Google says the Gmail issue causing flooded inboxes has been fixed

Google has said it has fixed a technical issue that caused Gmail users to experience flooded inboxes and increased spam warnings over the weekend. The problem affected the automated systems that typically sort emails into different categories, such as promotions, updates and spam, leaving many users with cluttered main inboxes.

In a post on X late on Saturday, Google said the issue “is now fully resolved for all users”. The company added that Gmail inboxes should have returned to normal, with emails once again being correctly filtered and classified. However, Google also confirmed that it is continuing to investigate what went wrong.

According to information published on Google’s Workspace status dashboard, the company has launched an internal investigation into the incident. It said a detailed analysis would be shared once the review is complete, suggesting that engineers are still examining the root cause of the disruption.

Gmail users widely reported the issue throughout Saturday. Many said they noticed an unusually high number of promotional and non-urgent emails appearing in their primary inbox, rather than being sorted into separate tabs. This led to confusion and concern, particularly for users who rely on Gmail’s filters to manage large volumes of email.

Spam warnings and message delays raise concerns

In addition to email misclassification, some Gmail users reported seeing warning messages indicating that certain emails had not been scanned for spam. These alerts appeared as banners at the top of messages and warned users to be cautious when opening them.

Google later confirmed that the problem resulted in the “misclassification of emails in their inbox and additional spam warnings”. One of the warnings displayed to users read: “Be careful with this message. Gmail hasn’t scanned this message for spam, unverified senders, or harmful software.”

These warnings caused alarm among some users, who feared their accounts might be exposed to security risks. Gmail’s spam filtering system is a key feature of the service, designed to protect users from phishing attempts, malicious attachments and other harmful content. When the system appeared to stop working as expected, trust in the platform was temporarily shaken.

Beyond inbox clutter and warning banners, some users also reported delays in receiving emails. Complaints posted on social media and the outage tracking site DownDetector suggested that messages were arriving late or not at all during the disruption.

The delays caused particular problems for users trying to log into online services that use two-factor authentication. Several people said they were unable to receive one-time passcodes sent via email, preventing them from accessing accounts when they needed to. While Google did not provide detailed figures on the number of affected users, the volume of reports suggested the issue was widespread.

Google’s response and advice to users

After confirming the problem, Google issued several updates through its Workspace status dashboard and social media channels. These updates acknowledged the impact on users and aimed to reassure them that the situation was being addressed.

In a statement provided to Engadget, a Google spokesperson reiterated the company’s position and said, “We are actively working to resolve the issue. As always, we encourage users to follow standard best practices when engaging with messages from unknown senders.”

This advice reflects Google’s broader guidance on email security, which includes avoiding suspicious links, not downloading unexpected attachments and verifying the identity of senders. Although the issue has now been resolved, the company’s reminder highlights the importance of remaining cautious, especially during technical disruptions.

Google has not yet explained what caused the failure in Gmail’s filtering and spam detection systems. The promised analysis from the ongoing investigation is expected to provide more detail on whether the issue was linked to a software update, a configuration error or another technical fault.

Gmail is one of the world’s most widely used email services, with billions of users relying on it for personal and professional communication. Even short-lived issues can therefore have a significant impact, particularly when they affect core features such as spam filtering and message delivery.

While Google says the problem is now fully resolved, the incident serves as a reminder of how dependent users have become on automated systems to manage digital communication. For now, Gmail users are being advised to remain alert and report any further unusual behaviour as Google continues its investigation.