Block an email address in three steps

To block someone in Yahoo Mail, open an email from that person, click the three-dot menu icon next to their name, and select Block. Yahoo will then send their future emails straight to your spam folder automatically. The person will not be notified that you blocked them, and you will not see their messages unless you unblock them later.

This works whether you are using Yahoo Mail on a computer or the Yahoo Mail app on your phone. The steps are the same either way, and the block takes effect when ready.

Key Takeaways

  • Blocking someone sends their future emails to spam automatically — you will not see them in your inbox.
  • You can block someone from an open email by clicking the three-dot menu next to their name and selecting Block.
  • You can also block an address from your Blocked List in Yahoo Mail settings without needing an email from that person first.
  • Blocking does not delete old emails from that person — those stay in your inbox unless you delete them yourself.
  • You can unblock someone at any time by going to Settings and removing them from your Blocked List.

Block someone from an open email

The fastest way to block is directly from an email you have already received. Open the message from the person you want to block. At the top of the email, look for the three-dot menu icon (it looks like three dots stacked vertically) next to the sender's name and email address.

Click that menu icon. A small dropdown will appear with several options. Select Block from the list. Yahoo will confirm that the address is now blocked, and any future emails from that person will go to your spam folder instead of your inbox.

Block someone without an email from them

If you want to block someone but do not have an email from them yet, you can add them to your Blocked List directly through settings. Click the gear icon in the top right corner of Yahoo Mail and select Settings.

In the Settings menu, click Security and privacy on the left side. Scroll down until you see Blocked List. Click the text box next to it and type the email address you want to block, then click Add. That address is now blocked, and any emails from it will go to spam.

What happens to old emails after you block someone

Blocking someone does not automatically delete or move the emails they already sent you. Those messages stay in your inbox (or whichever folder they are in) unless you delete them yourself. Blocking only affects new emails going forward.

If you want to clean up old emails from someone you just blocked, you can select them and delete them manually. You can also search for their email address in the search box at the top of Yahoo Mail, select all results, and delete them in one action.

How to unblock someone

If you change your mind and want to unblock someone, go back to Settings by clicking the gear icon. Select Security and privacy, then scroll to Blocked List. You will see the email addresses you have blocked listed there. Find the one you want to unblock and click the X or Remove button next to it.

Once you unblock someone, their emails will no longer go to spam automatically. They will arrive in your inbox like any other message. This does not restore old emails that were already in spam — those stay where they are unless you move them back.

Blocking does not stop all unwanted mail

Blocking works well for emails from specific people you know, but it does not catch spam or phishing emails from addresses you have never seen before. Yahoo Mail has a spam filter that catches most unsolicited bulk mail automatically. If spam still reaches your inbox, you can mark it as spam by clicking the three-dot menu and selecting Mark as spam.

Marking something as spam teaches Yahoo's filter to catch similar messages in the future, whereas blocking only stops emails from that exact address. For ongoing spam problems, marking as spam is often more effective than blocking individual addresses.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will the person know I blocked them?

No. Yahoo Mail does not notify someone when you block them. They will not receive a message or any indication that you have blocked their address. However, if they try to contact you through another method and you do not respond, they may eventually suspect something.

Can I block multiple people at once?

You can add addresses one at a time through the Blocked List in Settings. There is no bulk upload feature, but adding each address takes only a few seconds. If you have many addresses to block, you can add them over time as needed.

What if someone uses a different email address to contact me after I block them?

Blocking only stops emails from the specific address you blocked. If someone creates a new email account or uses a different address, those emails will not be blocked automatically. You can block additional addresses the same way you blocked the first one.

Do blocked emails go to spam or are they deleted?

Blocked emails go to your spam folder, not deleted. You can still see them if you open your spam folder, but they will not appear in your inbox. You can permanently delete them from spam if you want to remove them completely.

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

Yahoo Mail blocks individual email addresses, not entire domains. If you are receiving spam from many addresses at the same domain, you will need to block each one separately or mark them as spam to train the filter.