Multiple spam messages in your inbox can be annoying. They can make you lose important messages, but that should be the least of your worries.
Spam messages can be a source of malicious software that can expose you to hackers. Your personal and financial information could be compromised, and it can cause damage to your computer.
If you use AOL mail, the mailing service makes it easy for users to unsubscribe from emails they no longer want to receive. This article contains easy steps to stop getting unwanted emails from AOL.
What is AOL?
AOL is both a web portal and a service provider. Founded in 1985 as America Online, the company has grown in size, and even though it is not as popular as mailing services like Gmail and Yahoo Mail, it has a conspicuous number of users. The company is one of the earliest internet platforms, and it provided various services, including dial-up, in the 1990s.
Why Do You Need to Unsubscribe from Unwanted Mail?
For some sites, once you visit them and subscribe to their newsletters or daily deals, you will be bombarded with emails. At first, receiving these messages may seem exciting, but eventually, you may get tired of them. At this point, it becomes necessary for you to unsubscribe.
Sometimes, you might receive spam messages from platforms you know absolutely nothing about. These spam messages are dangerous with the intention of causing harm to your computer or scamming you.
How to Stop Unwanted Emails From AOL
By default, AOL will help filter spam automatically, and if any spam mail escapes the automatic detection, you can manually report the spam. When you report spam manually, it tells AOL’s system that a particular sender’s mail should be flagged as spam when they next want to send it to your mail. Here is how to go about it;
- Go to the AOL official website on your browser and click “Options,” located at the top right corner of the webpage under your email address.
- After you click on “Options,” a drop-down will appear to choose “Mail Settings.”
- Next, click on “Block Senders,” You will find this on the left side of the screen, in the navigation plane.
- Input the email address you want to block. Click on the + button on the right of the email address, or press the return or enter button. You can repeat this process for all the email addresses you want to block.
- After following the instructions above, click on save
How to Block Emails on AOL for Mobile Devices
If you use an iPhone or an iPad and want to stop unnecessary messages from spamming your device, there’s a solution. The adverse effects of spam affect mobile devices just like they affect desktops, and ensuring that your iPhone inbox is free from spam is also essential. The easiest way to do this is to either block the email address completely or block the spam on AOL, and here is how to go about it.
- Log into your AOL account if you already have one; if you don’t, create a new account.
- Go to Settings, then to Spam Control.
- Tap Edit Spam Control, then go to Block Mail From Addresses I Specify.
- Then save.
How you can Create a Spam Filter on AOL
To escape receiving annoying spam messages, the first step is to report the emails to AOL, following the instructions highlighted above. However, that’s not all; you can create a filter to help spot unwanted subscription emails.
- Just under your username, click on Options
- Go to Mail Settings
- Select the Spam Settings tab
- Input all the emails that you want to block
- Tap the + icon, then save
In the future, if you want to remove a message that you have previously filtered out, simply go through the same options again, but this time, press the X button.
AOL Mail, Spam, and Privacy Policies
If your inbox is bombarded with annoying spam messages, and you want to get rid of them with AOL, start by familiarizing yourself with AOL’s spam and privacy policies. This will give you a better understanding of your rights and highlight all the processes involved in blocking a spammer. Here are some basic yet essential policies you should know.
- AOL will not endorse or share users’ mail with anybody
- The This Is Spam/This Is Not Spam feature is the easiest way to restrict spam
- AOL’s primary objective is to improve spam protection
- If there is already spam mail in your inbox, the filter feature is efficient in clearing it
- Users are encouraged to change their mail password if they are not convinced about the security of their accounts or if their account is showing signs of suspicious activity.
The Dangers of Spam Emails
Spam emails are dangerous; there might seem harmless, but leaving them unattended comes with many risks. The most common is phishing.
Phishing is a cybercrime that defrauds users by obtaining sensitive information and creating a false emergency. At first, these emails may seem harmless, but they have ulterior motives. These scammers pretend to be legitimate companies and send emails to users proposing false claims or offering fake financial independence or other get-rich-quick schemes.
Spam messages are often referred to as junk mail. However, there are differences. Junk mail gives people access to unsubscribe easily, while spam messages do not. Also, spam is dangerous, while junk mail is not. Make sure you identify the email that sends these messages and blocks them.
Stay Risk-Free By Blocking Spam Messages With AOL
Without a doubt, spam messages can negatively affect your computer or a mobile phone; they can also leave you exposed to scams. This makes it very important for people to spot and block these scams. Deleting these messages may not be enough. You also need to put in a spam filter that will help you block the messages before they even enter your inbox.