The fastest way to block someone in Outlook

Open the email from the person you want to block. Right-click on their name or email address at the top of the message, then select Block Sender from the menu. Outlook will move that sender's future emails to your Junk folder automatically.

If you are using Outlook on the web (outlook.com or outlook.office.com), open the email, click the three dots menu icon at the top right, and select Block. The sender goes to your blocked list when ready.

Once someone is blocked, you will not see their emails in your inbox. They land in Junk instead, and you can delete them without reading. The sender does not get a notification that you blocked them.

Key Takeaways

  • Right-click the sender's name in any email and choose Block Sender to send their future messages to Junk automatically.
  • Blocked senders can still send you emails, but Outlook filters them out of your inbox so you do not see them unless you check Junk.
  • You can unblock someone at any time by going to Settings and removing them from your blocked senders list.
  • Blocking works on a single device or account — if you use Outlook on your phone and your computer, you may need to block the same person on both.

Where to find your blocked senders list

In Outlook on the web, click the gear icon in the top right corner, then select View all Outlook settings. Go to Mail > Junk email. You will see a section called Blocked senders with a list of everyone you have blocked.

In Outlook desktop (the Windows or Mac process), go to File > Options (Windows) or Outlook > Preferences (Mac). Select Trust Center, then Junk Email. Click the Blocked Senders tab to see your full list.

From this list, you can add email addresses manually without needing to receive an email from them first. Type the address into the box and click Add. This is useful if you know someone's email but have not heard from them yet.

Unblocking someone you blocked by mistake

Go back to your blocked senders list using the steps above. Find the person's name or email address, select it, and click Remove. They are unblocked when ready, and their emails will start appearing in your inbox again.

Be aware that unblocking does not retrieve old emails they sent while they were blocked. Those messages stay in your Junk folder. You can search for them there if you need to find something they sent in the past.

What happens to emails from blocked senders

Blocked emails go to your Junk folder, not deleted. This means you can still find them if you need to, but they do not clutter your inbox. You can check Junk periodically to make sure nothing important landed there by mistake.

Outlook's junk filter is separate from your blocked senders list. An email can land in Junk because it looks like spam, even if the sender is not blocked. Conversely, someone you blocked will always go to Junk, even if their email looks legitimate.

Blocking email addresses that look similar to real ones

Scammers sometimes use email addresses that look almost like someone you know — for example, "paypa1.com" instead of "paypal.com" or a name spelled slightly differently. If you receive a suspicious email, block the exact address shown, not the one you think it should be.

You can also block entire domains if you want to stop all emails from a company or service. In your blocked senders list, add an address like @fakebusiness.com (with the @ symbol). Any email from anyone at that domain will go to Junk.

Blocking on Outlook mobile apps

On the Outlook mobile app for iPhone or Android, open an email from the person you want to block. Tap the three dots menu at the top right, then select Block Sender. The app will confirm the block and move their future emails to Junk.

Mobile blocking only affects that device. If you use Outlook on your phone and also on your computer, blocking someone on your phone does not block them on your computer. You will need to block them separately on each device if you want them blocked everywhere.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a blocked sender tell that I blocked them?

No. Outlook does not send any notification to the sender. Their emails straightforward go to your Junk folder instead of your inbox. They have no way to know you blocked them unless you tell them.

What if someone keeps emailing me from different addresses?

Block each address as it arrives. If the emails keep coming from new addresses at the same domain (like @example.com), you can block the entire domain by adding @example.com to your blocked senders list. Any email from anyone at that domain will then go to Junk.

Do I need to block someone on both Outlook.com and Outlook desktop?

Yes, if you use both. Blocking is tied to the device or app you are using. Someone blocked in Outlook on your computer will not be blocked in Outlook on your phone unless you block them there too. Your blocked list does not sync across devices automatically.

Can I block emails by subject line or content instead of sender?

Outlook does not have a built-in feature to block by subject or content. You can only block by sender email address or domain. If you want to filter emails by topic, you can create rules to move certain messages to a folder automatically, but that is different from blocking.

What if I blocked someone and now I need an old email from them?

Check your Junk folder. Blocked emails stay there and are not deleted. Search for their name or a keyword from the message. Once you find it, you can read it without unblocking them. Unblocking is only necessary if you want their future emails to go to your inbox again.