The fastest way to block someone in Yahoo Mail
Open the email from the sender 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 when ready stop delivering emails from that address to your inbox and move future messages to spam automatically.
That is the complete process. Once you block an address, Yahoo Mail treats it the same way it treats known spam — the sender will not know they are blocked, and you will not see their messages unless you go looking in your spam folder.
If you want to block someone without opening their email first, you can right-click their name in your inbox list and choose Block sender from the context menu. The result is identical.
Key Takeaways
- Blocked senders have their emails sent to your spam folder automatically, and they receive no notification that you blocked them.
- You can block an address from an open email using the three-dot menu, or right-click a sender's name in your inbox list.
- Blocking is not the same as unsubscribing — use unsubscribe for mailing lists and newsletters, and block for unwanted contact from individuals.
- You can unblock an address at any time by going to Settings, then Blocked addresses, and removing the sender from the list.
Where to find your blocked senders list
To see everyone you have blocked, click the gear icon in the top right corner of Yahoo Mail and select Settings. In the left sidebar, click Security and privacy. Scroll down until you see Blocked addresses.
This page shows every email address you have blocked. You can remove any address from the list by clicking the X next to it. Once you remove an address, emails from that sender will go to your inbox again instead of spam.
Blocking versus unsubscribing — which one to use
Use block when someone is sending you unwanted personal messages or harassment. Use unsubscribe when you are on a mailing list or receiving newsletters you no longer want.
Unsubscribe links appear at the bottom of most marketing emails and newsletters. Clicking unsubscribe removes you from that sender's mailing list but does not block the address — if the sender emails you again for a different reason, you will still see it. Blocking, by contrast, stops all email from that address, regardless of the reason.
If you receive spam from a mailing list that has no unsubscribe link, block the address instead. This is often a sign the sender is not operating a legitimate mailing list.
What happens after you block someone
Blocked emails go to your spam folder. You can still read them if you open your spam folder and look for the sender's name, but they will not appear in your inbox. Yahoo Mail will not notify you when a blocked sender tries to reach you.
The blocked sender does not receive a bounce-back message or any other notification. From their perspective, the email straightforward disappears — they have no way to know whether you blocked them, whether your account is inactive, or whether their message was caught by spam filters.
If you block someone and then change your mind, you can unblock them from the Blocked addresses page in Settings. Unblocking takes effect when ready, and future emails from that address will go to your inbox again.
Blocking on mobile devices
The Yahoo Mail app on iPhone and Android works the same way as the desktop version. Open an email from the sender you want to block, tap the three dots at the top right, and select Block sender. The address is blocked when ready.
To view your blocked list on mobile, tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines) at the bottom right, then tap the gear icon for Settings. Scroll down to find Blocked addresses. You can remove any address from this list by swiping left on it and tapping delete.
When blocking is not enough
Blocking stops email from reaching your inbox, but it does not stop someone from creating new email addresses and contacting you again. If you are experiencing ongoing harassment from multiple addresses, blocking each one individually becomes impractical.
In that case, consider using Yahoo Mail's filters feature to automatically delete or spam emails containing specific words or phrases. You can also report abusive emails to Yahoo by clicking the three dots and selecting Report phishing or Report spam, depending on the type of message. Yahoo uses these reports to improve its spam detection for all users.
If the harassment involves threats or illegal activity, contact local law enforcement. Saving the emails as evidence is important — do not delete them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I block an email address if I have already deleted the email?
Yes. Go to Settings, then Security and privacy, then scroll to Blocked addresses. Click Add a blocked address and type in the email address you want to block. You do not need to have an email from that person to block them.
Will the person I blocked know that I blocked them?
No. They will not receive any notification. Their emails will straightforward fail to appear in your inbox, and they have no way to know whether you blocked them or whether their messages were caught by spam filters.
Can I block an entire domain instead of just one email address?
Yahoo Mail does not have a built-in feature to block entire domains. You can only block individual email addresses. If you are receiving spam from many addresses at the same domain, you can create a filter to automatically delete or spam emails from that domain, or block each address individually.
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. The address is unblocked when ready, and future emails from that sender will go to your inbox again.
Do blocked emails take up storage space in my spam folder?
Yes. Blocked emails go to spam, and spam folder messages count toward your Yahoo Mail storage limit. You can permanently delete emails from your spam folder to free up space, or Yahoo Mail will automatically delete spam older than 30 days.