The fastest way to block an email address

Open the email from the person you want to block. Click the three dots (more actions menu) at the top right of the message. Select Block sender from the dropdown. Yahoo Mail will move that address to your blocked list when ready, and you will stop seeing messages from them in your inbox.

If you have already deleted the email, you can still block the address without opening a message. Go to your Yahoo Mail settings by clicking the gear icon in the top right corner, then select Settings. Click Security and privacy in the left sidebar, then scroll down to Blocked addresses. Type the email address you want to block and click Add.

Once blocked, messages from that address go straight to your spam folder. You will not see notifications for them, and they will not appear in your inbox. The sender will not be notified that you blocked them.

Key Takeaways

  • You can block an address in two clicks from any email by opening it and selecting Block sender from the three-dot menu.
  • If you do not have an email from the person, go to Settings, then Security and privacy, then Blocked addresses to type in the address manually.
  • Blocked messages move to spam automatically and generate no notifications.
  • You can unblock an address at any time from the same Blocked addresses page in Settings.
  • Blocking works only for exact email addresses — if someone uses a different address, you will need to block that one separately.

What happens when you block someone

Blocked messages do not disappear from your account — they go to your spam folder instead of your inbox. You can still read them if you check spam, but you will not get alerts when they arrive. Yahoo Mail treats blocked addresses the same way it treats other spam, so you have control if you change your mind later.

The person you blocked will not know they are blocked. Their messages will send normally from their end, but they will not receive a delivery failure notice or any other signal that you blocked them. If they contact you through another method to ask why you are not responding, that is a conversation you will need to have separately.

Blocking email addresses versus blocking contacts

Yahoo Mail has two different blocking features, and they work in different ways. Blocking an address (what you do from the three-dot menu or Settings) stops emails from reaching your inbox. Blocking a contact is something you do in Yahoo Contacts if you have saved that person's information there — it prevents them from seeing your online status and contacting you through Yahoo Messenger if you use it.

For email purposes, blocking the address is what you need. If you have the person saved as a contact and want to remove them entirely, you can delete the contact separately, but that is optional. Blocking the email address alone is enough to stop their messages.

Managing your blocked list

You can see all the addresses you have blocked by going to Settings, then Security and privacy, then Blocked addresses. This page shows every address on your blocked list and lets you remove any of them if you change your mind. Click the X next to an address to unblock it.

There is no limit to how many addresses you can block, and Yahoo Mail does not delete your blocked list automatically. Addresses stay blocked until you remove them. If someone you blocked creates a new email address and contacts you from it, you will see that message in your inbox and can block the new address the same way.

When blocking is not enough

Blocking works well for unwanted email, but it has limits. If someone is harassing you across multiple email addresses, you may need to block each address separately as they contact you. If the harassment is severe or involves threats, consider reporting the messages to Yahoo Mail before deleting them — click the three dots on the message and select Report phishing or Report spam depending on the type of message.

Yahoo Mail also has filters you can set up in Settings under Filters and blocked addresses. Filters let you automatically delete, move, or mark messages based on words in the subject line or sender address. This can be useful if you are getting unwanted messages from a domain (like all messages from a company email system) rather than a single person.

Blocking on mobile devices

The Yahoo Mail app on iPhone and Android works the same way as the website. Open an email from the person you want to block, tap the three dots at the top right, and select Block sender. The address goes to your blocked list when ready, and future messages from them will go to spam.

If you need to manage your blocked list on mobile, open Settings in the app, go to Security and privacy, then Blocked addresses. You can add or remove addresses from this screen just as you would on a computer.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will the person I blocked know I blocked them?

No. Their messages will send normally, and they will not receive any notification that you blocked them. They may notice you are not responding, but Yahoo Mail does not tell them the reason.

Can I block an entire domain instead of one address?

The block feature works only for specific email addresses. To block all messages from a domain (like all messages from @company.com), use a filter instead. Go to Settings, then Filters and blocked addresses, and create a rule that deletes or moves messages from that domain.

What if I blocked someone by mistake?

Go to Settings, then Security and privacy, then Blocked addresses. Find the address you want to unblock and click the X next to it. Messages from that address will start arriving in your inbox again.

Do blocked messages take up storage space?

Yes. Blocked messages go to your spam folder, and they count toward your Yahoo Mail storage limit. If you want to free up space, you can permanently delete messages from your spam folder.

Can I block someone if I do not have their email address?

You need the exact email address to block someone. If you only have their name or phone number, you will need to wait for them to send you an email first, then block that address.