The fastest way to block an email address
Open the email from the sender you want to block. Look for a three-dot menu icon (Gmail and Outlook) or a down arrow (Apple Mail) near the top right of the message. Click it, then select "Block [sender's name]" or "Block Sender". The email service will then send all future messages from that address to spam automatically.
If you cannot find the menu, right-click the sender's name or email address itself — most services offer a block option from the context menu. Once blocked, you will not see messages from that address in your inbox, though the messages still arrive on the server and go to your spam folder instead.
The block takes effect when ready. You do not need to restart your email or wait for a sync — the next message from that sender will skip your inbox.
Key Takeaways
- Blocking sends future emails from that address to spam automatically, but does not delete messages already in your inbox.
- The three-dot menu or right-click method works in Gmail, Outlook, and Apple Mail, though the exact wording differs slightly.
- Blocked senders cannot tell they are blocked, and blocking does not notify them or prevent them from sending.
- You can unblock an address at any time by finding it in your blocked senders list and removing it.
How to block in Gmail
Open any email from the sender. At the top right of the message, click the three vertical dots. Select "Block [sender's email]" from the dropdown menu. Gmail will move that message and all future ones from that address to your spam folder.
To unblock later, go to Settings (the gear icon in the top right), then click "See all settings". Go to the Filters and Blocked Addresses tab. Find the blocked address in the list and click the delete icon next to it.
How to block in Outlook (web and desktop)
On the web: Open the email and click the three dots at the top right. Select "Block" from the menu. Outlook will send future messages from that address to your junk folder.
On the desktop app: Right-click the sender's name or email address in the message. Select "Block Sender" from the menu. You can also click the three dots at the top right of the message and choose "Block".
To unblock in Outlook, go to Settings, then "Mail" > "Junk email". Click "Blocked senders" and find the address you want to remove. Click the X next to it.
How to block in Apple Mail
Open the email from the sender you want to block. Click the down arrow next to the sender's name at the top of the message. Select "Block Contact" from the menu. Apple Mail will move that sender's messages to the trash automatically.
On an iPhone or iPad, swipe left on the email in your inbox, tap the trash icon, then tap "Block This Contact" when the option appears. On a Mac, you can also right-click the sender's name and select "Block Contact".
To unblock on a Mac, open Mail, go to Preferences, click the Junk Mail tab, then click "Reset". On iPhone or iPad, go to Settings > Mail > Blocked Contacts and swipe left on the address you want to remove.
What happens when you block someone
Blocking prevents emails from reaching your inbox, but it does not delete messages that already arrived before you blocked the sender. Those older emails stay in your inbox unless you delete them yourself. Only new messages from that address go to spam.
The blocked sender cannot tell they are blocked. They will not receive a notification, and their messages will not bounce back to them. From their perspective, they sent an email normally — they straightforward will not know whether you read it.
Blocking is not the same as unsubscribing. If the sender is a mailing list or newsletter, blocking stops the messages but does not remove you from their list. Unsubscribe links (usually at the bottom of marketing emails) are the proper way to remove yourself from those lists.
When to block versus when to unsubscribe
Block when the sender is someone you do not want to hear from at all — a person harassing you, a spammer, or an unwanted contact. Blocking is permanent until you manually unblock them.
Unsubscribe when the sender is a legitimate business or newsletter you straightforward do not want anymore. Look for an "Unsubscribe" link at the very bottom of the email. Clicking it removes you from their mailing list, which is faster and cleaner than blocking if you might want to hear from them again in the future.
If an email claims to be from a bank, payment service, or government agency but looks suspicious, do not click unsubscribe — that confirms your email is active and may lead to more spam. Block it instead, or report it as phishing to your email provider.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a blocked sender tell I blocked them?
No. Blocked senders see no notification or bounce-back message. Their email straightforward arrives on the server and goes to spam. They have no way to know whether you blocked them, deleted them, or never saw the message.
What if I block someone by mistake?
You can unblock them at any time. In Gmail, go to Settings > Filters and Blocked Addresses. In Outlook, go to Settings > Junk email > Blocked senders. In Apple Mail, go to Preferences > Junk Mail > Reset (Mac) or Settings > Mail > Blocked Contacts (iPhone/iPad). Find the address and remove it from the list.
Will blocking delete emails already in my inbox?
No. Blocking only affects new messages. Emails from that sender that are already in your inbox, trash, or other folders stay where they are. You must delete them yourself if you want them gone.
Can I block multiple addresses at once?
Most email services require you to block one address at a time through the menu or settings. However, if you are receiving spam from many addresses, you can create a filter rule that catches messages by subject line, sender domain, or content keywords and sends them to spam automatically.
What is the difference between blocking and filtering?
Blocking targets one specific email address. Filtering is a rule you set up to catch messages based on keywords, sender domain, subject line, or other patterns — useful when spam comes from many different addresses or when you want to organize legitimate mail automatically.