Block a sender in Yahoo Mail in three steps
To block an email address in Yahoo Mail, open the message from the sender you want to block, click the three-dot menu icon in the top right of the email, and select Block. Yahoo will then send that sender's future emails directly to your Spam folder automatically. You do not need to do anything else — the block takes effect when ready.
If you have already deleted the email, you can still block the sender. Go to your Spam folder, find an email from that address, open it, click the three-dot menu, and choose Block. The same rule applies: all future mail from that address goes to Spam without reaching your inbox.
Blocked senders cannot tell they have been blocked, and they will not receive a bounce-back message. Their emails straightforward arrive in your Spam folder instead of your inbox, where you can review them later if you need to.
Key Takeaways
- Open any email from the sender, click the three-dot menu, and select Block to send all their future messages to your Spam folder.
- You can block a sender even after you have deleted their email by opening your Spam folder and blocking from there.
- Blocked senders' emails still arrive in Spam, so you can unblock them later if you change your mind.
- Yahoo does not notify blocked senders, and their messages will not bounce back to them.
- To unblock someone, go to Settings, find the blocked address in your block list, and remove it.
Where to find the block option if the menu does not appear
On some devices or older Yahoo Mail layouts, the three-dot menu may not be visible at first glance. If you open an email and do not see the menu icon in the top right corner, try scrolling to the very top of the message or refreshing the page. The menu should appear once the email has fully loaded.
If you are using Yahoo Mail on a phone or tablet, the three-dot menu is usually in the same location but may be smaller. Tap it once to see the block option. If the menu still does not appear, try switching to the desktop version of Yahoo Mail in your browser settings, complete the block, and then switch back to mobile.
How to unblock a sender later
If you blocked someone by mistake or want to receive their emails again, you can unblock them through Yahoo Mail Settings. Click the gear icon in the top right corner of your inbox, then select Settings. From there, choose Security and privacy in the left menu.
Scroll down until you see Blocked addresses. This section lists everyone you have blocked. Find the address you want to unblock, click the X or Remove button next to it, and confirm. That sender's emails will now go to your inbox again instead of Spam.
What happens to emails from blocked senders
When you block someone, their emails do not disappear — they go to your Spam folder instead. This means you can still read them if you need to, but they will not clutter your inbox or send you notifications. You can check your Spam folder at any time to see what blocked senders have written.
If a blocked sender writes to you multiple times, all of their messages pile up in Spam together. You can delete them all at once, or keep them if you think you might need them later. Unblocking the sender does not recover emails that were already sent to Spam — those stay in Spam unless you move them back to your inbox manually.
Blocking vs. marking as spam — which one to use
Yahoo Mail offers two ways to stop unwanted email: blocking and marking as spam. Blocking is best for people you know — an ex, a former coworker, someone who keeps emailing after you have asked them to stop. Marking as spam is better for unknown senders, newsletters you no longer want, or obvious junk mail.
The difference matters because marking something as spam teaches Yahoo's filter to catch similar messages in the future, while blocking only stops that one address. If you mark a newsletter as spam, Yahoo learns to filter out that type of message. If you block a person, only their exact email address is affected. For most unwanted mail from strangers, marking as spam is more effective than blocking.
Blocking email addresses that use slight variations
Some senders try to get around blocks by changing their email address slightly — adding a number, using a different domain, or adding a dot in the middle of their name. Yahoo's block feature only stops the exact address you blocked, not variations of it.
If someone keeps emailing you from different addresses, blocking each one individually becomes tedious. Instead, mark their emails as spam so Yahoo's filter learns to catch similar messages automatically. You can also contact Yahoo Support if you believe someone is harassing you across multiple addresses — they may be able to take action beyond what the block feature allows.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I block an email address without opening the message?
Not directly from your inbox list. You need to open the email first to see the three-dot menu and block option. However, if the email is already in your Spam folder, you can open it from there and block it the same way.
Will the person I blocked know that I blocked them?
No. Yahoo does not send a notification to blocked senders, and their emails do not bounce back to them. They will straightforward notice that you are not responding, but they will not receive any message saying they have been blocked.
Can I block multiple people at once?
No, you must block each address individually. Open an email from each sender and click block. If you have many unwanted senders, marking their emails as spam instead may be faster, since spam filtering can catch similar messages automatically.
What if someone blocks me — will I know?
You will not receive a notification that someone has blocked you. Your emails will still send, but they will go to their Spam folder instead of their inbox. You may notice they are not responding, but Yahoo does not tell you directly that you have been blocked.
Can I block an entire domain, like all emails from a company?
Yahoo Mail does not have a built-in feature to block entire domains at once. You can only block individual email addresses. If you receive many unwanted emails from the same company, you can block each address separately or mark them as spam to train the filter.