Block a sender in Gmail by opening their message, clicking the three dots, and selecting "Block"

When you block someone in Gmail, their messages stop arriving in your inbox and go straight to spam instead. You do not need to open their email first — you can block from the sender's name in your inbox list. The block stays in place until you remove it, and the sender does not get notified that you blocked them.

Gmail keeps a list of everyone you have blocked. You can unblock someone at any time by going to Settings, finding the Blocked addresses section, and clicking "Unblock" next to their name. Blocking only affects your account — it does not prevent them from sending email to you, it just hides their messages from your view.

Key Takeaways

  • Blocked senders' messages go to your spam folder automatically, and you will not see notifications from them.
  • You can block someone from an open email by clicking the three-dot menu and selecting "Block", or by right-clicking their name in your inbox.
  • Your blocked list lives in Settings under Filters and Blocked Addresses, where you can unblock people whenever you want.
  • Blocking is different from unsubscribing — unsubscribe removes you from mailing lists, while blocking hides all messages from one person.
  • If someone creates a new email address and contacts you again, you will need to block that address separately.

Block someone from an open email

Open the email from the person you want to block. In the top right corner of the message, click the three vertical dots (the menu button). A dropdown menu appears with several options. Click "Block [sender's name]" — it is usually near the bottom of the menu, sometimes below a "Report spam" option.

Gmail asks you to confirm. Click "Block" again in the confirmation box. The message disappears from your inbox and goes to spam. Any future emails from that sender will land in spam automatically without you seeing them.

Block someone from your inbox list

You do not have to open an email to block the sender. In your inbox, find a message from the person you want to block. Right-click on their name or the message subject line. A menu appears with several options, including "Block [sender's name]". Click it, then confirm in the popup that appears.

This method is faster if you have multiple messages from the same sender and want to block them without reading anything. All their messages, past and future, move to spam.

Find your blocked list and unblock someone

To see everyone you have blocked, go to Gmail Settings. Click the gear icon in the top right corner of Gmail and select "See all settings". Click the "Filters and Blocked Addresses" tab. Scroll down to the "Blocked addresses" section — it shows every sender you have blocked.

To unblock someone, find their email address in the list and click "Unblock" next to their name. Their future messages will no longer go to spam automatically. Messages they sent while blocked stay in your spam folder unless you move them.

The difference between blocking and unsubscribing

Blocking and unsubscribing do different things. When you unsubscribe from an email, you are removing yourself from a mailing list — usually a newsletter or promotional emails from a company. The sender can still contact you if they have a reason to, but they will not send you regular updates.

Blocking stops all messages from one person or address. It is stronger than unsubscribing and is meant for people you do not want to hear from at all. Most marketing emails have an "Unsubscribe" link at the bottom. If you block the sender instead, you will not see that option, but the block is more complete.

What happens when you block someone

Once you block a sender, their messages go directly to your spam folder. You will not get a notification when they email you, and their messages will not show up in your inbox count. If you have Gmail open on your phone and computer, the block works on both — it is tied to your account, not your device.

The sender does not know they are blocked. They will not receive a bounce-back message or any notification from Gmail. From their perspective, they sent an email normally. They might assume you are not responding, or they might not think about it at all.

Block emails with specific words or phrases

If you want to block messages based on content rather than the sender, use Gmail's filter feature instead of the block button. Go to Settings, click "Filters and Blocked Addresses", and scroll to the bottom. Click "Create a new filter". Type a word or phrase in the "Has the words" field — for example, a specific product name or phrase you see in unwanted emails.

Click "Create filter". In the next screen, check "Skip the Inbox (Archive it)" or "Delete it" to send matching messages to spam or trash. This catches emails from multiple senders if they all contain the same words. It is useful for blocking entire categories of unwanted mail rather than individual people.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I block an entire domain, like all emails from a company?

Gmail does not have a built-in block-by-domain feature, but you can create a filter that catches them. Go to Filters and Blocked Addresses, create a new filter, and type the domain name in the "From" field using the format @company.com. Then set it to skip your inbox or delete. This blocks all emails from anyone at that domain.

What if someone I blocked creates a new email address?

You will see their messages from the new address because Gmail blocks specific email addresses, not people. You can block the new address the same way you blocked the first one. If this keeps happening, consider using a filter to catch messages by subject line or content instead.

Do blocked senders know I blocked them?

No. Gmail does not send them a notification, and they will not receive a bounce-back message. They will straightforward not see a reply from you, which they might interpret many ways. Blocking is silent on your end.

Can I block someone and still see their emails if I want to?

Yes. Go to your spam folder, find their message, and click "Report not spam" or move it to your inbox. You can read it without unblocking them. However, their next email will still go to spam unless you unblock them in Settings.

If I block someone, do their old emails disappear?

No. Messages they sent before you blocked them stay in your inbox or wherever they were. Blocking only affects new messages going forward. If you want to delete their old emails, you can search for their address and delete those messages manually.