Is Spam The Same As Junk Mail? Here’s The Scoop

Junk or Spam: Is There a Difference?

Is junk mail the same as spam mail? Is spam mail the same as junk mail? Junk and spam sound as though they could be the same thing, but are they?

These terms are used interchangeably by most providers and users. And if you use more than one email provider, it can complicate things even more. For instance, Gmail’s application uses the word Spam while Outlook’s application uses the word Junk. And these can even differ if you use a third-party email app!

So, let’s look at their definitions, courtesy of the Merriam-Webster online dictionary:

📌 Junk Mail: unsolicited mail that consists mainly of promotional materials, catalogs, and requests for donations.

📌 Spam: unsolicited usually commercial messages (such as emails, text messages, or Internet postings) sent to a large number of recipients or posted in a large number of places.

As you can see, they are quite similar which is why email service providers use both words the same way and people take comparable actions on them.

So, when it comes right down to it, whether you call it junk or spam, how should you handle an unwanted message? Should you mark it as junk or spam, or block it, delete it, unsubscribe from it, or simply ignore it?

If you’re confused by which action is the correct or most effective for an email you don’t want, you’re not alone. In fact, many users react differently to the same types of messages. For example, your friend might mark an email from Netflix as spam, but you might unsubscribe from it instead.

Before we delve into how and why users handle messages differently, there is an excellent solution to keep in mind for managing your own emails!

How Users React to Different Email Types: Clean Email Insights

We at Clean Email wanted to take a deeper dive into the different types of emails people receive and how they handle them. When users receive messages from specific companies, they tend to react to them in certain ways:

• 34 companies (like Tinder, McDonald’s, Reddit, and SHEIN) were most often marked as spam.
• 17 companies (including PayPal, Amazon, Netflix, and Apple) were primarily unsubscribed from.
• 16 companies (such as LinkedIn, Uber, Instagram, and Quora) were frequently both marked as spam and unsubscribed from.

So, why the differences?

❌ Emails marked only as spam tend to come from brands offering non-essential content — for example, fast food promotions or app notifications that users may find irrelevant or excessive.

✅ On the other hand, unsubscribe-only actions usually target companies users still value but want less frequent communication from — like service updates or newsletters from platforms they continue to use.

🎯 For brands appearing in both categories, it’s likely that users tried unsubscribing first, like LinkedIn and Uber. When messages kept coming, they escalated to marking them as spam — indicating frustration with the company’s email behavior.

Let’s dig into the spam/unsubscribe combos further:

As you can see in the above chart, promotional and marketing emails lead the way in both spam and unsubscribe actions. But you can also see that newsletters and transactional messages cause frustration and prompt these actions too.

📌 Furthermore, e-commerce, social media, and entertainment companies dominate both spam and unsubscribe lists. With this in mind, it appears that trusted brands are a bigger source of inbox clutter than spammers.

This is where the Smart Folders in Clean Email can help. The industry-based grouping of messages mentioned earlier assist in quickly locating these emails so that you can easily take action and do so in bulk.

By taking those actions, the Cleaning Suggestions in Clean Email further help by providing recommendations based on your previous actions when future messages arrive.

So, Do Labels Matter?

What your service provider or email application calls junk and spam is good to know when it comes time to take an action. However, it’s that action that matters, not the label or folder name. And if you work with multiple providers or use more than one email app, you’ll likely get used to the terms used by them.

With this in mind, let’s take a quick peek at a few common providers and apps.

Is Junk Mail the Same as Spam in Gmail?

Gmail uses labels rather than folders and Spam rather than Junk. When it comes to marking a message or viewing the label, you’ll see Spam in the menu.

📌 See also: How to Stop Unwanted Emails in Gmail

Is Junk Mail the Same as Spam in Outlook?

Outlook uses folders rather than labels and Junk rather than Spam which is the opposite of Gmail. When you want to report an email or open the folder, you’ll see Junk or Junk Email in the menu.

📌 See also: How to Stop Junk Email in Outlook

Is Junk Mail the Same as Spam on iPhone?

In the Mail app on iPhone and other Apple devices, you have folders and Junk which is sort of a mix of Gmail and Outlook. This is a good example of when users can become confused, especially if a Gmail account is connected to the Mail app.

📌 See also: Stop Junk Mail on iPhone

Again, it’s the action you take on an email that makes a difference, not whether it’s officially called Junk or Spam. Remember that Clean Email helps you perform the right action on the message—whether you’re using macOS, iOS, Android, or accessing your inbox through a web browser—regardless of your email provider.

Wrap-Up

No matter what you or your email service provider calls them, unwanted messages are exactly that. They can clutter your inbox and easily overshadow the important emails you need.

To take the most effective action and save time from the get-go, check out Clean Email. Not only can it help you rid your mailbox of spam and junk more efficiently, but also assist you in maintaining a clean and tidy inbox with minimal effort using smart tools and automations on any device.