Google says it’s working to fix Gmail issue that’s led to flooded inboxes and increased spam warnings—Primary tabs overwhelmed since Jan 24, 2026. Marketers scramble; fixes, workarounds here.
Google says it’s working to fix Gmail issue that’s turned millions of inboxes into promotional nightmares overnight. Kicked off around 5:02 AM PT on January 24, 2026, the glitch wrecked spam filters and auto-sorting—Primary tabs suddenly stuffed with newsletters, LinkedIn pings, and shopping blasts from Promotions/Social/Updates. Legit emails from trusted contacts? Slapped with scary “Be careful—this message might have malware” banners, even scanned ones. Google’s Workspace status dashboard confirms “misclassification of emails” and extra warnings, with teams “actively investigating.” DownDetector lit up; Reddit’s r/GMail dubbed it “spam apocalypse.”
Woke up to 200+ unfiltered emails? You’re not alone—1.8B Gmail users hit variably, personal accounts hardest, Workspace lighter. It follows alerts on 48M leaked passwords, amplifying paranoia. Delays snagged 2FA too. Google promises tweaks by 9:30 AM PT (10 PM IST), urging caution on unknowns. No cause pinned yet, but patterns scream backend filter hiccup post-update.
The Chaos in Real Time
From Mumbai marketers: Campaign newsletters landing in Primary chaos tanks opens—expect 25-40% engagement dips, Hootsuite warns. One creator shared: “SEO newsletter bounced to Primary; subscribers think I’m spamming.” Legit client emails flagged malware? Trust erosion hits hard. Forums report months-old mail resurfacing from Spam. Google Postmaster Tools show deliverability craters for some domains.
I’ve managed campaigns where one filter tweak nuked metrics; this feels bigger. Filters block 99.9% junk daily—break that, and inboxes revolt.
Workarounds to Survive
No full fix? Manual triage:
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Drag bulk to Promotions/Spam—trains filters.
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Mute/archive promo threads.
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Advanced Protection for auto-scans.
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IMAP clients (Outlook/Thunderbird) bypass.
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Postmaster checks for senders.
Enterprise? Workspace admins force label rules.
Why Filters Fail and Prevention
Gmail’s ML juggles volume; glitches from updates, traffic spikes, or edge bugs. Recent password breach primed users for paranoia. Pro tips: Verify domains (DKIM/SPF), cap sends <500/day, test via GlockApps. Mumbai pros, A/B during Big Billion—don’t let glitches derail.
Google says it’s working to fix Gmail issue, but the inbox flood reminds us: email’s fragile backbone. Hang tight, sort manually, watch Postmaster—relief’s coming. Your campaigns survive this; adapt quick. Whew, back to clean tabs soon.
