Block a sender in three steps

Open the email from the person you want to block. Click the three dots (more options) in the top right of the email. Select "Block [sender's name]" from the menu. Gmail will move that sender's future emails to spam automatically.

Once you block someone, their emails go straight to your spam folder. You won't see notifications for them, and they won't know they're blocked — Gmail doesn't send them a message about it. If you change your mind later, you can unblock them the same way: open a blocked email, click the three dots, and choose "Unblock."

Blocking works on both the Gmail website and the Gmail app on your phone. The block applies to your account across all devices, so you only have to do it once.

Key Takeaways

  • Blocked senders' emails move to spam automatically, and you won't receive notifications about them.
  • You can block someone from any email they send you by clicking the three dots and selecting "Block."
  • Blocking is reversible — you can unblock a sender at any time if you decide you want to receive their emails again.
  • The block applies across all your devices once you set it, so you don't need to block the same person multiple times.
  • Blocking is different from unsubscribing; blocking stops all emails from that sender, while unsubscribe only removes you from mailing lists.

When blocking is the right choice

Block someone when you want to stop seeing their emails entirely. This works well for persistent unwanted contacts, people you no longer want to hear from, or senders who are harassing you. Blocking is permanent until you undo it, so use it when you're sure you don't want any future contact.

If you're getting unwanted emails from a company or service, unsubscribing might be better than blocking. Look for an "Unsubscribe" link at the bottom of their email — that removes you from their mailing list without blocking the sender's address. Blocking is stronger and stops everything from that address, even if they try to contact you for a legitimate reason later.

Blocking vs. reporting spam

Blocking and reporting spam are two different actions. When you block someone, their emails go to your spam folder, but Gmail doesn't learn anything from it. When you report an email as spam, you tell Gmail's filters that the message is unwanted, which helps protect other Gmail users too.

If you're receiving scam emails or phishing attempts, report them as spam instead of just blocking. Click the three dots, select "Report phishing" or "Report spam," and Gmail will analyze the email and add it to their spam detection system. You can block the sender afterward if you want, but reporting first gives Gmail the information it needs to catch similar emails from other senders.

Block a sender on the Gmail app

On your phone or tablet, open the email from the person you want to block. Tap the three dots in the top right corner. Scroll down and tap "Block [sender's name]." The app will confirm the block and move their emails to spam.

The process is the same on both iPhone and Android. Once you block someone on the app, the block takes effect on the Gmail website too, since it's tied to your account, not your device.

What happens after you block someone

Their emails go to your spam folder automatically. You won't see them in your inbox, and Gmail won't send you notifications about them. If they send you multiple emails, they all go to spam without you knowing they arrived.

The blocked sender can still send you emails — they just won't know that you're not reading them. They won't receive a bounce-back message or any notification that they're blocked. From their perspective, the email straightforward goes out into the world with no response.

Unblocking a sender if you change your mind

To unblock someone, find one of their emails in your spam folder. Open it, click the three dots, and select "Unblock [sender's name]." Their future emails will go to your inbox again instead of spam.

If you've deleted all their emails and don't have one to open, you can unblock them through Gmail settings. Go to Settings, click the "Filters and Blocked Addresses" tab, find the blocked sender in the list, and click "Unblock" next to their name. After you unblock them, their next email will arrive in your inbox normally.

Blocking doesn't stop all unwanted email

Blocking works only for emails from that specific address. If someone uses a different email address to contact you, blocking won't stop them. Scammers and harassers sometimes create multiple accounts, so you may need to block more than one address.

If you're being harassed by someone using multiple addresses, or if blocking isn't stopping the unwanted contact, consider reporting the emails as spam and looking into Gmail's "Report abuse" feature. For serious harassment or threats, contact your local police or the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) at ic3.gov.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can the person I blocked tell that I blocked them?

No. They won't receive any notification, bounce-back message, or indication that you blocked them. Their email straightforward goes out without a response from you, just like any other ignored message.

Will blocking someone delete their old emails from my inbox?

No. Blocking only affects future emails from that sender. Any emails they already sent you stay in your inbox unless you delete them manually. If you want to remove their old messages, you'll need to search for them and delete them yourself.

What's the difference between blocking and muting a conversation?

Muting hides a conversation from your inbox but doesn't stop future emails from that sender. Blocking stops all emails from that address and sends them to spam. Use muting for conversations you want to ignore but might need later; use blocking for senders you don't want to hear from at all.

Can I block multiple people at once?

No. You have to block each sender individually by opening their email and clicking the block option. If you're receiving many unwanted emails from different addresses, you may want to report them as spam instead, which helps Gmail's filters catch similar messages.

If I block someone and they create a new email address, will they be blocked too?

No. Blocking applies only to the specific email address you blocked. A new address from the same person won't be blocked automatically. You'll need to block the new address when you receive an email from it.