Blocking stops a sender from reaching your inbox

When you block someone on Yahoo Mail, their messages go straight to spam and you won't see notifications from them. You can block from an open email, from your contact list, or directly from the spam folder. The block stays in place until you remove it — Yahoo doesn't set an expiration date.

Blocking is different from unsubscribing. Unsubscribe works for newsletters and marketing emails that have an unsubscribe link. Blocking works for anyone sending you unwanted mail, whether or not they offer an unsubscribe option. Once blocked, that person cannot reach you even if they create a new message.

Key Takeaways

  • You can block a sender in three ways: from an open email, from your contacts list, or from the spam folder where their messages already landed.
  • Blocked messages go to spam automatically, and you won't receive notifications when they arrive.
  • Blocking someone does not delete their past emails — those stay in your inbox unless you delete them separately.
  • You can unblock someone at any time by going to Settings and removing their address from your blocked list.
  • If someone is harassing you, blocking is a first step, but you may also want to report the messages to Yahoo and keep records in case you need to contact authorities.

Block someone from an open email

Open the email from the person you want to block. Look at the top right of the message — you'll see three dots arranged vertically (called a menu button). Click those dots.

A dropdown menu will appear with several options. Click Block. Yahoo will ask you to confirm — click Block again. The sender is now blocked, and their future emails will go to spam.

Block someone from your contacts list

Click the Contacts icon on the left side of your Yahoo Mail page. Find the person's name in your contacts and click on it to open their contact card.

At the top right of the contact card, click the three dots menu. Select Block from the dropdown. Confirm the block when Yahoo asks. This method works even if you haven't received an email from them yet — useful if someone has your address and you want to prevent them from contacting you.

Block someone from spam or trash

If emails from someone are already landing in your spam folder, you can block them from there. Open your Spam folder on the left side of your inbox. Find an email from the person you want to block and click to open it.

Click the three dots menu at the top right and select Block. Confirm the block. This prevents any future emails from that sender, even though their past messages are still in your spam folder.

What happens to emails after you block someone

Blocking only affects new emails. Any messages from that person that arrived before you blocked them stay in your inbox — they don't move to spam automatically. If you want them gone, you'll need to delete them yourself or move them to trash.

Once you block someone, their new messages arrive in your spam folder. You won't see a notification when they send mail, and you won't see their messages in your inbox. If you check your spam folder, you'll see their emails there, but most people don't check spam regularly.

Unblock someone if you change your mind

Click the gear icon in the top right corner of Yahoo Mail and select Settings. Click Security and privacy on the left side. Scroll down to find Blocked addresses.

You'll see a list of everyone you've blocked. Find the person you want to unblock and click the X next to their name. Confirm when Yahoo asks. They can now email you again, and their messages will go to your inbox like any other sender.

When to block versus report

Blocking stops someone from reaching you, but it doesn't report them to Yahoo. If someone is sending you threatening messages, spam, or sexually explicit content, you should both block them and report the email. Open the message, click the three dots menu, and select Report spam or Report phishing depending on what the email is.

Yahoo uses reports to identify patterns and shut down accounts that violate their terms of service. If you're being harassed, keep copies of the emails (take screenshots or forward them to yourself at another email address) and consider reporting the behavior to local police if it escalates. Blocking is your when ready protection; reporting helps protect other Yahoo users.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can someone tell if I blocked them?

No. When you block someone, they won't receive a notification. If they try to email you, they won't get a bounce-back message saying they're blocked — the email will straightforward fail to reach you, and they may assume you're not responding or that your mailbox is full.

What if someone creates a new email address and contacts me again?

You'll need to block the new address separately. Blocking works on individual email addresses, not on people. If someone is repeatedly creating new accounts to contact you, that's harassment — report each new address to Yahoo and consider involving law enforcement if it continues.

Can I block an entire domain?

Yahoo Mail doesn't have a built-in feature to block all emails from a domain (like all addresses ending in @example.com). You can only block individual email addresses. If you're receiving spam from many addresses at the same domain, report the messages as spam and Yahoo may take action against that domain.

Will blocking someone delete their old emails from my inbox?

No. Blocking only affects new messages. Old emails from that person stay in your inbox until you delete them. If you want them gone, open your inbox, find their emails, select them, and click delete or move to trash.

Can I see a list of everyone I've blocked?

Yes. Go to Settings, click Security and privacy, and scroll to Blocked addresses. You'll see every address you've blocked. From this list, you can unblock anyone by clicking the X next to their name.