Blocking stops emails from one sender from reaching your inbox
When you block someone in Gmail, their messages skip your inbox and go straight to spam. You won't see notifications for their emails, and they won't know you've blocked them. The block stays in place until you remove it — Gmail doesn't expire blocks automatically.
Blocking is different from unsubscribing. Unsubscribe works for newsletters and marketing emails that include an unsubscribe link. Blocking works for any sender, including people who email you directly, and it doesn't require their permission or cooperation.
Key Takeaways
- Open any email from the sender you want to block, click the three-dot menu, and select "Block [sender name]" — the whole process takes about five seconds.
- Blocked emails go to your spam folder automatically, so you can still retrieve them if you change your mind later.
- Blocking only affects the email address you blocked; if the same person emails from a different address, those messages will still reach your inbox.
- You can unblock a sender anytime by going to Gmail Settings, finding their address in the Blocked and Unsubscribed tab, and clicking Unblock.
- Blocking does not prevent someone from seeing your replies if you've already emailed them — it only stops their future messages to you.
How to block a sender from an open email
Open the email from the person you want to block. At the top right of the email, you'll see a three-dot menu icon (sometimes called "More actions"). Click it.
A dropdown menu appears. Select "Block [sender's name]" — the exact wording depends on whether Gmail recognizes the sender's name, but the option will always include the word "Block". Click it once, and the sender is blocked when ready. You'll see a confirmation message at the bottom of the screen.
How to block a sender from your inbox list
You don't have to open an email to block someone. In your inbox, hover your mouse over an email from the sender you want to block. Three icons appear on the right side of that email row: a checkbox, a three-dot menu, and a trash icon.
Click the three-dot menu. Select "Block [sender's name]" from the dropdown. The email stays in your inbox, but future emails from that sender will go to spam.
Where blocked emails go and how to find them
When you block a sender, their emails don't disappear — they go to your spam folder. You can still read them if you need to, and you can still retrieve them if you realize you blocked someone by mistake.
To check your spam folder, click "More" in the left sidebar (below your labels), then click "Spam". You'll see all blocked emails there. If you want to move one back to your inbox, open it, click the three-dot menu, and select "Report not spam".
How to unblock a sender
If you change your mind about blocking someone, you can unblock them. Click the gear icon in the top right of Gmail, then select "See all settings".
Click the "Filters and Blocked Addresses" tab. Scroll down to the "Blocked addresses" section. You'll see a list of everyone you've blocked. Find the sender you want to unblock and click "Unblock" next to their name. Their future emails will go to your inbox again instead of spam.
What blocking does and doesn't do
Blocking stops incoming emails from that sender's address. It does not prevent them from seeing emails you've already sent them, and it does not notify them that you've blocked them. If they email you from a different address, those messages will still reach your inbox.
Blocking is address-specific. If someone has multiple email addresses and you only block one, emails from their other addresses will still come through. You'll need to block each address separately.
Blocking does not delete old emails from that sender. Emails already in your inbox stay there. Only new emails from that sender go to spam. If you want to delete old emails from someone, you can search for their address, select all results, and delete them manually.
When to block versus when to report spam
Use blocking when you know the sender personally or recognize them, but you don't want their emails anymore. Block a coworker who keeps emailing you after hours, block an ex, block a vendor you no longer use.
Use reporting spam when you don't recognize the sender and suspect the email is fraudulent, phishing, or unsolicited bulk mail. Open the email, click the three-dot menu, and select "Report spam". This tells Gmail the email is spam, which helps train Gmail's filters to catch similar emails from other users. Reporting spam also blocks the sender automatically.
If you're unsure whether an email is legitimate, check the sender's address carefully. Scammers often use addresses that look similar to real companies but have slight differences — like "amaz0n.com" instead of "amazon.com". Hover over the sender's name to see their full email address before you decide whether to block or report.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I block multiple people at once?
No, Gmail requires you to block senders one at a time. There's no bulk-block feature. If you need to block many addresses, you can do it quickly by opening each email and using the three-dot menu, but you'll repeat the process for each sender.
What happens if I block someone and they email me from a different address?
Gmail only blocks the specific email address you selected. If the same person emails from another address, that message will reach your inbox normally. You'll need to block each address separately if you want to block all of their email accounts.
Will the person I blocked know that I blocked them?
No. Gmail does not notify senders when they are blocked. If they try to email you, they won't receive a bounce-back message or any other indication that you've blocked them. Their email will straightforward go to your spam folder.
Can I block an entire domain instead of just one email address?
Gmail's block feature works on individual email addresses only, not entire domains. If you want to block all emails from a company domain, you can create a filter instead. Go to Settings, click "Filters and Blocked Addresses", then "Create a new filter". Enter the domain (like @example.com) in the "From" field, and select "Delete" or "Skip the Inbox" to handle all emails from that domain automatically.
If I unblock someone, will their old emails come back to my inbox?
No. Unblocking only affects future emails. Old emails from that sender stay in your spam folder unless you move them back manually. Open your spam folder, find their emails, select them, and click "Report not spam" to move them to your inbox.