The fastest way to block someone in Gmail

Open the email from the person you want to block. Look for the three vertical dots (called the menu icon) in the top right corner of the email — it sits to the right of the sender's name and subject line. Click those dots, then select Block "[sender's name]" from the menu that appears. Gmail will move that sender's future emails to your spam folder automatically.

That's the entire process. Once you block someone, you won't see their emails in your inbox, and they won't be notified that you blocked them. If you change your mind later, you can unblock them the same way.

Key Takeaways

  • Blocking someone in Gmail takes three clicks: open their email, click the menu dots, and select block.
  • Blocked emails go to your spam folder, not deleted, so you can review them later if needed.
  • The sender does not receive a notification that you blocked them.
  • You can unblock someone at any time by going to Settings and finding them in your blocked addresses list.
  • Blocking works on desktop and mobile, though the menu location differs slightly on phones.

Where to find the block option on your phone

On Gmail's mobile app (iPhone or Android), open the email from the person you want to block. Tap the three vertical dots in the top right corner of the screen. Scroll down in the menu that appears and tap Block "[sender's name]". The process is identical to desktop — future emails from that address go to spam.

If you're using Gmail through a mobile web browser instead of the app, the steps are the same as desktop: open the email, click the three dots, and select block.

What happens to emails that are already in your inbox

Blocking someone does not delete or move their past emails. Any messages from that sender that are already in your inbox, sent folder, or other labels stay where they are. Only new emails from that address will go to spam automatically.

If you want to remove their old emails, you'll need to delete them yourself. You can select multiple emails at once by clicking the checkbox next to each one, then clicking the delete button (trash icon) at the top of the list.

How to unblock someone later

Go to Gmail Settings by clicking the gear icon in the top right corner of your inbox and selecting See all settings. Click the Filters and Blocked Addresses tab. Scroll down to the "Blocked addresses" section — you'll see a list of everyone you've blocked. Find the person you want to unblock and click the Unblock link next to their name.

Once you unblock someone, their emails will no longer go to spam automatically. They'll arrive in your inbox like any other sender's mail.

Blocking someone who uses multiple email addresses

If someone is contacting you from different email addresses, you'll need to block each address separately. Open an email from one of their addresses, block it, then repeat the process for each other address they use. There's no way to block an entire person or domain at once through Gmail's standard block feature.

If you're being contacted by many addresses from the same organization or domain, consider using Gmail's filter feature instead. Filters can automatically send all emails from a specific domain (like "spammer@company.com") to spam without blocking individual addresses. You can set this up in Settings under Filters and Blocked Addresses by clicking Create a new filter.

The difference between blocking and reporting spam

Blocking and reporting spam are two separate actions. When you block someone, their future emails go to your spam folder, but Gmail doesn't learn anything from your action. When you report an email as spam (by clicking the spam icon), you're telling Gmail that this type of message is unwanted, which helps Gmail's spam filters improve for everyone.

You can do both: report an email as spam and then block the sender. Or you can just block without reporting. Blocking is the right choice when someone you know is bothering you. Reporting spam is more useful for unsolicited bulk mail or phishing attempts.

What to do if blocking isn't stopping the emails

If emails from a blocked sender keep appearing in your inbox, they may be using a new email address each time. Check the sender's address carefully — it might look similar to the one you blocked but have slight differences. If so, block the new address as well.

Another possibility is that the email is being forwarded to you by someone else, or sent through a mailing list. In those cases, blocking the original sender won't help because the email is technically coming from the forwarding address. You may need to unsubscribe from the mailing list or ask the person forwarding the emails to stop.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can the person I blocked tell that I blocked them?

No. When you block someone, they receive no notification. Their emails straightforward go to your spam folder. They won't know whether you blocked them, deleted them, or never saw the message.

Will blocking someone prevent them from seeing my emails?

No. Blocking only affects what you receive. If you send an email to someone you've blocked, it will reach them normally. Blocking is one-way — it only stops their incoming messages from reaching your inbox.

Can I block an entire domain or company?

Gmail's block feature works on individual email addresses only. To block all emails from a domain (like everyone@company.com), use the filter feature instead. Go to Settings, click Filters and Blocked Addresses, select Create a new filter, and enter the domain in the "From" field.

What if I accidentally blocked someone?

Go to Settings, click Filters and Blocked Addresses, find the person in the blocked list, and click Unblock. Their future emails will arrive in your inbox again, and you can see any messages they sent while blocked by checking your spam folder.

Does blocking work the same way in Gmail on all devices?

Yes. Whether you use Gmail on desktop, a phone app, or a web browser, blocking sends future emails to spam. The menu location differs slightly between devices, but the result is identical.