider creating a separate email for less important online activities, like subscribing to forums, online games, and newsletters. Also, you can use services like Surfshark's Alternative ID to generate a fake persona email that will keep the spam away from your Apple Mail inbox.
• Unsubscribe from newsletters. Opt out of newsletters you no longer find important by clicking the Unsubscribe button, typically at the bottom of the email. Make sure it is a genuine newsletter from the original source, because hackers also forge phishing emails mimicking popular newsletters.
• Use email privacy settings. Apple Mail has valuable privacy settings, which I strongly recommend. In iOS Settings, go to Apps and then Mail, then tap the Privacy Protection option. There, turn on Protect Mail Activity. Additionally, you can hide your IP address and block automatic remote content downloads.
• Use Apple Mail rules. Understand these rules as if-then statements. You can find them in the Apple Mail app settings. Then, tap on the Add Rule and write your instructions. For example, you can specify that if an email comes from a specific sender's address, it is automatically moved to spam or deleted.
• Check email leaks. Hackers obtain leaked email addresses on illegal dark web forums. I recommend using tools like NordVPN's Dark Web Monitor. It alerts you to every instance your email was leaked so that you can delete the breached account or improve security, like enabling two-factor authentication.
• Disable image autoload. Hackers place invisible images, called web bugs or tracking pixels, that collect data whenever you open a spam email. They get your IP address and verify that the email is active, sending more scams to it. You can neutralize tracking pixels by turning off image autoload.

Conclusion

Stopping spam emails manually on your iPhone is easy, especially with tools that block senders or mark messages as junk. However, keeping up with spam can become a bit of a hassle. If you're receiving many unwanted emails, manually blocking senders and marking them as spam can feel like a never-ending task. You’ll find yourself constantly managing your inbox, which takes time and effort.

That’s why many people opt for a data removal service like Incogni. Instead of fighting spam one email at a time, Incogni automatically works to remove your data from brokers’ databases, preventing spammers from getting your email in the first place. It’s a great way to reduce spam without going through the trouble of manually blocking specific senders.

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