The fastest way to block an email depends on which service you use

Gmail, Outlook, and Apple Mail all have a block feature built in, but the steps are different for each one. In Gmail, you open the message, click the three dots in the top right, and select "Block [sender]". In Outlook on the web, you click the three dots, choose "Junk", then "Block sender". On Apple Mail, you right-click the message and select "Block Contact". Once you block someone, their messages go straight to spam and you won't see notifications from them.

The block feature works at the account level, not the device level. If you block someone in Gmail on your phone, they're blocked in Gmail on your computer too. But if you use Gmail on one device and Outlook on another, you have to block them separately in each service.

Key Takeaways

  • Gmail, Outlook, and Apple Mail each have their own block button — the location and name differ, but the result is the same: messages go to spam automatically.
  • Blocking works across all your devices for that email account, so you only have to do it once per service.
  • A blocked sender can still send you messages; they just land in spam instead of your inbox, and you won't get a notification.
  • If you block someone by mistake, you can unblock them by finding their message in spam and clicking "Unblock" or by going to your blocked senders list.

How to block in Gmail

Open any message from the sender you want to block. Click the three vertical dots (⋮) in the top right corner of the message. A menu will appear with several options. Select "Block [sender's name]". Gmail will ask you to confirm — click "Block" again.

Once you confirm, Gmail moves that message to spam and all future messages from that address go there automatically. You won't see them in your inbox or get notifications. If the sender uses multiple email addresses, you have to block each one separately.

To unblock someone, go to Settings (the gear icon in the top right), click "See all settings", then go to the "Filters and Blocked Addresses" tab. Find the address you want to unblock and click the delete icon next to it.

How to block in Outlook (web version)

Open a message from the sender you want to block. Click the three dots (⋯) at the top of the message. Select "Junk" from the menu, then choose "Block sender". Outlook will confirm the block and move that message to your Junk folder.

All future messages from that address will go to Junk automatically. If you use Outlook on your phone or desktop app, the block syncs across those devices because they all connect to the same account. To unblock, go to Settings, select "Mail", then "Junk email", and look for the "Blocked senders" list. Click the sender you want to unblock and remove them.

How to block in Apple Mail

Right-click (or Control-click on a trackpad) on any message from the sender you want to block. A menu will appear. Select "Block Contact". Apple Mail will move that message to the trash and block future messages from that address.

On an iPhone or iPad, open the message, tap the sender's name at the top, then tap "Block this Contact". On a Mac, you can also go to Mail menu > Preferences > Rules and create a custom rule, but the right-click method is faster for most people. To unblock someone, go to Mail > Preferences > Junk Mail, find the blocked sender, and remove them from the list.

What happens when you block someone

When you block an email address, the sender's messages still arrive at your mail server — they just don't show up in your inbox. Instead, they go to your spam or junk folder automatically. You won't get a notification that a blocked sender tried to reach you, and you won't see their message unless you go looking in spam.

The blocked sender does not get a notification that you blocked them. From their perspective, their message was sent normally. They have no way to know whether you read it, blocked it, or never received it. If they send you a message from a different email address, that message will not be blocked — you have to block each address separately.

When blocking is not enough

If someone is sending you many messages from different email addresses, blocking each one individually becomes tedious. In that case, you can create a filter or rule that catches messages based on content rather than sender address. In Gmail, go to Settings > Filters and Blocked Addresses > Create a new filter, then type keywords or phrases the sender uses. In Outlook, go to Settings > Mail > Rules and create a rule that moves messages containing certain words to junk. In Apple Mail, use Mail > Preferences > Rules to set up similar filters.

If the messages are threatening, harassing, or illegal, blocking is a first step but not a solution. You may want to report the sender to your email provider and, if necessary, to law enforcement. Gmail, Outlook, and Apple Mail all have report buttons in their spam folders for this reason.

Blocking does not delete old messages

Blocking someone stops future messages from reaching your inbox, but it does not delete messages you already received from them. If you want to remove old messages from a blocked sender, you have to delete them yourself. In Gmail, search for messages from that sender using "from:email@address.com", select all the results, and delete them. In Outlook and Apple Mail, search for the sender's name or address, select the messages, and delete them.

If you want to keep the messages but just not see them, you can create a folder or label and move them there instead of deleting. In Gmail, create a label, then create a filter that automatically sends future messages from that sender to that label (though blocking is simpler if you don't want to see them at all).

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a blocked sender tell that I blocked them?

No. A blocked sender's messages still go through to your mail server — they just land in spam instead of your inbox. The sender receives no notification and has no way to know you blocked them. From their end, the message appears to have been sent normally.

What if I block someone by mistake?

You can unblock them. In Gmail, go to Settings > Filters and Blocked Addresses and delete the address from the list. In Outlook, go to Settings > Mail > Junk email and find the Blocked senders list. In Apple Mail, go to Preferences > Junk Mail. Once you unblock them, their messages will start arriving in your inbox again.

If I block someone, will they see that I read their old messages?

No. Blocking only affects future messages. It does not change the read or unread status of messages you already received, and the sender has no way to see whether you read their old messages. Read receipts (if you have them turned on) only work for messages sent after you unblock someone.

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

Not with the block button, but you can create a filter. In Gmail, create a filter for "from:*@domain.com" and send it to spam. In Outlook and Apple Mail, create a rule that catches messages from that domain. This catches all addresses from that domain, not just one person.

Does blocking on my phone block them on my computer too?

Yes, if you use the same email account. Blocking syncs across all devices connected to your account. If you use different email accounts on different devices, you have to block separately in each account.