Where to find your blocked senders list
The steps to unblock someone depend on which email service you use. Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo Mail, and Apple Mail all store blocked addresses in different places, and the process takes less than a minute once you know where to look.
If you use Gmail on the web, go to Settings (the gear icon in the top right), then click "See all settings." Go to the Filters and Blocked Addresses tab. You'll see a list of every address you've blocked. Find the one you want to unblock and click the "Unblock" link next to it. The person can now send you mail again, and their messages will land in your inbox like anyone else's.
On Outlook.com, open Settings, then select "Mail" from the left sidebar. Click "Junk email" and then "Blocked senders." You'll see your list there. Click the X next to any address you want to unblock.
Key Takeaways
- Gmail keeps blocked addresses in Settings under Filters and Blocked Addresses; Outlook keeps them under Junk Email settings; Yahoo and Apple Mail have their own separate blocked lists in account settings.
- Once you unblock an address, that person's future emails will arrive in your inbox normally, but old messages they sent while blocked will not reappear.
- Unblocking someone does not restore deleted messages or change your spam filters — it only removes the block on that specific address.
- If you block someone again by accident, you can unblock them the same way, so there is no permanent consequence to blocking.
How to unblock in Yahoo Mail and Apple Mail
Yahoo Mail users should sign in, click the gear icon in the top right, and select "Settings." Go to "Blocked addresses" in the left menu. You'll see your full list. Click the X next to the address you want to unblock.
Apple Mail (on Mac, iPhone, or iPad) does not have a central blocked list you can view all at once. Instead, you unblock by opening an email from that person and tapping or clicking the flag or sender name, then selecting "Unblock." If you don't have a recent email from them, you may need to ask them to send you something first, or contact your email provider's support.
What happens after you unblock someone
Once you unblock an address, that person's new emails will arrive in your inbox. However, messages they sent while they were blocked will not suddenly appear — those are gone. If you want to read old conversations with them, you'll need to ask them to resend important messages.
Unblocking does not change your spam filter settings. If their emails were going to spam before you blocked them, they may still go to spam afterward. You can move their messages to your inbox manually, or ask your email provider to whitelist their address if the spam filter keeps catching them.
Blocking by mistake versus blocking on purpose
It's straightforward to block someone by accident — a misclick on a menu, or blocking the wrong address when you meant to block someone else. The good news is that blocking is reversible. You can unblock and reblock the same person as many times as you need to.
If you blocked someone on purpose but now want to hear from them again, unblocking works the same way. There's no waiting period or approval process. The moment you click unblock, their emails can reach you.
If you can't find the blocked list
Some email services hide the blocked list in unexpected places, or the interface changes depending on whether you're using the web version or a phone app. If you can't locate your blocked addresses, search your email provider's help center for "blocked senders" or "unblock." Most providers have a support article with screenshots showing exactly where to look.
If you're using a third-party email app (like Thunderbird, Spark, or the default Mail app on your phone), the blocked list may be stored by that app rather than by your email provider. Check the app's settings menu under Privacy, Security, or Contacts. If you still can't find it, contact the app's support team — they can walk you through the steps for your specific version.
Why you might want to unblock someone
People block addresses for different reasons. You might have blocked a work contact by accident, or blocked someone years ago and now want to reconnect. You might have blocked a vendor or service and forgotten about it, then wonder why you're not getting their emails anymore.
Unblocking is also useful if you blocked an address because of spam, but the person behind it has changed their behavior. If an old contact has cleaned up their email habits or you've decided to give them another chance, unblocking lets you move forward without starting a new conversation about why you weren't responding.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will the person know I unblocked them?
No. Unblocking is silent — the person will not receive a notification that you've unblocked them. They'll only know if their emails start reaching you again and you tell them you had blocked them by mistake.
Can I block and unblock someone repeatedly?
Yes. There is no limit to how many times you can block or unblock the same address. You can block them again whenever you want, and the process is the same each time.
What if I unblock someone but still don't want to see their emails?
Unblocking and filtering are different. You can unblock an address but create a filter rule that sends their emails to a folder, marks them as read automatically, or sends them to spam. This way you're not blocking them, but you're also not seeing their messages in your inbox.
Do I need to unblock someone to reply to their old emails?
No. You can reply to old emails from blocked senders even while they're blocked. Blocking only stops new incoming mail from reaching you — it doesn't prevent you from responding to messages they sent before the block was in place.
What if I blocked an email address that's no longer active?
You can still unblock it. There's no harm in unblocking an inactive address — if that person never sends you mail again, it won't matter. If they do contact you from a new address, you can block that one instead.