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 menu. Gmail will when ready send their future emails to spam and hide any messages already in your inbox from that sender.

That is the complete process. Once blocked, you will not see emails from that address in your inbox, and Gmail will not notify you when they send messages. The blocked sender will not receive any notification that you blocked them — their emails straightforward disappear into your spam folder.

If you change your mind later, you can unblock the address by going to Settings, selecting the Filters and Blocked Addresses tab, finding the blocked address, and clicking Unblock next to it.

Key Takeaways

  • You can block an email address directly from any message they sent by clicking the three-dot menu and selecting "Block [sender's name]".
  • Blocked emails go to your spam folder automatically, and you will not receive notifications when the blocked sender emails you.
  • The blocked sender does not know they are blocked — Gmail sends no notification to them.
  • You can unblock an address anytime through Settings > Filters and Blocked Addresses by clicking Unblock next to the address.
  • Blocking works only for that specific email address; if someone uses a different address, those emails will still reach your inbox.

Blocking from the Gmail mobile app

The process on the Gmail app for Android or iPhone is nearly identical. Open the email, tap the three dots in the top right corner, and select "Block [sender's name]". The app will confirm the block and move that message to spam.

To unblock on mobile, open Settings in the app, tap your account, select Manage your Google Account, go to the Data & Privacy tab, scroll to "Data from apps and services you use", and select Manage all settings. From there you can navigate to Gmail settings and find Filters and Blocked Addresses. This path is longer on mobile, so many people find it easier to unblock from a computer.

What happens when you block someone

When you block an email address, Gmail moves all current messages from that sender to your spam folder. Future emails from that address will go directly to spam without appearing in your inbox. You will not see a notification badge or alert when they send you something.

The blocked sender can still send emails — they will not receive a bounce-back message or any indication that their email reached you. From their perspective, the email straightforward went through. This is different from unsubscribing, where the sender usually receives confirmation that you have unsubscribed.

If the person uses a different email address, those messages will still arrive normally in your inbox. Blocking is specific to each individual email address, not to a person or domain.

Blocking an entire domain or company

If you want to block all emails from a company or organization (for example, all addresses ending in @company.com), you need to create a filter rather than use the block button. Open Settings, go to Filters and Blocked Addresses, and click Create a new filter. In the "From" field, type the domain name (such as @company.com), then select "Delete it" or "Skip the inbox" depending on whether you want the emails deleted or sent to spam.

This approach blocks the entire domain at once, rather than one address at a time. It is useful when you are receiving unwanted emails from multiple people at the same organization. You can still unblock the domain later by deleting the filter.

Blocking versus reporting spam

Blocking and reporting spam are two different actions. When you block someone, their future emails go to spam, but Gmail does not use that information to improve its spam detection for other users. When you report an email as spam (by clicking the spam icon), you are telling Gmail that the message is unwanted, and Gmail uses that feedback to improve spam filtering across all accounts.

For unwanted emails from legitimate senders — like a mailing list you no longer want to receive — blocking works fine. For actual spam or phishing attempts, reporting as spam is more helpful because it trains Gmail's filters. You can do both: report the email as spam and then block the address.

Recovering blocked emails

If you blocked someone by mistake, their old emails are still in your spam folder. Unblock the address through Settings > Filters and Blocked Addresses, then go to your spam folder and move the messages back to your inbox if you want to keep them. Unblocking does not automatically restore the messages — you have to move them yourself.

Once you unblock an address, new emails from that sender will arrive in your inbox normally again. If you want to keep the old messages but prevent future ones, you would need to block again after retrieving what you need.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I block multiple email addresses at once?

No, Gmail's block feature works one address at a time. If you need to block many addresses, creating a filter with a keyword or domain name is faster. For example, you can create a filter that catches emails containing a specific word in the subject line and sends them to spam.

Will the person know I blocked them?

No. Gmail sends no notification to the blocked sender. Their emails will appear to send successfully from their end, but they will have no way of knowing whether you received them, read them, or blocked them.

What if someone I blocked emails me from a different address?

Blocking only affects that specific email address. If the person sends from a different account, those emails will arrive in your inbox normally. You would need to block each address separately, or create a filter based on the person's name if it appears in the email.

Can I block emails by subject line or keyword?

The block button only works on sender addresses. To block by subject line or keyword, use Filters and Blocked Addresses in Settings. Create a new filter, enter the word or phrase in the "Has the words" field, and select "Delete it" or "Skip the inbox".

Does blocking delete the emails I already received?

No. Blocking moves existing emails from that sender to your spam folder, but does not delete them. You can still find and read them in spam if you need to. If you want to permanently delete them, you would need to empty your spam folder or delete them individually.