The fastest way to block someone in Gmail

Open the email from the person you want to block. Click the three dots (more actions menu) in the top right of the email. Select "Block [sender's name]" from the dropdown. Gmail will move that sender's future emails to spam automatically, and you won't see notifications from them.

That's the complete process. Once blocked, any new messages from that address go straight to your spam folder. You can unblock the sender later if you change your mind by going to Settings > Filters and Blocked Addresses > Blocked addresses, then clicking "Unblock" next to their name.

Blocking works on the exact email address shown. If someone uses a different address, Gmail treats it as a new sender and won't block it automatically. The block applies only to your account — it doesn't prevent the sender from emailing you, it just hides their messages from your inbox.

Key Takeaways

  • Click the three-dot menu on any email and select "Block [sender's name]" to send all future messages from that address to spam.
  • Blocking hides emails from your inbox but does not stop the sender from emailing you — they won't know they're blocked.
  • The block applies only to the exact email address shown, so someone using a different address will still reach your inbox.
  • You can unblock a sender anytime through Settings > Filters and Blocked Addresses > Blocked addresses.
  • If you're being harassed or threatened, blocking is a first step, but you may also want to report the email as abuse or contact law enforcement.

What happens when you block someone

When you block a sender, Gmail moves their current emails to spam and automatically sends all future messages from that address to your spam folder. You won't see a notification when they email you. The sender does not receive any message saying they've been blocked — from their perspective, they straightforward won't know whether you're reading their emails.

Blocking is different from unsubscribing. If you unsubscribe from a mailing list, you're asking the sender to remove you from their distribution. If you block, you're telling Gmail to hide their messages. You might unsubscribe from a newsletter you no longer want; you might block someone who is harassing you or sending unwanted personal messages.

When blocking isn't enough

Blocking works well for unwanted marketing, old contacts, or people you straightforward don't want to hear from. It does not work against someone determined to reach you with a different email address. If the same person keeps emailing you from new addresses, blocking each one individually becomes tedious.

If someone is threatening you, harassing you, or sending abusive content, report the email to Gmail before or after blocking. Open the email, click the three-dot menu, and select "Report phishing" or "Report spam" depending on the type of message. This tells Gmail's abuse team about the behavior. If the harassment is severe or involves threats, you may also want to save copies of the emails and contact local law enforcement.

Blocking email addresses that look similar to real ones

Scammers sometimes create addresses that look almost identical to legitimate ones — for example, using the number zero instead of the letter O, or a lowercase L instead of the number one. If you receive an email that looks like it's from your bank but something feels off, check the sender address carefully before clicking any links or downloading anything.

Block the suspicious address using the same three-dot menu process. If the email claims to be from a real company, you can also report it as phishing. Gmail learns from these reports and may block similar addresses automatically for other users. Never click links or enter passwords in response to unexpected emails from addresses you don't recognize, even if the email looks professional.

Blocking versus filtering

Blocking and filtering are related but different tools. Blocking sends all mail from one address to spam. Filtering lets you create rules that explore to many senders at once — for example, you could create a filter that automatically deletes all emails with a certain word in the subject line, or sends emails from a whole domain to a folder.

If you're blocking many senders with similar characteristics, a filter might be more efficient. For example, if you're getting unwanted emails from multiple addresses at the same company domain, you could create a filter for that entire domain instead of blocking each address one by one. Filters are in Settings > Filters and Blocked Addresses > Create a new filter.

Recovering emails from a blocked sender

If you block someone and later realize you need to read their emails, unblock them first. Go to Settings > Filters and Blocked Addresses > Blocked addresses, find the sender's name, and click "Unblock." Their emails will no longer go to spam automatically, but the messages they sent while blocked will still be in your spam folder.

Search your spam folder for emails from that sender to find the messages they sent while you had them blocked. You can move individual emails back to your inbox by opening them and clicking the "Not spam" button. If you unblock someone and then want to block them again later, you can repeat the process — Gmail doesn't limit how many times you can block and unblock the same address.

Blocking on mobile versus desktop

The process is nearly identical on the Gmail app for iPhone and Android. Open the email, tap the three dots in the top right corner, and select "Block [sender's name]." On desktop, the three-dot menu is in the same location. The blocked emails go to spam on all your devices because the block is tied to your Gmail account, not to a specific device.

If you use Gmail through a third-party email app like Outlook or Apple Mail, blocking may work differently or may not be available. Those apps have their own spam and blocking features that don't always sync with Gmail's block list. If you're using Gmail through another app and want to block someone, it's safest to open Gmail in a web browser and block them there to make sure the block takes effect across all your devices.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a blocked sender tell that I blocked them?

No. When you block someone, they don't receive any notification. Their emails straightforward go to your spam folder, and they have no way of knowing whether you're reading their messages or if they're being blocked. From their perspective, they're sending emails normally.

What if someone keeps emailing me from different addresses?

Block each new address as it appears. If the harassment is ongoing and severe, save copies of the emails and consider reporting them to law enforcement. You can also create a filter to catch emails with certain keywords or patterns, which may catch messages from new addresses the same sender creates.

Does blocking someone delete their old emails?

No. Blocking only affects new emails. Old messages from that sender stay in your inbox unless you delete them manually. If you want to remove them, search for the sender's address, select all their emails, and delete them. You can also move them to a folder instead of deleting them permanently.

Can I block an entire domain instead of one email address?

Blocking works on individual email addresses, not whole domains. If you want to block all emails from a company domain, create a filter instead. Go to Settings > Filters and Blocked Addresses > Create a new filter, enter the domain (for example, @unwantedcompany.com), and choose to delete or skip the inbox for all emails from that domain.

What's the difference between blocking and reporting as spam?

Blocking sends future emails from that address to spam. Reporting as spam tells Gmail's abuse team that the email is unwanted, which helps Gmail identify patterns and protect other users. You can do both: report the email as spam, then block the sender. Reporting is especially important if the email is phishing, scam, or abusive.