Technology

How to keep email from getting lost to a spam folder

Published

2 months ago

May 26, 2024

How to keep email from getting lost to a spam folder

Have you ever been waiting for an important email only to find out it went into your spam folder?

This can be frustrating if you’re waiting on correspondence from someone, but it can also be frustrating — and awkward — for the sender, who is all the while waiting for your response.

While you still want your spam folder to help filter out unwanted messages, it’s important to “safelist” the email addresses you want to go directly into your inbox. And there is a way to keep actual spam emails at bay, too.

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Mail app on a smartphone (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

What does it mean to “safelist” an email address?

To “safelist,” an email address means adding it to a special list where you mark it as trusted. When you safelist an email address, you ensure that messages from this sender go directly to your inbox instead of getting caught in spam filters. This is particularly useful because sometimes important emails can be mistakenly marked as unwanted spam.

Safelisting is a helpful tool, especially in settings where you can’t afford to miss important messages, like in business or personal communications. By adding an email address to your safelist, you’re telling your email service that you know and trust this sender and that the sender’s emails are important to you. This step helps ensure that you always receive the emails you need, including our CyberGuy newsletter.

A woman on her laptop (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

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Part I: How to safelist email addresses in different email platforms

To ensure that important emails always reach your inbox and don’t get lost in the spam folder, it’s a good idea to safelist trusted email addresses. This requires adding contacts to your email platform’s address book and taking another step to ensure they go to you.

Here’s how to do it on different email platforms:

Gmail:

Add email addresses to contacts:

Go to Google Contacts (contacts.google.com).
Click on “Create contact” and fill out the “Create a contact” form with the email address you wish to safelist.
Click Save. This automatically ensures that emails from this address land in your inbox rather than your spam folder.

Safelist spam emails:

Navigate to your Gmail inbox.
From the navigation bar on the left, scroll down and click More.
Then, click Spam
Find the email from the sender you want to safelist. Click the empty box to the left of the Spam email you want to remove from Spam.
Now, tap Not spam

Create a non-spam filter:

From your Gmail inbox, go to “Settings” (gear icon), then “See all settings.”
Navigate to “Filters and Blocked Addresses” and click it.
Then, tap “Create a new filter.”
Enter the email address or domain you wish to safelist in the “From” field.
Click “Create filter” with this search, check “Never send it to Spam,” and then click “Create filter.”

Yahoo Mail:

Add a Yahoo contact:

Click the Contacts card icon on the upper right corner of your inbox.
Then, click the three horizontal dots just below it on the right
Select “Add a new Contact.”
Fill out the form with the sender’s details, and click “Save.”

Add a filter in Yahoo Mail:

Click the Gear icon in the upper right corner and select “More Settings.”
Choose “Filters” from the left navigation menu
Then click “Add new filters.”
Fill out the form with a filter name and the email address or domain you wish to safelist.
Click “Save” to activate the filter.

AOL Mail:

Add an AOL contact:

Log into your AOL Mail account
Click on Contacts in the left navigation menu
Tap on the three horizontal dots under where it says Contacts
Click on Add a new Contact
Fill out the contact details, and click Save

Create a filter in AOL Mail:

Log into your AOL Mail account
Click on Options
Then, click Mail Settings
Under Filter Settings, click on Create a new filter
Enter a name for the filter, specify the condition (e.g., emails from a specific email address), and set the action to Move to inbox
Save the filter to ensure all future emails from this address go directly to your inbox instead of the spam folder.

StartMail

Log in to your StartMail account: Start by signing in to your StartMail account.
Access your settings: Look for a settings or options menu, typically found in the upper right corner of the screen.
Navigate to Safelist options: Within the settings menu, find the section dedicated to ‘Filters’ or ‘Safelisting’.
Add the email address: In the safelist section, there should be an option to ‘Add’ or ‘Create a new rule’. Enter the email address you wish to safelist.
Save your changes: Make sure to save or apply the changes to update your safelist settings.

By following these steps, emails from safelisted addresses bypass the spam filter, ensuring you receive important communications directly in your inbox.

Note: One of the best features of StartMail is that it’s a more private and secure email service, which helps you take more control over what’s coming into your inbox and what you’re sending out. Find out more about upgrading the security of your email here.

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Part II: Why do emails I don’t want in my inbox bypass the spam filter?

If you plan to safelist email addresses so that you won’t miss another email from a trusted address by it going into your spam folder instead of your primary inbox, you might be wondering how this works the other way around. How do emails you DON’T want to see get into your inbox when those should be going into your spam folder?

If you’re getting a lot of “promotional” or “spam” emails (depending on how your email labels them), it’s likely because you subscribed to them at some point in time. To find out where you’re subscribed and unsubscribe from many places at once, there are services out there like Clean Email that can help you do this quickly. But you can also do it the manual way by setting time aside to go through your inbox and unsubscribe to ones you don’t want anymore as they come into your inbox.

It could also be because your email is out there on the internet, and scammers (as well as companies) can find it and add it to a mailing list without you giving explicit permission to do so. To help minimize this, there are ways to get your data offline.

A person on a smartphone looking at emails (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

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Use aliases to protect yourself from spam emails

Sometimes, it’s best to create various email aliases so that you don’t have to worry about all your info getting stolen in a data breach. An email alias address is also a great way to stop receiving constant spam mail by simply deleting it.

My top recommendation to avoid being inundated with spam emails is to use an alias email address. An alias email address is an additional email address that can be used to receive emails in the same mailbox as the primary email address. It acts as a forwarding address, directing emails to the primary email address.

In addition to creating throwaway email accounts for online sign-ups and other circumstances where you would not want to disclose your primary email address, alias email addresses are helpful for handling and organizing incoming communications.

Sometimes, it’s best to create various email aliases so that you don’t have to worry about getting tons of spam mail and having your email eventually stolen in a data breach. An alias email address is a great way for you to stop receiving constant spam mail by simply deleting the email alias address. See my review of best secure and private email services here

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A woman checking her email on her laptop while on the phone (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

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Kurt’s key takeaways

Just like managing your contacts in a physical address book or on your phone takes time, managing them in your email system does, too. But by safelisting emails and using aliases to prevent spam, you’ll get your email right where you want it.

What’s your biggest challenge when it comes to managing your email subscriptions, and how do you address it? Let us know by writing us at Cyberguy.com/Contact

For more of my tech tips and security alerts, subscribe to my free CyberGuy Report Newsletter by heading to Cyberguy.com/Newsletter

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Answers to the most asked CyberGuy questions:

Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson is an award-winning tech journalist who has a deep love of technology, gear and gadgets that make life better with his contributions for Fox News & FOX Business beginning mornings on “FOX & Friends.” Got a tech question? Get Kurt’s free CyberGuy Newsletter, share your voice, a story idea or comment at CyberGuy.com.

Technology

Here’s your first look at Amazon’s Like a Dragon: Yakuza

Published

4 hours ago

July 26, 2024

Press Room

Here’s your first look at Amazon’s Like a Dragon: Yakuza

Amazon says that the show “showcases modern Japan and the dramatic stories of these intense characters, such as the legendary Kazuma Kiryu, that games in the past have not been able to explore.” Kiryu will be played by Ryoma Takeuchi, while Kento Kaku also starts as Akira Nishikiyama. The series is directed by Masaharu Take.

Like a Dragon: Yakuza starts streaming on Prime Video on October 24th with its first three episodes.

Technology

Exciting AI tools and games you can try for free

Published

5 hours ago

July 26, 2024

Press Room

Exciting AI tools and games you can try for free

I’m not an artist. My brain just does not work that way. I tried to learn Photoshop but gave up. Now, I create fun images using AI.

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Some AI tech is kind of freaky (like this brain-powered robot), but many of the new AI tools out there are just plain fun. Let’s jump into the wide world of freebies that will help you make something cool.

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Create custom music tracks

Not everyone is musically inclined, but AI makes it pretty easy to pretend you are. At the very least, you can make a funny tune for a loved one who needs some cheering up.

AI to try: Udio

Perfect for: Experimenting with song styles

Starter prompt: “Heartbreak at the movie theater, ‘80s ballad”

Cheerful man sitting in front of his computer monitor eating and working. (iStock)

Just give Udio a topic for a song and a genre, and it’ll do the rest. I asked it to write a yacht rock song about a guy who loves sunsets, and it came up with two one-minute clips that were surprisingly good. You can customize the lyrics, too.

Produce quick video clips

The built-in software on our phones does a decent job at editing down the videos we shoot (like you and the family at the beach), but have you ever wished you could make something a little snazzier?

AI to try: Invideo

Perfect for: Quick content creation

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Starter prompt: “Cats on a train”

Head to Invideo to produce your very own videos, no experience needed. Your text prompts can be simple, but you’ll get better results if you include more detail.

You can add an AI narration over the top (David Attenborough’s AI voice is just too good). FYI, the free account puts a watermark on your videos, but if you’re just doing it for fun, no biggie.

Draft digital artwork

You don’t need to be an AI whiz skilled at a paid program like Midjourney to make digital art. Here’s an option anyone can try.

Closeup shot of an unrecognizable woman using a laptop while working from home. (iStock)

AI to try: OpenArt

Perfect for: Illustrations and animations

Starter prompt: “A lush meadow with blue skies”

OpenArt starts you off with a simple text prompt, but you can tweak it in all kinds of funky ways, from the image style to the output size. You can also upload images of your own for the AI to take its cues from and even include pictures of yourself (or friends and family) in the art.

If you’ve caught the AI creative bug and want more of the same, try the OpenArt Sketch to Image generator. It turns your original drawings into full pieces of digital art.

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More free AI fun

Maybe creating videos and works of art isn’t your thing. There’s still lots of fun to be had with AI.

Good time for kids and adults: Google’s Quick, Draw! Try to get the AI to recognize your scribblings before time runs out in this next-gen Pictionary-style game.
Expose your kid to different languages: Another option from Google, Thing Translator, lets you snap a photo of something to hear the word for it in a different language. Neat!
Warm up your vocal chords: Freddimeter uses AI to rate how well you can sing like Freddie Mercury. Options include “Don’t Stop Me Now,” “We Are the Champions,” “Bohemian Rhapsody” and “Somebody To Love.”

Mother works from home while her child sits on the couch

A mother uses a laptop while a little boy uses a tablet. (iStock)

If you’re not tech-ahead, you’re tech-behind

Award-winning host Kim Komando is your secret weapon for navigating tech.

Technology

There is no fix for Intel’s crashing 13th and 14th Gen CPUs — any damage is permanent

Published

11 hours ago

July 26, 2024

Press Room

There is no fix for Intel’s crashing 13th and 14th Gen CPUs — any damage is permanent

On Monday, it initially seemed like the beginning of the end for Intel’s desktop CPU instability woes — the company confirmed a patch is coming in mid-August that should address the “root cause” of exposure to elevated voltage. But if your 13th or 14th Gen Intel Core processor is already crashing, that patch apparently won’t fix it.

Citing unnamed sources, Tom’s Hardware reports that any degradation of the processor is irreversible, and an Intel spokesperson did not deny that when we asked. Intel is “confident” the patch will keep it from happening in the first place. (As another preventative measure, you should update your BIOS ASAP.) But if your defective CPU has been damaged, your best option is to replace it instead of tweaking BIOS settings to try and alleviate the problems.

And, Intel confirms, too-high voltages aren’t the only reason some of these chips are failing. Intel spokesperson Thomas Hannaford confirms it’s a primary cause, but the company is still investigating. Intel community manager Lex Hoyos also revealed some instability reports can be traced back to an oxidization manufacturing issue that was fixed at an unspecified date last year.

This raises lots of questions. Will Intel recall these chips? Extend their warranty? Replace them no questions asked? Pause sales like AMD just did with its Ryzen 9000? Identify faulty batches with the manufacturing defect?

We asked Intel these questions, and I’m not sure you’re going to like the answers.

Why are these still on sale without so much as an extended warranty?

Intel has not halted sales or clawed back any inventory. It will not do a recall, period. The company is not currently commenting on whether or how it might extend its warranty. It would not share estimates with The Verge of how many chips are likely to be irreversibly impacted, and it did not explain why it’s continuing to sell these chips ahead of any fix.

Intel’s not yet telling us how warranty replacements will work beyond trying customer support again if you’ve previously been rejected. It did not explain how it will contact customers with these chips to warn them about the issue.

But Intel does tell us it’s “confident” that you don’t need to worry about invisible degradation. If you’re not currently experiencing issues, the patch “will be an effective preventative solution for processors already in service.” (If you don’t know if you’re experiencing issues, Intel currently suggests the Robeytech test.)

And, perhaps for the first time, Intel has confirmed just how broad this issue could possibly be. The elevated voltages could potentially affect any 13th or 14th Gen desktop processor that consumes 65W or more power, not just the highest i9-series chips that initially seemed to be experiencing the issue.

Here are the questions we asked Intel and the answers we’ve received by email from Intel’s Hannaford:

How many chips does Intel estimate are likely to be irreversibly impacted by these issues?

Intel Core 13th and 14th Generation desktop processors with 65W or higher base power – including K/KF/KS and 65W non-K variants – could be affected by the elevated voltages issue. However, this does not mean that all processors listed are (or will be) impacted by the elevated voltages issue.

Intel continues validation to ensure that scenarios of instability reported to Intel regarding its Core 13th and 14th Gen desktop processors are addressed.

For customers who are or have been experiencing instability symptoms on their 13th and/or 14th Gen desktop processors, Intel continues advising them to reach out to Intel Customer Support for further assistance. Additionally, if customers have experienced these instability symptoms on their 13th and/or 14th Gen desktop processors but had RMA [return merchandise authorization] requests rejected we ask that they reach out to Intel Customer Support for further assistance and remediation.

Will Intel issue a recall?

Will Intel proactively warn buyers of these chips about the warning signs or that this update is required? If so, how will it warn them?

Intel targets to release a production microcode update to OEM/ODM customers by mid-August or sooner and will share additional details on the microcode patch at that time.

Intel is investigating options to easily identify affected processors on end user systems. In the interim, as a general best practice Intel recommends that users adhere to Intel Default Settings on their desktop processors, along with ensuring their BIOS is up to date.

Has Intel halted sales and / or performed any channel inventory recalls while it validates the update?

Does Intel anticipate the fix will be effective for chips that have already been in service but are not yet experiencing symptoms (i.e., invisible degradation)? Are those CPUs just living on borrowed time?

Intel is confident that the microcode patch will be an effective preventative solution for processors already in service, though validation continues to ensure that scenarios of instability reported to Intel regarding its Core 13th/14th Gen desktop processors are addressed.

Intel is investigating options to easily identify affected or at-risk processors on end user systems.

It is possible the patch will provide some instability improvements to currently impacted processors; however customers experiencing instability on their 13th or 14th Generation desktop processor-based systems should contact Intel customer support for further assistance.

Will Intel extend its warranty on these 13th Gen and 14th Gen parts, and for how long?

Given how difficult this issue was for Intel to pin down, what proof will customers need to share to obtain an RMA? (How lenient will Intel be?)

What will Intel do for 13th Gen buyers after supply of 13th Gen parts runs out? Final shipments were set to end last month, I’m reading.

Intel is committed to making sure all customers who have or are currently experiencing instability symptoms on their 13th and/or 14th Gen desktop processors are supported in the exchange process. This includes working with Intel’s retail and channel customers to ensure end users are taken care of regarding instability symptoms with their Intel Core 13th and/or 14th Gen desktop processors.

What will Intel do for 14th Gen buyers after supply of 14th Gen parts run out?

Will replacement / RMA’d chips ship with the microcode update preapplied beginning in August? Is Intel still shipping replacement chips ahead of that update?

Intel will be applying to microcode to 13th/14th Gen desktop processors that are not yet shipped once the production patch is released to OEM/ODM partners (targeting mid-August or sooner). For 13th /14th Gen desktop processors already in service, users will need to apply the patch via BIOS update once available.

What, if anything, can customers do to slow or stop degradation ahead of the microcode update?

Intel recommends that users adhere to Intel Default Settings on their desktop processors, along with ensuring their BIOS is up to date. Once the microcode patch is released to Intel partners, we advise users check for the relevant BIOS updates.

Will Intel share specific manufacturing dates and serial number ranges for the oxidized processors so mission-critical businesses can selectively rip and replace?

Intel will continue working with its customers on Via Oxidation-related reports and ensure that they are fully supported in the exchange process.

Why does Intel believe the instability issues do not affect mobile laptop chips?

Intel is continuing its investigation to ensure that reported instability scenarios on Intel Core 13th/14th Gen processors are properly addressed.

This includes ongoing analysis to confirm the primary factors preventing 13th / 14th Gen mobile processor exposure to the same instability issue as the 13th/14th Gen desktop processors.

That’s all we’ve heard from Intel so far, though Hannaford assured us more answers are on the way and that the company is working on remedies.

Again, if your CPU is already damaged, you need to get Intel to replace it, and if Intel won’t do so, please let us know. In the meanwhile, you’ll want to update your BIOS as soon as possible because your processor could potentially be invisibly damaging itself — and if you know your way around a BIOS, you may want to adjust your motherboard to Intel’s default performance profiles, too.

Lastly, here is that Robeytech video that Intel is recommending to Redditors to potentially help them identify if their chip has an issue. Intel says it’s looking into other ways to identify that, too.