The fastest way to block an email sender

Most email services let you block a sender in one or two clicks. In Gmail, open the email from the person you want to block, click the three dots in the top right, and select "Block [sender]". In Outlook, right-click the email and choose "Block Sender". In Apple Mail on Mac, select the email and go to Mail > Block Sender. Yahoo Mail has a Block button in the toolbar when you open the message. Once blocked, emails from that address go straight to spam and you won't see notifications.

The block happens when ready, but it only stops emails from that exact address. If someone uses a different email account, those messages won't be blocked automatically. You may need to block multiple addresses if the same person keeps contacting you from new accounts.

Key Takeaways

  • Blocking a sender takes seconds and sends their future emails directly to your spam folder without notifying them.
  • A block only stops emails from the specific address you blocked, not from other addresses the same person might use.
  • If blocked emails keep arriving from new addresses, you can create a filter rule to catch variations of the sender's name or domain.
  • Blocking does not delete emails already in your inbox — you can delete those separately or leave them unread.
  • Some email services let you unblock a sender later if you change your mind, though the process varies by provider.

What happens when you block someone

When you block a sender, their emails stop appearing in your inbox. They land in the spam or junk folder instead, and most services don't send you notifications about them. The blocked person does not receive a message saying they've been blocked — they may notice their emails aren't getting replies, but they won't get an automatic notification from your email provider.

Emails that arrived before you blocked the sender stay in your inbox unless you delete them. Blocking only affects new messages going forward. If you want to remove old emails from that person, you'll need to delete them separately or move them to trash.

Blocking in different email services

Gmail: Open any email from the sender, click the three-dot menu at the top right, and select "Block [sender's name]". You can also block someone from the spam folder by opening their email and using the same menu. To unblock, go to Settings > Filters and Blocked Addresses, find the blocked address, and click "Unblock".

Outlook (web and desktop): Right-click the email and choose "Block Sender", or open the email and select the three-dot menu, then "Block". In Outlook desktop, you can also go to Home > Junk > Block Sender. Unblock by going to Settings > Mail > Junk Email and removing the address from the blocked list.

Apple Mail (Mac): Select the email and go to Mail menu > Block Sender. The sender's future emails go to your junk folder. To unblock, open Mail Preferences, go to the Junk Mail tab, and remove the address from the blocked list.

Yahoo Mail: Open the email and click the Block button in the toolbar, or click the three-dot menu and select "Block Sender". Blocked emails go to spam. To unblock, go to Settings > Security and Privacy > Blocked Addresses and remove the sender.

When blocking isn't enough: creating filter rules

If someone keeps emailing you from different addresses, blocking each one individually becomes tedious. Instead, create a filter rule that catches emails based on a pattern. In Gmail, you can filter by sender domain (anyone with an @company.com address) or by keywords in the subject line. In Outlook, use Rules to automatically move emails to junk based on sender information or message content.

To create a Gmail filter, click the search box, then the three-dot menu, and select "Create filter". You can specify the sender's domain, keywords, or other details. Choose "Skip the Inbox (Archive)" or send to spam. In Outlook, go to Settings > Mail > Rules and create a new rule that moves matching emails to junk automatically.

Filters work even if the sender uses a slightly different address or variations of their name, as long as the domain or keywords stay the same. This approach is more effective than blocking individual addresses when someone is determined to contact you from multiple accounts.

Blocking on mobile devices

Most email apps on phones and tablets have a block option, though the steps vary. In Gmail on iPhone or Android, swipe left on the email (iPhone) or long-press it (Android), then tap the trash or block icon. Open the email and tap the three-dot menu to find the block option. In Outlook mobile, swipe left on the email and tap the block icon, or open the email and select the three-dot menu.

Yahoo Mail and Apple Mail on iPhone both have block options in the email menu. The process is usually faster on mobile than on desktop because the block button is more visible. Blocks you create on your phone sync to your email account, so the sender is blocked across all your devices.

Deleting old emails from a blocked sender

Blocking stops new emails, but old messages from that person remain in your inbox unless you remove them. You can delete them one at a time, or select multiple emails at once. In Gmail, click the checkbox next to each email or use the checkbox at the top to select all emails from that sender on the current page, then click the trash icon. In Outlook, select the emails and press Delete or click the trash button.

If you have many old emails from the same sender, use the search function to find them all at once. In Gmail, search for "from:sender@email.com" to pull up every email from that address, then select all and delete. In Outlook, search for the sender's name or address, select the results, and delete them together. This clears your inbox without affecting the block itself.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a blocked person tell they've been blocked?

No. They won't receive a notification from your email provider. Their emails straightforward won't get replies, and they may eventually notice their messages aren't reaching you, but they have no way to know for certain that you blocked them.

What if I block someone by mistake?

You can unblock them in your email settings. In Gmail, go to Settings > Filters and Blocked Addresses. In Outlook, go to Settings > Mail > Junk Email. In Apple Mail, open Preferences > Junk Mail. Find the address and click Unblock or remove it from the list. Future emails from that sender will go to your inbox again.

Does blocking someone delete their old emails?

No. Blocking only affects new emails going forward. Old messages from that sender stay in your inbox unless you delete them separately. You can search for their address and delete old emails in bulk if you want to remove them.

Can I block an entire domain or company?

Blocking works on individual email addresses, not whole domains. If you want to block everyone from a company, create a filter rule instead. In Gmail, filter by domain (anyone with @company.com). In Outlook, create a rule that sends emails from that domain to junk automatically.

Will blocking stop text messages or calls from the same person?

No. Email blocking only affects email. If someone is contacting you through text, phone calls, or other apps, you'll need to block them separately in those services. Each platform has its own blocking system.