Skip to main content

Google adds an unsubscribe button to spam mail in Gmail

It doesn’t matter who you are: if you use email, then you get spam email. Spam email is a fact of life, no matter how much you try to control the flow of it with filters and other blocks. Fortunately, Google is now making it a lot easier to unsubscribe from annoying and unwanted email lists by adding a simple “unsubscribe” button to the top of your emails. Google made the announcement on an official Google+ post.

Related: Google spots child porn in man’s Gmail account, tips off police

Here’s how it works. Whenever you get an email in your Gmail inbox that contains an unsubscribe link, Google will take it, and place it all the way at the top of the message to the right of the sender’s email address. This makes it much easier for you to find.

Related: Chrome vs. IE vs. Firefox vs. Safari, all the big Web browsers compared

Though it’s nice that these emails come with an unsubscribe link to begin with, they are usually placed all the way at the bottom of the message, effectively burying it under everything else in that email. Plus, in many cases, the unsubscribe link provided by the sender is written out in a much smaller font size than the rest of the email is.

In other words, the sender provides a way to unsubscribe from their emails, but makes a pretty good effort to try to hide it from you in many instances.

“Making the unsubscribe option easy to find is a win for everyone,” Google says. “For email senders, their mail is less likely to be marked as spam and for you, you can now say goodbye to sifting through an entire message for that one pesky link.”

How to use the unsubscribe button in Gmail

As we said, the new unsubscribe button should be at the top of your Gmail messages. Here are some screenshots from our inbox to give you an idea where you should look for them.

Step 1. Click the Unsubscribe button to the right of the sender’s email address at the top of the message you’re looking at.

Gmail Unsubscribe

Step 2. Click the blue Unsubscribe button in the middle of your screen when prompted.

Gmail Unsubscribe 2

You should see the following message at the top of your inbox.

Gmail Unsubscribe 3

Editors' Recommendations

Konrad Krawczyk
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Konrad covers desktops, laptops, tablets, sports tech and subjects in between for Digital Trends. Prior to joining DT, he…
How to add a signature in Gmail
how to file for stimulus

While it might not be necessary for personal emails or when you’re sharing funny cat videos with family members, a lot of Gmail users like to have an email signature for business reasons. Rather than typing out your phone number or contact information every time, Gmail will do all the legwork for you. 

Since this isn’t a default option, you’ll need to head into your Gmail settings to add or change an existing Gmail signature. 
How to add a signature on your desktop
Step 1: Launch your favorite browser and log into your Gmail account as you normally would.

Read more
Google reportedly working on new Gmail logo, suggesting upcoming changes
Gmail app icon.

Google is reportedly working on a new logo for Gmail, which likely means that a major overhaul for the email service is on its way.

Google sent an image to 9to5Google that offers a glimpse at the new Gmail logo, which appears to still be under construction.

Read more
How to schedule an email in Gmail
Gmail App Icon on iPad Pro

Gmail is probably the biggest email delivery system on the planet. That may be due to Android, Google’s search engine dominance, word of mouth, and a commitment to bring you the best experience possible, which includes having the ability to schedule emails.

Google introduced this feature in Gmail during 2019 as part of the platform’s 15th anniversary. You can write an email at any time and then schedule its delivery so you’re not sending work-related messages during the off hours. It mainly targets professionals, but there’s no reason why Gmail's general audience can’t schedule an apology letter to arrive the following morning.

Read more