The fastest way to block an email address

Open the email from the sender you want to block. Look for the three vertical dots (⋯) in the top right corner of the email and click it. A menu will appear with several options — select "Block [sender's name]" or "Block" depending on your Gmail version. Gmail will move that sender's future emails to spam automatically.

That's the complete process. Once blocked, you won't see emails from that address in your inbox, and Gmail won't notify you when they arrive. The blocked sender can still send messages — they just land in your spam folder where you won't see them unless you look.

If you don't have an email open from the sender yet, you can also block them by right-clicking their name or email address anywhere it appears in Gmail and selecting the block option from the context menu.

Key Takeaways

  • Blocking an email address takes three clicks: open an email from them, click the three dots, and select block.
  • Blocked emails go to spam automatically, but the sender won't know they're blocked and can still send messages.
  • You can unblock a sender at any time by going to Settings, finding their address in your blocked list, and clicking unblock.
  • Blocking is different from unsubscribing — blocking stops all mail from a person, while unsubscribe only removes you from mailing lists.
  • If someone is harassing you, blocking combined with reporting the email as spam or phishing gives Gmail more information to protect your account.

Where to find your list of blocked senders

Gmail keeps a record of every address you've blocked. To see this list, click the gear icon in the top right corner of Gmail and select "See all settings". Then click the "Filters and Blocked Addresses" tab.

Scroll down to the section labeled "Blocked addresses" and you'll see every sender you've blocked. This is also where you unblock someone if you change your mind — just click the "Unblock" link next to their name.

If you have a lot of blocked addresses, you can search for a specific one using your browser's find function (Ctrl+F on Windows, Command+F on Mac) to locate it quickly.

Unblocking an email address if you change your mind

Go to Settings using the gear icon, then "See all settings", then the "Filters and Blocked Addresses" tab. Scroll to "Blocked addresses" and find the sender you want to unblock. Click "Unblock" next to their name.

Once you unblock someone, their emails will no longer go straight to spam. If they've sent you messages while blocked, those emails will still be in your spam folder — unblocking doesn't move them back to your inbox automatically. You can move them manually if you want to read them.

The difference between blocking and other ways to stop emails

Blocking stops all emails from a specific person or company. Unsubscribing removes you from a mailing list, but only works if the sender included an unsubscribe link in their email — many legitimate newsletters have this, but spammers often don't. Marking as spam tells Gmail that an email is unwanted, but doesn't prevent future emails from that sender.

If you receive emails from a mailing list you no longer want, look for an unsubscribe link at the bottom of the email first. This is usually faster than blocking because it removes you from the list entirely rather than just hiding the emails. If there's no unsubscribe link, or if the sender is harassing you, blocking is the right choice.

For emails that look suspicious or dangerous — phishing attempts, requests for passwords, or offers that seem too good to be true — you can also report them to Gmail by clicking the three dots and selecting "Report phishing" or "Report spam". This helps Gmail protect all users, not just you.

What happens when you block someone

When you block an email address, Gmail automatically sends all future emails from that sender to your spam folder. You won't see a notification, and the blocked sender won't receive any message telling them they're blocked. From their perspective, they've straightforward sent you an email that you haven't responded to.

Blocking only affects email — it doesn't prevent the person from contacting you through other Google services like Google Meet, Google Chat, or YouTube if you use those platforms. If you need to block someone across multiple Google services, you may need to adjust privacy settings in each one separately.

Emails that arrived before you blocked someone stay in your inbox or spam folder depending on where they were. Blocking only affects new messages going forward.

Blocking email addresses on mobile Gmail

On the Gmail app for iPhone or Android, open an email from the sender you want to block. Tap the three dots in the top right corner (iPhone) or bottom right corner (Android). Select "Block [sender]" from the menu. The process is the same as on a computer — future emails from that address go to spam.

To see your blocked list or unblock someone on mobile, you'll need to open Gmail in your phone's web browser instead of the app, then follow the same steps as on a computer. The Gmail app doesn't show your blocked addresses list, so you can't manage blocks from the mobile app directly.

When blocking isn't enough

If someone is sending you threatening, abusive, or harassing messages, blocking stops the emails but doesn't stop the behavior. In these cases, save the emails as evidence and consider reporting them to local law enforcement if the harassment is severe or ongoing.

If you're receiving a large volume of spam or phishing emails, blocking individual senders one at a time isn't practical. Instead, create a filter to catch emails with certain words or from certain domains. Go to Settings, "Filters and Blocked Addresses", and click "Create a new filter". You can set up rules that automatically send emails matching certain criteria straight to spam or delete them.

For work email accounts, talk to your IT department or email administrator — they may be able to block senders at the server level, which is more effective than blocking at the individual account level.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will the person know I blocked them?

No. Gmail doesn't notify blocked senders that they've been blocked. Their emails straightforward go to your spam folder, and they won't know whether you've read them, blocked them, or deleted them. From their perspective, they've just sent you messages you haven't responded to.

Can I block an email address without opening an email from them?

Not directly through the block button. However, you can create a filter that automatically sends emails from that address to spam. Go to Settings, "Filters and Blocked Addresses", click "Create a new filter", enter their email address in the "From" field, and select "Delete" or "Skip the inbox" to send them to spam.

What if I blocked someone by mistake?

Go to Settings, "Filters and Blocked Addresses", find their address in the "Blocked addresses" section, and click "Unblock". Their future emails will no longer go to spam. Any emails they sent while blocked are still in your spam folder — you can move them back to your inbox manually if you want to read them.

Does blocking someone on Gmail block them on other Google services?

No. Blocking only affects Gmail. If you also want to block them on Google Meet, Google Chat, YouTube, or other Google services, you need to adjust settings in each service separately. Check the privacy or blocking settings in each platform for instructions.

Can I block an entire domain instead of just one email address?

Gmail doesn't have a built-in "block domain" feature, but you can create a filter that catches all emails from a domain. Go to Settings, "Filters and Blocked Addresses", click "Create a new filter", and in the "From" field enter @domainname.com (for example, @spamcompany.com). Set it to skip the inbox or delete, and all emails from that domain will go to spam.