Blocking stops their messages from reaching your inbox
When you block someone on Yahoo Mail, their messages go straight to your spam folder instead of your inbox. You will not see a notification that they sent anything. The person who is blocked does not get a message telling them they are blocked — their email straightforward disappears from your view, and they will not know whether you read it or if it even arrived.
Blocking is different from unsubscribing. Unsubscribe removes you from a mailing list that you signed up for. Blocking stops a specific person or address from contacting you at all. You can block anyone: a person you know, a stranger, or a business sending unwanted mail.
Key Takeaways
- Blocked messages land in your spam folder, not your inbox, and you will not be notified when they arrive.
- You can block someone by opening their message, clicking the three-dot menu, and selecting "Block".
- Blocking works on the email address itself, so if someone uses a different address, those messages will not be blocked.
- You can unblock someone at any time by going to Settings, finding the blocked list, and removing their address.
- Blocking does not delete messages that already arrived — those stay in your spam folder until you delete them.
How to block someone from an open message
Open the email from the person you want to block. Look for the three-dot menu icon in the top right corner of the message — it looks like three dots stacked vertically. Click it.
A dropdown menu will appear. Select "Block" from the list. Yahoo Mail will ask you to confirm. Click "Block" again. The message will move to your spam folder, and any future messages from that address will go there automatically.
How to block someone without opening their message
If you do not want to open a message, you can block the sender from your inbox list. Hover your mouse over the message (or long-press it on a phone). A menu will appear on the right side. Click the three-dot icon and select "Block".
On a phone, the process is the same: press and hold the message until options appear, then tap the three-dot menu and choose "Block".
What happens to messages that already arrived
Blocking does not delete messages that are already in your inbox. Those messages stay where they are until you delete them yourself. Only new messages from that address will go to spam automatically.
If you want to clean up, go to your inbox, select the old messages from that sender, and delete them. You can select multiple messages at once by clicking the checkbox next to each one, then clicking the delete button.
How to unblock someone
Click the gear icon in the top right corner of Yahoo Mail and select "Settings". Click "Accounts" in the left sidebar, then "Security and privacy". Scroll down to "Blocked addresses".
You will see a list of everyone you have blocked. Find the person you want to unblock and click the X next to their address. They will be unblocked when ready, and their messages will no longer go to spam.
Why blocking is better than deleting
If you delete messages without blocking, the sender can keep emailing you. You will see their messages arrive in your inbox every time. Blocking stops them from reaching your inbox in the first place, so you do not have to deal with them repeatedly.
Blocking is also safer than replying to tell someone to stop. Replying to spam or scam messages confirms that your address is real and active, which can lead to more unwanted mail. Blocking silently removes them from your view without any response.
When blocking is not enough
If someone is using multiple email addresses to contact you, you will need to block each address separately. Blocking works on the specific email address, not the person behind it. If you notice a pattern of harassment from different addresses, save the messages and report them to Yahoo Mail support.
For serious harassment or threats, blocking is a first step, but you may also want to report the messages to Yahoo Mail and consider reporting to local law enforcement if the behavior is threatening or criminal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can the person I blocked tell that I blocked them?
No. They will not receive a notification. Their message will straightforward fail to deliver or appear to send normally — they have no way to know whether you read it, blocked it, or if it arrived at all.
If I block someone, can they still see my emails if I sent them before?
Yes. Blocking only affects messages going forward. Emails you already sent to them remain in their inbox. Blocking is one-way and only stops their messages from reaching you.
What is the difference between blocking and marking as spam?
Marking as spam sends one message to your spam folder but does not block future messages. Blocking automatically sends all future messages from that address to spam. Blocking is permanent until you unblock; marking as spam is just for that one message.
Can I block an entire domain instead of just one address?
Yahoo Mail blocks individual email addresses, not entire domains. If someone is using multiple addresses from the same company, you will need to block each one separately.
Will blocked messages ever appear in my inbox again?
No, not unless you unblock the address. Once blocked, all messages from that address go to spam. If you unblock them, future messages will return to your inbox normally.