Yes, you can block someone on email, but what it does depends on which email service you use

Most email providers let you block a sender, but blocking does not work the same way everywhere. Gmail moves blocked messages to spam automatically. Outlook stops showing notifications but keeps the messages in a separate folder. Yahoo deletes them outright. Apple Mail blocks at the device level, so the block only works on that specific phone or computer. Understanding what your provider actually does when you hit "block" matters, because the person you block can still send you mail — you just won't see it arrive.

Blocking is not the same as unsubscribing. If someone is sending you marketing emails, an unsubscribe link (usually at the bottom of the message) removes you from their list. Blocking is for unwanted contact from a specific person, and it works whether or not they have an unsubscribe option.

Key Takeaways

  • Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, and Apple Mail all have block features, but they handle blocked messages differently — some send them to spam, some to a separate folder, and some delete them.
  • Blocking prevents you from seeing messages, but the sender can still send them; blocking is not a two-way action.
  • The person you block cannot tell that you blocked them unless they try to contact you through another channel and notice you stopped responding.
  • If someone is harassing you across multiple email addresses, blocking one address will not stop them from creating a new one and contacting you again.
  • Blocking is different from reporting spam or reporting abuse; some services let you do both at once.

How to block someone in Gmail

Open the email from the person you want to block. Click the three vertical dots (the menu icon) in the top right corner of the message. Select "Block [sender's name]" from the dropdown. Gmail will then automatically send all future messages from that address to your spam folder.

If you want to block someone but have already deleted their email, you can still block them. Go to Settings (the gear icon in the top right), click "See all settings," then go to the Filters and Blocked Addresses tab. Click "Create a new filter," type their email address in the "From" field, click "Create filter," and check the "Delete it" or "Skip the inbox" box. This works the same way as blocking from an email, but you control where the messages go.

Gmail also lets you report the sender as spam at the same time you block them. This helps Gmail's spam filters learn to catch similar messages from other senders. If the person is harassing you, you can report the message as abuse instead, which sends a copy to Gmail's trust and safety team.

How to block someone in Outlook

Open the email from the person you want to block. Click the three dots (more actions) in the top right. Select "Block" from the menu. Outlook will move that sender's messages to your Junk folder and stop showing you notifications when they arrive.

Unlike Gmail, Outlook does not delete blocked messages — it keeps them in your Junk folder so you can review them later if you need to. You can see a list of everyone you have blocked by going to Settings, then "Mail," then "Junk email," and looking at the "Blocked senders" list. You can unblock someone from that same list if you change your mind.

If you are using Outlook on the web, the steps are the same. If you are using Outlook as a desktop process on Windows or Mac, right-click the sender's name and select "Block" from the context menu.

How to block someone in Yahoo Mail

Open the email from the person you want to block. Click the three dots in the top right corner. Select "Block sender." Yahoo will delete all future messages from that address without moving them to a folder first — they straightforward will not appear in your inbox or anywhere else.

You can see your blocked senders list by clicking the gear icon, selecting "Settings," going to "Security and privacy," and then "Blocked addresses." From there you can unblock someone if needed. Yahoo also lets you report a message as spam before or instead of blocking, which helps Yahoo's filters improve.

How to block someone in Apple Mail

Apple Mail works differently from web-based email services because it blocks at the device level. On an iPhone or iPad, open the email and swipe left on the sender's name. Tap "Block this Contact." On a Mac, right-click the sender's name and select "Block Contact." Messages from that person will no longer appear in your inbox on that device.

The important thing to know about Apple Mail is that blocking only works on the device where you set it up. If you block someone on your iPhone, they can still reach you through Apple Mail on your Mac or iPad unless you block them there too. Blocking also does not affect other email apps on your device — if you use Gmail's app or Outlook's app on the same iPhone, blocking in Apple Mail will not block them there.

What happens when you block someone

When you block an email address, you stop seeing messages from that sender, but they do not receive a notification that you blocked them. They can still send you emails. If they send you a message and you do not respond, they might assume you are ignoring them, but they will not know for certain that you blocked them unless they try to contact you through another method (like text or social media) and notice a pattern of non-response.

Blocking is one-directional. The person you block can still see your emails if you send them one, and they can still see your email address in their contacts. Blocking only affects what you see on your end.

If someone is harassing you and creates a new email address to contact you after you block the first one, you will need to block the new address too. Blocking does not prevent someone from creating multiple accounts. If the harassment is severe or ongoing, consider reporting it to your email provider's abuse team or to law enforcement, depending on what the person is doing.

Blocking versus reporting and unsubscribing

Blocking, reporting, and unsubscribing are three different actions. Unsubscribing removes you from a mailing list — it works for newsletters, promotional emails, and other bulk messages that include an unsubscribe link. The sender is usually a company, not a person, and unsubscribing tells them to stop sending you mail. Reporting as spam tells your email provider that a message is unwanted and helps train the spam filter. Blocking stops you from seeing messages from a specific sender.

You can do more than one at once. For example, if a company keeps emailing you after you unsubscribed, you can both report the message as spam and block the sender. If someone is harassing you, you can block them and also report the message as abuse. Most email providers have a "Report abuse" option separate from "Report spam" — use that if the content is threatening, sexually explicit, or otherwise harmful.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can the person I blocked tell that I blocked them?

No. They will not receive a notification. If they send you a message and you never respond, they might suspect you are avoiding them, but they cannot confirm it through the email system itself. They would only know if they tried to contact you through another method and noticed a pattern.

What if I block someone by mistake?

You can unblock them. In Gmail, go to Settings, Filters and Blocked Addresses, and click "Unblock" next to their name. In Outlook, go to Settings, Junk email, Blocked senders, and remove them from the list. In Yahoo, go to Settings, Security and privacy, Blocked addresses, and unblock them. In Apple Mail, go to your Contacts app, find the person, and tap "Unblock this Contact."

If I block someone, will they see my old emails?

Yes. Blocking only stops new messages from reaching you. The person you block can still see any emails you sent them in the past, and they can still read conversations you had before you blocked them. Blocking does not delete or hide your previous correspondence from their inbox.

Can I block someone if I don't know their email address?

No. You need their email address to block them. If someone is contacting you from an unknown address, open one of their emails and block them from there. If you do not have any email from them, you cannot block them directly — but you can create a filter in Gmail or Outlook that automatically sends messages from a specific address to spam or junk.

What should I do if someone keeps contacting me from different email addresses?

Block each new address as it arrives. If the harassment is severe, report the messages as abuse to your email provider and consider contacting local law enforcement. Most email providers take repeated harassment seriously, especially if the content is threatening or sexually explicit. Document the messages by taking screenshots before blocking them, in case you need evidence later.