The fastest way depends on which email service you use

Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo Mail, and Apple Mail all have a block feature built in, but the steps differ slightly. In Gmail, open the email from the person you want to block, click the three dots in the top right, and select "Block [sender]." In Outlook on the web, click the three dots, choose "Block," and confirm. On Yahoo Mail, click the three dots and select "Block sender." Apple Mail on Mac and iPhone requires you to select the email, then go to Mail > Block Contact (or swipe left on iPhone and tap Block). Once you block someone, their emails go straight to spam and you won't see notifications.

The block takes effect when ready for new messages. Emails that already arrived stay in your inbox unless you delete them, but future messages from that address will be filtered automatically. If the person sends from a different email address, you'll need to block that one separately.

Key Takeaways

  • Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, and Apple Mail all have block buttons in the email menu — find the three dots or right-click the message to locate it.
  • Blocking sends future emails to spam automatically, but does not delete messages already in your inbox.
  • If someone uses multiple email addresses, you must block each one separately.
  • Blocked senders cannot tell they've been blocked, and you won't receive read receipts or delivery notifications from them.
  • You can unblock someone later by finding them in your blocked senders list and removing them.

Gmail's block feature and where to find your blocked list

In Gmail, the block button appears in the email itself. Open any message from the person, click the three vertical dots (⋮) at the top right of the email, and select "Block [sender's name]." A confirmation box will appear asking if you want to block the sender and report the email as spam — click "Block" to confirm. From that moment on, any email from that address goes to your spam folder automatically.

To see who you've blocked or to unblock someone, go to Gmail Settings. Click the gear icon in the top right, select "See all settings," then go to the "Filters and Blocked Addresses" tab. You'll see a list of every address you've blocked. Click "Unblock" next to any name to remove them from your blocked list. This is useful if you blocked someone by mistake or if the situation changes later.

Outlook and Outlook.com blocking steps

In Outlook on the web (Outlook.com), open the email from the person you want to block. Click the three dots in the message toolbar and select "Block." A menu will appear asking whether you want to block the sender and move the email to junk — select "Block" to confirm. Outlook will then automatically send all future emails from that address to your junk folder.

If you use Outlook as a desktop process on Windows or Mac, right-click the email and select "Block Sender" from the menu. The process is the same: future messages go to junk automatically. To view your blocked senders list in Outlook.com, go to Settings, select "Mail," then "Junk email," and look for the "Blocked senders" section. You can add addresses manually there or remove ones you've already blocked.

Yahoo Mail and Apple Mail blocking

Yahoo Mail's block feature is in the same place as Gmail's. Open the email, click the three dots, and select "Block sender." Yahoo will move the current email to spam and filter all future messages from that address to your spam folder. To manage your blocked list in Yahoo, go to Settings, select "Security and privacy," then "Blocked addresses." You can add addresses manually or remove ones you've already blocked from this screen.

Apple Mail works differently depending on whether you're on Mac or iPhone. On Mac, select the email and go to the Mail menu at the top, then choose "Block Contact." On iPhone or iPad, open the email, tap the sender's name at the top, then tap "Block this Contact." On both devices, you can also swipe left on an email (iPhone) or right-click (Mac) to see the block option. Blocked messages still arrive but are filtered into a separate folder, and you won't get notifications from that sender.

What happens when you block someone

When you block an email address, that person's messages go to your spam or junk folder automatically. You won't see them in your inbox, and you won't receive notifications when they send you something. The blocked sender cannot tell they've been blocked — there's no notification on their end, and if they send you a message asking if you got it, they won't know whether you blocked them or straightforward didn't reply.

Blocking does not prevent someone from sending you email; it only hides their messages from you. If you need to prevent someone from contacting you entirely, blocking is not a complete solution — they can still send messages, you just won't see them. If you're dealing with harassment or threats, consider reporting the emails to your email provider's abuse team as well, especially if the behavior is repeated or escalating.

Blocking multiple addresses from the same person

If someone is sending you emails from different addresses, you'll need to block each one separately. This is common when someone creates new email accounts to get around a block. Block each address as it appears using the same steps above. Keep track of which addresses you've blocked so you know which ones to report if the harassment continues.

If you notice a pattern of harassment from multiple addresses, report it to your email provider's abuse team. Most services have a way to report spam or abuse directly from the email. In Gmail, click the three dots and select "Report spam" or "Report phishing." In Outlook, click the three dots and choose "Report junk" or "Report phishing." Providing this information helps the service identify coordinated harassment and may result in action against the account.

Unblocking someone and managing your blocked list

If you blocked someone by mistake or want to unblock them later, the process is straightforward in all major email services. In Gmail, go to Settings > Filters and Blocked Addresses, find the person's address, and click "Unblock." In Outlook, go to Settings > Mail > Junk email > Blocked senders, find the address, and click the trash icon to remove it. In Yahoo, go to Settings > Security and privacy > Blocked addresses and click the X next to the address. In Apple Mail, go to Mail > Preferences > Junk Mail (Mac) or Settings > Mail > VIP (iPhone) and remove the contact from your blocked list.

Once you unblock someone, their emails will no longer be filtered to spam automatically. If they've sent you messages while they were blocked, those messages will still be in your spam folder — you can move them back to your inbox manually if you want to read them. Unblocking does not restore deleted emails, so if you deleted their messages while they were blocked, they're gone permanently.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can someone tell if I've blocked them?

No. When you block someone, they don't receive a notification. If they send you an email, it will be delivered from their perspective — they won't know it went to your spam folder. If they ask whether you got their message and you don't reply, they might suspect you blocked them, but the email service itself doesn't tell them.

What's the difference between blocking and unsubscribing?

Unsubscribing removes you from a mailing list, usually for newsletters or marketing emails. Blocking prevents all emails from a specific person or address from reaching your inbox. If you receive unwanted marketing emails, look for an "unsubscribe" link at the bottom of the email first. If there's no unsubscribe option or the emails continue, then block the sender.

If I block someone, will they see that I've read their old emails?

No. Blocking stops future emails from reaching you, but it doesn't change what happened with past messages. If you read an email before blocking the sender, they won't know whether you read it or not — email services don't send read receipts to blocked senders. If you didn't read it before blocking, they have no way to know.

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

Most email services don't have a built-in feature to block an entire domain at once. You have to block individual addresses. However, Gmail's filter feature lets you create a rule that automatically sends emails from a domain to spam. Go to Settings > Filters and Blocked Addresses > Create a new filter, enter the domain in the "From" field (for example, @company.com), and select "Delete" or "Skip the Inbox." This catches all emails from that domain without blocking individual addresses.

What should I do if someone keeps creating new accounts to contact me?

Block each new address as it appears, but also report the behavior to your email provider's abuse team. In Gmail, click the three dots on their email and select "Report phishing." In Outlook, select "Report junk" or "Report phishing." Provide details about the pattern — that the person is creating multiple accounts to contact you despite being blocked. The service may take action against the accounts or the person's IP address if the behavior violates their terms of service.