The spam filters implemented by email providers like AOL, Yahoo Mail, and Apple Mail keep us from being bombarded with irrelevant newsletters and malware-infested emails. Still, you may have missed an important email only to find it later in your spam folder. Add contacts you trust to your safe senders list to prevent this situation. Whether you access Gmail on your phone, desktop PC, or budget Chromebook, this guide shows you how to add email addresses to your Gmail’s safe senders list.

What is a safe senders list?

Approximately 347 billion emails were exchanged globally each day in 2023. Google leverages advanced AI-based automation filters to block over 99.9% of spam emails, phishing attempts, and malware, ensuring they never reach your inbox. This is done by looking at various characteristics like the sender’s IP address, the email domain, and user feedback. However, Gmail’s spam filter isn’t perfect, and it can flag relevant emails as spam.

The safe senders list comprises email addresses from which you wish to receive email messages without interruption. Update and add trusted contacts to your safe sender list within your email program based on your preferences. This ensures relevant emails pass the spam filter and land in your inbox as they should.

Another method is to add the email address to Google Contacts. This tells Google you are interested in receiving emails from that sender.

How to keep your safe sender list effective

Let’s start with best practices for managing safe sender lists before we get into specific instructions. Make it a habit to periodically revisit and refine your list to keep it relevant as your email usage evolves.

Be selective about the addresses you add. Only those from trusted and recognized sources should be considered. And remember, less is often more. Keep your email list lean so that you don’t invite junk email by mistake.

How to create a filter for safe senders on the desktop

Create a filter to ensure that emails from a specific address don’t make it to spam. Here’s how to do it:

1. On your desktop, log in to your Gmail account.

2. Click the gear icon in the upper-right corner.

3. Select See all settings.

4. Click the Filters and Blocked Addresses tab at the top.

5. Click Create a new filter.

6. Enter the email address of the person you want to add to your safe senders list.

7. Type the domain name in the From field to allow all emails from a specific domain. For example, type *@outlook.com to receive all emails from that domain.

8. Click Create Filter button.

9. Select the action to be applied to filtered emails. Click Never send it to spam.

10. Click Create filter.

11. Edit or delete the filter later in the Filters and blocked addresses tab under Settings.

A quick method to ensure Gmail doesn’t mistakenly flag emails from trusted contacts as spam is to add their email addresses to Google Contacts. You can do this through the desktop interface or the Gmail mobile app. Here’s how to do it.

How to add Google contacts online using the Gmail website

To add an email address to your contacts on the desktop, follow these simple steps:

1. On your desktop, log in to your Gmail account.

2. Click the dot grid menu in the upper-right corner and select Contacts.

3. Click Create contact in the upper-left corner.

4. Enter the email address of the contact you want to add.

5. Click Save.

How to add Google contacts via the Gmail mobile app

Google’s mobile app on iPhone and Android lets you add contacts to your account. Here’s what you’ll do:

1. Download the Gmail app, which is available for Android and iOS.

2. Open the Gmail app on your device and sign in with your Google account.

3. Tap your profile icon in the upper right corner, then tap Manage your Google Account.

4. Go to People and sharing and select Contacts. This redirects you to the Google contacts list.

5. Tap the plus icon, then select Create a contact to add new contacts you trust and wish to receive emails from without interruption.

6. Enter your contact’s email address and tap Save.

To expand or edit the information you have for a contact in Gmail, follow these steps:

1. Visit the Google Contacts website.

2. Use the search field to enter the name or email address of the contact you wish to edit. This helps you quickly find the specific contact.

3. When you find the contact, their detailed information appears. To start editing, click the pencil icon.

4. Make the necessary adjustments or additions to the contact’s information.

5. To finalize your changes, click the Save button.

How to mark an email as ‘not spam’ in Gmail

If you find an important email in the spam folder, mark it as “not spam.” Gmail removes the message from your junk folder and moves it to your inbox. Follow the steps below to access this option from the desktop and the mobile app.

How to mark an email as ‘not spam’ on the desktop

1. Log in to Gmail from your desktop.

2. Select More.

3. Click Spam.

4. Open the desired email and click Report not spam.

How to mark an email as ‘not spam’ on the Gmail app

To ensure that important emails aren’t mistakenly filtered into the spam folder, mark an email as “not spam” in the Gmail app. Here’s a step-by-step guide:

1. Log in to Gmail from your phone.

2. Tap the hamburger menu in the upper-left corner.

3. Select Spam.

4. Open the desired email and tap Report not spam.

Efficiently manage your Gmail account

You should proactively add trusted contacts to Gmail’s safe senders list so that important emails don’t get stuck in the spam folder. Or you might have to rummage through your spam folder to retrieve it. However, it’s easy to find that specific email with the help of Gmail’s advanced search filters.