Block a sender in three steps

Open the email from the sender you want to block. Click the three-dot menu icon in the top right of the message — it looks like three vertical dots. Select Block sender from the dropdown menu. Yahoo Mail will move that sender's future messages to your Spam folder automatically.

That is the fastest method. If you have already deleted the email, you can also block a sender from your Contacts list or by typing their address directly into your blocked senders settings, which we cover below.

Key Takeaways

  • The quickest way to block a sender is to open their email, click the three-dot menu, and select Block sender.
  • Blocked senders' messages go to your Spam folder, not deleted, so you can review them later if needed.
  • You can block an address directly from your settings even if you no longer have an email from that sender.
  • Blocking works on the web version of Yahoo Mail and on the Yahoo Mail mobile app with the same steps.

Block a sender when you no longer have their email

If you have already deleted the message or want to block someone before they send you anything, go to your Yahoo Mail settings. Click the gear icon in the top right corner of your inbox, then select Settings.

In the Settings menu, click Security and privacy on the left side. Scroll down to the section labeled Blocked addresses. Type the email address you want to block into the text field and click Add. Yahoo Mail will now treat all messages from that address as spam.

What happens when you block someone

When you block an email address, Yahoo Mail sends all messages from that sender to your Spam folder. The messages are not deleted — they stay in Spam for 30 days before Yahoo Mail removes them automatically. This means you can still review blocked messages if you change your mind or need to check what was sent.

The blocked sender does not receive a notification that you have blocked them. From their perspective, their emails appear to send normally. They will not know whether you read their messages, blocked them, or straightforward did not reply.

Unblock a sender if you change your mind

Go back to Settings, select Security and privacy, and find the Blocked addresses section. You will see a list of all addresses you have blocked. Click the X or Remove button next to the address you want to unblock. Messages from that sender will no longer go to Spam automatically.

Any messages that were already in your Spam folder will stay there — unblocking does not move old messages back to your inbox. You can move them manually if you want to keep them.

Block an email on the Yahoo Mail mobile app

Open the email you want to block. Tap the three-dot menu icon at the top of the message. Select Block sender from the menu. The process is identical to the web version.

If you want to block an address without having an email from them, open the Yahoo Mail app, tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines) in the top left, and select Settings. Tap Security and privacy, then Blocked addresses, and type in the address you want to block.

Difference between blocking and reporting spam

Blocking sends a sender's messages to your Spam folder. Reporting spam does the same thing but also tells Yahoo Mail that the sender is a spammer, which helps protect other Yahoo Mail users. If you receive unsolicited bulk email or phishing attempts, report spam instead of just blocking.

To report spam, open the email and click the three-dot menu, then select Report spam. The message goes to Spam and Yahoo Mail reviews it. Blocking is better for legitimate senders whose messages you straightforward do not want to see — like an ex-partner, a former coworker, or someone who keeps emailing after you have asked them to stop.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I block multiple email addresses at once?

No, Yahoo Mail requires you to block addresses one at a time. Go to Settings, Security and privacy, Blocked addresses, and add each address individually. If you receive many unwanted messages from different senders, blocking them as they arrive is usually faster than trying to enter them all at once.

Will a blocked sender know I blocked them?

No. Blocked senders do not receive any notification. Their emails appear to send successfully from their end, so they have no way to know whether you blocked them, deleted their messages, or straightforward did not respond.

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

Yahoo Mail does not have a built-in feature to block all addresses from a domain at once. You must block individual email addresses. If you receive many messages from the same company domain, you can block each address as it arrives, or use Yahoo Mail's filters to send messages from that domain to a specific folder.

What if I block someone and they create a new email address?

Blocking only affects the specific email address you blocked. If the sender creates a new account, their messages from the new address will not be blocked automatically. You will need to block the new address separately when you receive a message from it.

Do blocked messages stay in Spam forever?

No. Yahoo Mail automatically deletes messages in your Spam folder after 30 days. If you want to keep a blocked message, move it to another folder before the 30 days are up. After 30 days, the message is permanently deleted and cannot be recovered.