The fastest way to block someone in Yahoo Mail

Open the email from the person you want to block. Click the three dots (more options) in the top right of the message, then select Block. Yahoo will move that sender's future emails to spam automatically, and you won't see notifications from them.

If you've already deleted the email, you can block the address directly from your contacts. Go to Contacts in the left sidebar, find the person's name, click the three dots next to it, and choose Block. Either way takes about 10 seconds.

Once you block someone, Yahoo stores their address on your blocked list. You can see all blocked addresses anytime by going to Settings (the gear icon), then Privacy, then Blocked addresses. From there you can unblock anyone if you change your mind.

Key Takeaways

  • Blocked emails go to spam automatically; Yahoo doesn't delete them, so you can review them later if needed.
  • You can block from an open email, from your contacts list, or by typing an address directly into your blocked list.
  • Blocking only affects email from that one address — if someone uses a different email account, those messages won't be blocked.
  • You can unblock an address anytime from your privacy settings without any penalty or waiting period.

Blocking from an email you've already received

The most common way to block is from an email that's sitting in your inbox. Open the message, look at the top right corner, and click the three horizontal dots. A menu will appear with options including Block. Click it, and Yahoo will confirm that the sender is now blocked.

After you block, Yahoo will ask if you want to delete all past emails from that sender. You don't have to — you can keep them in a folder if you think you might need to reference them later. But if you're blocking someone harassing you, deleting the old messages can help you move on.

Blocking from your contacts or by typing an address

If you don't have a recent email from the person, go to Contacts in the left sidebar. Search for their name or scroll to find them. Click the three dots next to their entry and select Block.

You can also block an address you've never received mail from. Go to Settings, then Privacy, then Blocked addresses. Click Add an address and type in the email address. This is useful if someone has been bothering you through another platform and you want to block them before they email you.

What happens after you block someone

Emails from a blocked sender go straight to your spam folder. You won't see them in your inbox, and Yahoo won't send you notifications about them. The blocked person doesn't get a message saying they've been blocked — they'll just notice their emails aren't getting replies.

The blocked address stays on your list until you remove it. Yahoo doesn't automatically unblock addresses after a certain time, so if you block someone, they stay blocked unless you manually unblock them.

Blocking doesn't stop all contact from that person

Blocking only works on the specific email address you block. If someone has multiple email accounts, they can still email you from a different address. Blocking is not a security feature — it's a way to filter out unwanted mail from addresses you know.

If someone is harassing you across multiple addresses, you may want to report the emails as spam or abuse instead of just blocking. Go to the email, click the three dots, and select Report spam or Report phishing. This helps Yahoo identify patterns of abuse.

Unblocking an address if you change your mind

Go to Settings, then Privacy, then Blocked addresses. You'll see a list of everyone you've blocked. Find the person you want to unblock, click the X next to their address, and confirm. They're unblocked when ready, and their future emails will go to your inbox again.

Unblocking doesn't restore old emails that went to spam while they were blocked. If you need those messages, you can find them in your spam folder and move them back to your inbox manually.

When blocking isn't enough

If someone is sending threatening messages, impersonating you, or sending unsolicited bulk mail, blocking alone may not be enough. Report the email to Yahoo by clicking the three dots and selecting Report spam or Report phishing. Yahoo reviews these reports and can take action against accounts that violate their terms of service.

If the harassment is serious or involves threats, consider reporting it to law enforcement or the platform where the person contacted you originally. Yahoo's blocking tool is designed for filtering unwanted mail, not for handling abuse or threats.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I block multiple addresses at once?

No, Yahoo requires you to block addresses one at a time. If you have many addresses to block, go to Settings > Privacy > Blocked addresses and add each one individually. It takes a few minutes for a long list, but you only have to do it once.

Will the blocked person know I blocked them?

No. Yahoo doesn't send a notification to blocked senders. They may figure it out if their emails go unanswered for a long time, but Yahoo doesn't tell them directly that they've been blocked.

What if someone blocks me — will I know?

You won't get a notification that someone blocked you. Your emails will appear to send normally, but they'll land in their spam folder instead of their inbox. You may notice they stop replying, but Yahoo doesn't confirm the block.

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

Yahoo Mail doesn't have a built-in feature to block all addresses from a domain at once. You have to block individual addresses. If you're receiving spam from many addresses at the same domain, report the emails as spam instead — Yahoo may filter the whole domain if it detects a pattern.

Do blocked emails take up storage space?

Blocked emails that go to spam do count toward your Yahoo Mail storage limit. If you want to free up space, you can permanently delete them from your spam folder. Blocked emails stay in spam for 30 days before Yahoo automatically deletes them.