Block an email address directly from your inbox

Open Gmail on your phone and find any email from the sender you want to block. Tap the three-dot menu icon in the top right corner of that email. Scroll down and tap Block [sender's name]. Gmail will move that sender's future emails to spam automatically.

This is the fastest method because you do not have to navigate through settings. The sender's address goes straight into your blocked list, and you will not see their messages in your inbox again — they land in spam instead. If you change your mind later, you can unblock them from the same menu.

The block takes effect when ready. Any email from that exact address will be filtered to spam from that moment forward, but emails already in your inbox stay where they are.

Key Takeaways

  • Open any email from the sender, tap the three-dot menu, and select Block to send their future messages to spam.
  • Blocking works on the exact email address shown — if someone uses a different address, you will need to block that one separately.
  • Blocked emails go to your spam folder, not deleted, so you can review them later if needed.
  • You can unblock a sender at any time by finding one of their emails in spam and tapping the three-dot menu again.
  • Gmail's block feature works the same way on Android and iPhone.

Block someone from the spam folder

If you have already marked emails as spam but did not block the sender, you can block them retroactively. Open Gmail, tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines) at the top left, and select Spam. Find an email from the sender you want to block, tap the three-dot menu on that email, and tap Block [sender's name].

This approach works when you want to review what spam you have received before making the block permanent. Once you block them, Gmail will continue filtering their messages to spam, and you will not see new ones in your inbox.

Unblock an email address you blocked by mistake

Open Gmail and go to your spam folder. Search for an email from the sender you want to unblock, or scroll through spam to find one. Tap the three-dot menu on their email and select Unblock [sender's name]. That sender's emails will no longer be filtered to spam.

After you unblock someone, their future emails will arrive in your inbox normally. Emails they sent while they were blocked stay in your spam folder — unblocking does not move old messages back to your inbox.

What happens when you block someone

When you block a sender in Gmail, their emails are automatically sent to your spam folder. You will not see notifications for their messages, and they will not appear in your inbox. The sender does not receive any notification that you blocked them — they may not know their emails are not reaching you.

Blocking is address-specific. If someone uses a different email address, Gmail will not automatically block that one. You will need to block each address separately. This matters if you are dealing with someone who creates multiple accounts to contact you.

Your blocked list is private and stored only on your Gmail account. If you use Gmail on multiple devices, your blocks sync across all of them — blocking someone on your phone blocks them on your computer too.

Block emails with specific words or phrases

If you want to filter emails based on content rather than sender, Gmail's phone app has limits. The easiest workaround is to use Gmail's web version on your phone's browser to create filters. Open Gmail in Chrome or Safari, tap the menu icon, select Settings, then Filters and Blocked Addresses, and create a new filter with keywords you want to block.

Filters you create on the web version work on your phone too. However, the phone app itself does not have a built-in filter creation tool, so you will need to switch to the browser version to set this up. Once the filter is active, emails matching those keywords go to spam automatically.

Manage your blocked senders list

To see everyone you have blocked, open Gmail on your phone, tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines), and select Settings. Tap your account name, then scroll down to Blocked addresses. This shows every sender you have blocked on this account.

From this list, you can tap any blocked sender and choose to unblock them. You can also see the exact email address that is blocked, which is useful if you blocked someone and forgot who it was. If you have blocked many people, you can scroll through the list or search by name or address.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the person I blocked know I blocked them?

No. Gmail does not send a notification to blocked senders. They may notice their emails are not getting responses, but they have no way to know through Gmail itself that you blocked them.

Can I block emails from a company or mailing list?

Yes. If you receive marketing emails or newsletters you do not want, open one and tap the three-dot menu. Select Block [sender's name] just as you would for a person. Many mailing lists also include an unsubscribe link at the bottom of the email, which removes you without blocking.

What if someone uses a different email address to contact me after I block them?

Gmail will not automatically block the new address. You will need to block each address separately. If this becomes a pattern, consider using filters with keywords instead, which can catch emails based on content rather than sender address.

Will blocking someone delete their old emails from my inbox?

No. Blocking only affects future emails. Messages already in your inbox from that sender stay there. If you want to remove them, you can manually delete them or move them to trash.

Can I block emails on Gmail without opening them?

Not directly from the inbox list. You need to open the email first to access the three-dot menu where the block option appears. However, once you block someone, all their future emails go to spam without you having to open them.