Where is the spam folder in Gmail?
Gmail hides the Spam folder under "More" on a computer and in the side menu on phones. Here is exactly where to look, and how to get real emails back into your inbox.
On a computer: in the left menu, click More, then Spam. In the Gmail app (Android or iPhone): tap Menu (three lines) at the top left, then Spam. To rescue a real email, open it and choose Not spam on a computer, or More › Report not spam in the app. Gmail deletes messages that have been in Spam for more than 30 days.
On a computer (Gmail in a web browser)
- Go to mail.google.com.
- In the left menu, click More (below Sent and Drafts).
- Click Spam.
Tip: type in:spam in the search bar to jump straight there, or in:spam invoice to search inside Spam.
In the Gmail app on Android or iPhone
- Open the Gmail app.
- At the top left, tap Menu (three lines).
- Tap Spam (scroll down the list of folders if you do not see it).
Using Apple's Mail app with a Gmail account instead? Look for the Spam or Junk folder under your Gmail account in the Mailboxes list.
Move a real email out of Spam
On a computer:
- Open Spam and tick the box next to the message.
- Click Not spam.
In the Gmail app:
- Open Spam and open the email.
- At the top right, tap More (three dots), then Report not spam.
The email moves to your inbox, and Gmail learns from it. To make sure future emails from that sender arrive, add them to your contacts, or create a filter (search for their address, then Create filter › Never send it to Spam).
Mark an email as spam
Select the message and click Report spam (the exclamation mark icon). In the app, open the message, tap More (three dots) at the top right and choose Report spam. For newsletters you signed up for, use Unsubscribe instead.
How long Gmail keeps spam
The Spam folder notes that messages there for more than 30 days are deleted automatically. To clear it yourself, click Delete all spam messages now at the top of the folder.
Waiting for an important email that never came? Check Spam, then All Mail, before asking for it to be resent. If you also use Outlook, see where the Outlook junk folder is.
Steps checked against the official help pages in October 2026. Menus move from time to time; if yours looks different, tell us.
Questions people ask
- Why can't I see the Spam folder in Gmail?
- It is hidden under "More" on a computer. To always show it, go to Settings › See all settings › Labels and choose "show" next to Spam.
- Does Gmail have a junk folder?
- Gmail calls it Spam. "Junk" is the name used by Outlook and Apple Mail.
- Can I recover spam deleted after 30 days?
- No. Once Gmail removes spam, it cannot be recovered, so check the folder if you are expecting something.
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