Gmail Service Disruption: Filtering and Delivery Issues Resolved

Gmail users experienced service disruptions related to email filtering and delivery on Saturday, which Google confirmed were resolved by Saturday evening. The issues, which began around 5 AM Pacific time, included the misclassification of emails, an increase in unsolicited messages reaching primary inboxes, and delays in email receipt.

Google has initiated an investigation into the incident and plans to publish an analysis upon its completion.

Overview of the Disruption

The service disruption primarily affected Gmail's automatic filtering system. Users reported several issues, including:

• Email Misclassification: Messages typically categorized into "Promotions," "Social," or "Updates" inboxes were appearing in the "Primary" inbox.
• Increased Spam: An elevated volume of spam emails directly reached users' main inboxes, bypassing standard filters.
• Spam Warnings: Some users observed additional spam warnings on emails, even those from known and trusted senders. Notices indicating that emails had not been scanned for spam were also reported.
• Delivery Delays: Delays in the receipt of messages were noted, impacting services that rely on timely email delivery, such as those requiring two-factor authentication logins.

Google officially acknowledged the problem, stating it resulted in "misclassification of emails in their inbox and additional spam warnings," including a banner about unscanned messages. The company's official status dashboard for Google Workspace documented the progression of efforts to address the problem throughout Saturday.

Resolution and Google's Response

By Saturday evening, Google announced that the issue had been "fully resolved for all users."

The company confirmed the resolution via an update on X and its status dashboard.

Despite the primary filtering and delivery issues being resolved, Google noted that some misclassified spam warnings from the incident might persist for existing messages received prior to the full resolution.

Google has initiated an internal investigation into the cause of the disruption. The company stated its commitment to publishing a detailed analysis of the incident once the investigation concludes. A Google spokesperson also advised users to follow standard best practices when interacting with messages from unknown senders.