The fastest way to block an email address

Open the email from the person you want to block. Look for the three vertical dots (called the menu button) in the top right corner of the email. Click it, then select Block "[sender's name]" from the dropdown menu. Gmail will when ready send that sender's future emails to your Spam folder.

That is the entire process. Once blocked, you will not see notifications when they send you mail, and their messages will not clutter your inbox. You can unblock them later if you change your mind — the block is not permanent.

If you cannot find the three-dot menu, make sure you have opened the full email itself, not just the preview in your inbox list. The menu appears only when you are viewing a single message.

Key Takeaways

  • Click the three-dot menu inside an email and select Block to send that sender's future messages to Spam automatically.
  • Blocked senders can still see that you received their email — blocking only hides their messages from you, it does not notify them.
  • You can block someone without opening their email by right-clicking their name in your inbox and choosing Block from the context menu.
  • Unblocking takes the same path: go to Settings, find the Blocked addresses list, and click Unblock next to the person's name.
  • Blocking is different from reporting spam — use Block for unwanted mail from people you know, and Report spam for unsolicited bulk mail.

Blocking without opening the email

If you do not want to open an email to block it, you can block directly from your inbox. Right-click on the sender's name or the email subject line. A small menu will appear with the option to Block "[sender's name]". Click it, and the block takes effect when ready.

This method is faster when you have multiple emails from the same person and do not want to open each one. The result is identical — their future emails go to Spam.

What happens after you block someone

Once you block an address, Gmail routes all future emails from that sender directly to your Spam folder. You will not receive a notification when they send you mail. The blocked person does not receive any message telling them they have been blocked — from their perspective, they straightforward do not know whether you read their email.

Emails that arrived before you blocked the sender stay in your inbox unless you delete them manually. Blocking only affects new mail going forward. If you want to remove old emails from that person, you will need to find and delete them yourself or use Gmail's search function to find all messages from that address and delete them in bulk.

How to unblock an email address

To unblock someone, go to your Gmail Settings. Click the Filters and Blocked Addresses tab. Scroll down to the section labeled "Blocked addresses" and you will see a list of everyone you have blocked. Find the person you want to unblock and click the Unblock button next to their name.

Once unblocked, their emails will no longer go to Spam automatically. New messages from them will arrive in your inbox like mail from any other sender. This does not restore old emails they sent while they were blocked — those remain in Spam unless you move them back manually.

Blocking versus reporting spam

Gmail offers two separate tools that work differently. Block is for email addresses you know — a person pestering you, an ex-partner, a coworker you do not want to hear from. Report spam is for unsolicited bulk mail, scams, or phishing attempts from addresses you do not recognize.

When you report an email as spam, you are helping Gmail's filters learn what spam looks like so they catch similar mail for all users. When you block, you are only protecting your own inbox. If someone is sending you phishing emails or obvious scams, report spam instead of block — it does more good for the broader Gmail community.

Blocking email addresses on mobile

The process on a phone or tablet is nearly identical. Open the Gmail app and tap the email you want to block. Tap the three vertical dots in the top right corner. Select Block "[sender's name]" from the menu. The block takes effect when ready, and future emails from that address will go to Spam.

To unblock on mobile, open Settings within the Gmail app, tap your account, then tap Filters and Blocked Addresses. Find the blocked address and tap Unblock. The mobile app uses the same blocking system as the desktop version, so blocks sync across all your devices.

When blocking does not solve the problem

If someone is sending you threatening messages, harassing you repeatedly, or you believe they are committing fraud, blocking alone may not be enough. Save the emails as evidence and consider reporting the behavior to local law enforcement or the Federal Trade Commission if it involves scams.

If the harassment is coming from multiple addresses or the person keeps creating new accounts to contact you, blocking each address individually becomes impractical. In that case, you might consider changing your email address entirely, or using Gmail's more aggressive filtering options to catch mail from similar domains or patterns.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a blocked person tell that I blocked them?

No. When you block someone, they do not receive a notification. From their side, they straightforward will not know whether you read their emails or not. Gmail does not inform blocked senders of their status.

Will blocking delete emails that person already sent me?

No. Blocking only affects new emails going forward. Old messages from that sender remain in your inbox unless you manually delete them. If you want to remove their past emails, search for their address and delete the messages yourself.

What if I block someone by mistake?

You can unblock them anytime by going to Settings, clicking Filters and Blocked Addresses, finding their name, and clicking Unblock. Once unblocked, their future emails will arrive in your inbox normally again.

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

No. Blocking in Gmail only affects email. That person can still contact you through Google Meet, Google Chat, or other Google products. You would need to block them separately in those services if you want to prevent contact there too.

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 are receiving spam from many addresses at the same domain, use the Filters and Blocked Addresses section to create a filter that catches mail from that domain and sends it to Spam automatically.