The fastest way to block someone in Yahoo Mail

Open the email from the person you want to block. Look for the three dots (called a menu icon) in the top right corner of the email — it sits next to the archive and delete buttons. Click those three dots, then select Block from the dropdown menu. Yahoo will move that sender's future emails to your spam folder automatically.

That is the entire process. Once you block an address, Yahoo stops showing you messages from that sender. They go straight to spam, and you will not see a notification when they arrive. The person who sent the email does not know they have been blocked — they will not receive any message from Yahoo telling them so.

If you want to block someone without opening their email first, you can right-click on their name in your inbox list and choose Block from the menu that appears. The result is the same.

Key Takeaways

  • Blocked emails go to your spam folder, and you will not receive notifications when they arrive.
  • You can block a sender by opening their email, clicking the three-dot menu, and selecting Block.
  • Right-clicking a sender's name in your inbox list also opens a Block option without opening the email.
  • Blocking someone does not notify them — they have no way to know you blocked their address.
  • You can unblock a sender later by going to your spam folder, finding their email, and selecting Unblock.

Where blocked emails actually go

When you block an address in Yahoo Mail, the emails do not disappear entirely. They land in your Spam folder instead. This matters because Yahoo keeps spam for 30 days before deleting it permanently. If you change your mind about blocking someone, you have a month to undo it.

You can check your spam folder at any time by clicking Spam in the left sidebar of Yahoo Mail. Look for the sender's name, open one of their emails, click the three-dot menu, and select Unblock. After you unblock them, their future emails will go back to your inbox normally.

Blocking email addresses versus blocking contacts

Yahoo Mail has two different blocking features, and they work in different places. Blocking an email address (what you do from an email itself) stops messages from reaching your inbox. Blocking a contact (what you do in Yahoo Contacts) prevents that person from seeing your online status and stops them from sending you chat messages if you use Yahoo Messenger.

For most people, blocking the email address is what you need. It stops unwanted messages from showing up. Blocking a contact is useful only if you also use Yahoo's chat or messenger features. You can do both at the same time — they do not interfere with each other.

What happens when you block someone

After you block an address, Yahoo Mail stops showing you any messages from that sender. Old emails from them stay in your inbox (unless you delete them), but new messages go straight to spam. You will not see a notification, a count, or any alert that a blocked sender has tried to reach you.

The blocked person can still send emails to your address. Yahoo does not reject their messages or send them a bounce-back notice. Their emails straightforward arrive in your spam folder instead of your inbox. From their perspective, they have no way to know whether you received their message, read it, or blocked them.

Unblocking a sender if you change your mind

To unblock someone, go to your Spam folder and find an email from that sender. Open it, click the three-dot menu, and select Unblock. Yahoo will move that email back to your inbox and stop filtering future messages from them to spam.

If the sender has not emailed you since you blocked them, you will not have a recent email to unblock from. In that case, you can go to Yahoo Mail settings. Click the gear icon in the top right, select Settings, then go to the Security and Privacy tab. Scroll down to Blocked addresses and you will see a list of everyone you have blocked. Click the X next to any name to unblock them.

Blocking multiple addresses at once

If you are receiving unwanted emails from many different addresses, you do not have to block each one individually. Yahoo Mail has a feature called filters that can automatically send emails matching certain rules to spam or delete them.

To set up a filter, click the gear icon, select Settings, then go to Filters. Click Add a new filter and enter the sender's address or a pattern (for example, if many addresses end with @unwanteddomain.com, you can block the whole domain). Tell Yahoo to send matching emails to spam or delete them. Filters work on new emails only — they do not affect messages already in your inbox.

When blocking is not enough

Blocking stops emails from reaching your inbox, but it does not stop someone from sending them. If a sender is harassing you or the messages feel threatening, blocking alone may not be the right solution. You can report the email to Yahoo as spam or abuse by opening it, clicking the three-dot menu, and selecting Report phishing or Report spam. This helps Yahoo identify patterns of abuse.

If the messages are threatening, contain illegal content, or feel like harassment, you may want to save the emails as evidence and contact local law enforcement. Yahoo can provide information to authorities if they have a legal request, but blocking is a personal tool — it only affects what you see.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I block an email address on Yahoo Mail mobile app?

Yes. Open the email, tap the three dots in the top right corner, and select Block. The process is the same on iPhone and Android. Blocked emails will go to spam on all your devices.

Will the person I blocked know I blocked them?

No. Yahoo does not send a notification to blocked senders. They will not receive any message from Yahoo or see any indication that you blocked them. Their emails straightforward go to your spam folder.

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

Blocking a single address does not block the whole domain. To block all emails from a domain (like @unwanteddomain.com), use Yahoo Mail filters instead. Go to Settings, select Filters, and create a rule that matches the domain pattern.

What if someone creates a new email address after I block them?

Blocking only affects the specific address you blocked. If someone sends you a message from a different address, it will go to your inbox normally. You would need to block each new address separately, or use filters to block the entire domain if all addresses come from the same one.

Do blocked emails take up storage space in my spam folder?

Yes. Blocked emails sit in your spam folder and count toward your Yahoo Mail storage limit until they are deleted. Yahoo automatically deletes spam after 30 days, but you can delete blocked emails sooner by opening your spam folder and emptying it manually.