Gmail spam filter glitch resolved after flooding inboxes with promotions

Google says the issue that broke Gmail’s automatic email sorting is fully fixed, with a post-incident analysis on the way.

Sarthak Singh

January 26, 2026 / 11:13 IST

Gmail

Google fixed Gmail's filter issue that flooded inboxes with spam and promotions
Some users faced delays in email delivery and two-factor authentication codes
Google is investigating the cause and will publish a detailed analysis soon

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Gmail users who saw their inboxes spiral into chaos over the weekend should now be back to normal. Google confirmed late Saturday that the issue affecting Gmail’s automatic filters has been fully resolved for all users.

In a post on X, Google said the problem, which caused promotional emails, non-urgent updates and some spam to bypass Gmail’s usual inbox tabs, has been fixed. The company added on its Workspace status dashboard that an internal investigation is still ongoing, and a detailed analysis will be published once it’s complete.

The disruption began earlier on Saturday, when users reported that their Primary inboxes were suddenly being flooded with emails that would normally be filtered into Promotions or Updates. Some users also noticed warning banners on incoming emails stating that Gmail had not scanned messages for spam, unverified senders, or malicious software.

Beyond inbox clutter, the glitch caused more serious headaches for some. Reports on social media and DownDetector suggested delays in email delivery, which in turn led to issues with two-factor authentication codes not arriving on time. For users relying on email-based security checks, that meant temporary lockouts from accounts and services.

After initially acknowledging the issue, Google said the incident resulted in the “misclassification of emails in their inbox and additional spam warnings.” The company has not yet explained what caused the failure, but says its investigation is still underway.