Blocking stops their messages from reaching your inbox
When you block an email address in Gmail, messages from that sender go straight to spam instead of your inbox. You won't see notifications, and the blocked person won't know they've been blocked — their messages straightforward disappear from your view. Blocking is different from unsubscribing (which removes you from a mailing list) or marking as spam (which trains Gmail's filter but doesn't stop future messages).
The block stays in place until you remove it. You can unblock someone at any time, and doing so doesn't restore their old messages — those stay in spam unless you move them back manually.
Key Takeaways
- Blocked emails go to your spam folder automatically, and you won't receive notifications about them.
- The person who is blocked cannot tell they have been blocked, and blocking does not delete their past messages.
- You can block someone from a single email by opening it and clicking the three-dot menu, then selecting "Block [sender name]".
- You can view your full list of blocked addresses in Gmail Settings under the Filters and Blocked Addresses tab, and unblock anyone from there.
- Blocking works only in Gmail itself — it does not stop someone from emailing you through other services or platforms.
How to block someone from a single email
Open any email from the person you want to block. Look for the three vertical dots (the menu icon) in the top right corner of the email. Click it, and a dropdown menu will appear. Select "Block [sender name]" from the list.
Gmail will ask you to confirm. Click "Block" again, and the message will move to spam. All future emails from that address will go to spam automatically.
How to block someone from your contact list
If you have the person's email address saved in your Gmail contacts, you can block them without opening an email first. Go to your Contacts (you can find this in the left sidebar or by going to contacts.google.com). Find the contact you want to block and click their name to open their card.
Click the three-dot menu at the top right of their contact card and select "Block this contact." Gmail will move any existing emails from this person to spam and block all future messages.
How to see who you have blocked
Go to Gmail Settings by clicking the gear icon in the top right corner and selecting "See all settings." Click the "Filters and Blocked Addresses" tab. Scroll down to the "Blocked addresses" section, and you will see a list of every email address you have blocked.
This list shows only the addresses you have actively blocked through Gmail's block feature. It does not include addresses you have straightforward marked as spam or unsubscribed from.
How to unblock someone
Go to Settings, then the "Filters and Blocked Addresses" tab. Find the address you want to unblock in the "Blocked addresses" section. Click the X button next to their email address. Gmail will ask you to confirm — click "Unblock" to finish.
Once you unblock someone, their future emails will go to your inbox normally. Their old messages that went to spam will stay in spam unless you manually move them back.
What blocking does and does not do
Blocking sends incoming messages to spam and hides notifications. The blocked person will not receive a message saying they have been blocked, and they cannot tell from Gmail's side that you have blocked them. However, if they email you from a different address, that message will come through normally — blocking only applies to the specific email address you blocked.
Blocking also does not stop someone from contacting you through other platforms like social media, text message, or phone. It only affects Gmail. If someone is harassing you across multiple platforms, you may need to block them in each service separately.
When to block versus when to unsubscribe
Use the block feature when someone is sending you unwanted personal messages or harassment. Use unsubscribe when you are receiving legitimate marketing emails or newsletters that you no longer want. Many legitimate companies include an unsubscribe link at the bottom of their emails — clicking it removes you from their mailing list without blocking the address.
If you unsubscribe from a mailing list but keep receiving emails, then blocking becomes the right choice. Marking emails as spam also trains Gmail's filter to catch similar messages in the future, but it does not stop the sender the way blocking does.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can the person I blocked tell that I blocked them?
No. When you block someone, their emails go to spam silently. They will not receive a notification, and Gmail does not tell them they have been blocked. They may eventually notice you are not responding, but they cannot see that you have blocked them from Gmail's side.
What happens to emails I already received from someone before I block them?
Emails that arrived before you blocked the address stay in your inbox unless you move them. Blocking only affects future messages. If you want to clean up old messages, you can search for that sender's address and delete or move those emails manually.
Can I block an entire domain instead of just one email address?
Gmail's block feature works only on individual email addresses, not entire domains. If you want to block all emails from a company domain, you can create a filter in Settings that automatically sends all messages from that domain to spam or deletes them.
If I unblock someone, will their old messages come back to my inbox?
No. Unblocking only stops Gmail from sending their future messages to spam. Messages that went to spam while they were blocked stay in your spam folder. You would need to manually search for and move those messages back to your inbox if you want to see them.
Does blocking someone in Gmail block them on other Google services?
Blocking in Gmail only affects email. It does not block them from contacting you through Google Meet, Google Chat, or other Google services. You would need to block them separately in each service if you want to prevent contact across multiple platforms.