The fastest way depends on your email provider

Most email providers let you block a sender in one or two clicks, but the exact steps differ between Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, and others. The blocked person can still send you messages — they just won't reach your inbox. Their emails go to spam or a blocked folder instead, and you won't get a notification that they sent anything.

If you use Gmail, open any email from the person you want to block, click the three dots in the top right, and select "Block [sender name]". If you use Outlook or Hotmail, right-click the email and choose "Block". Yahoo Mail users should click the three dots next to the sender's name and select "Block Contact". Apple Mail on Mac or iPhone has a "Block This Contact" option in the sender's details.

Once you block someone, you won't see their messages arrive, but the block is not permanent — you can unblock them later from your settings if you change your mind.

Key Takeaways

  • Blocking stops emails from reaching your inbox, but the sender does not know they are blocked and can still send messages.
  • Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, and Apple Mail all have block buttons built into their interfaces, usually found by clicking a menu next to the sender's name or email.
  • Blocked emails go to spam or a blocked folder, not your inbox, so you will not see notifications from that person.
  • You can unblock someone at any time through your email settings if you decide to receive their messages again.

Where blocked emails actually go

When you block someone in Gmail, their future emails land in the spam folder automatically. You can still see them if you check spam, but Gmail will not alert you that new mail arrived. Outlook sends blocked emails to a "Blocked Senders" folder that you have to open manually to see anything.

Yahoo Mail also routes blocked messages to spam, and Apple Mail creates a separate blocked list you can review in settings. The key difference is that none of these providers delete the blocked emails — they just hide them from your main inbox and stop showing you notifications. If you ever need to read what someone sent, you can find it in the spam or blocked folder.

Blocking does not stop someone from sending you messages

A common misunderstanding is that blocking prevents someone from emailing you at all. It does not. When you block a sender, they can still compose and send emails to your address. They straightforward will not know that you blocked them, because they receive no bounce-back message or notification. Their email just disappears into your spam or blocked folder instead of your inbox.

If someone is harassing you and you need to stop them from contacting you entirely, blocking alone may not be enough. You may need to report the emails as spam, use filters to delete messages automatically, or contact your email provider's abuse team if the behavior is threatening or illegal.

How to unblock someone if you change your mind

In Gmail, go to Settings, click the "Filters and Blocked Addresses" tab, find the person's name in the blocked list, and click "Unblock". In Outlook, open Settings, select "Mail", then "Junk email", and look for the blocked senders list. Yahoo Mail users should go to Settings, click "Blocked Addresses", and remove the person from the list. Apple Mail stores blocked contacts in your contacts app — find the person and remove the block from their contact card.

Once you unblock someone, their emails will start arriving in your inbox again as normal. You will not receive a notification that you unblocked them, and they will not know the block existed.

Using filters and rules instead of blocking

If you want more control than blocking offers, most email providers let you create filters or rules that automatically sort, delete, or flag emails from specific senders. In Gmail, you can create a filter that automatically archives emails from someone, sends them to a label, or deletes them entirely. Outlook's rules can move emails to a folder, mark them as read, or delete them without you ever seeing them.

Filters are useful if you want to keep a record of someone's emails without seeing them in your inbox, or if you want to organize emails from multiple people into one folder. Blocking is simpler if you just want the emails out of sight and do not need to review them later.

What to do if blocking is not enough

If someone is sending threatening, abusive, or illegal content, blocking and filtering may not be sufficient. Most email providers have an abuse or report function. In Gmail, click the three dots on an email and select "Report phishing" or "Report spam". Outlook has a "Report" button in the toolbar. Yahoo Mail and Apple Mail also have report options in their menus.

When you report an email, you send it to your provider's abuse team, who can investigate and take action against the sender's account if the behavior violates their terms of service. If the harassment is severe or involves threats, you may also want to contact local law enforcement or save copies of the emails as evidence.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can the person I blocked tell that I blocked them?

No. When you block someone, they receive no notification or bounce-back message. Their emails straightforward fail to reach your inbox, and they have no way of knowing whether you blocked them, marked them as spam, or deleted the messages manually.

Will blocking someone delete their old emails from my inbox?

No. Blocking only affects new emails from that person going forward. Any messages they already sent you will remain in your inbox unless you manually delete them. If you want to remove their old emails, you have to select and delete them yourself.

If I block someone and then unblock them, will they see that I did that?

No. Blocking and unblocking are invisible to the other person. They will not receive any notification that you blocked them or that you removed the block. They only know you blocked them if you tell them or if they notice their emails are not getting through.

Can I block an email address that is not in my contacts?

Yes. You do not need someone's contact information saved to block them. You can block any sender whose email reaches your inbox, whether they are in your contacts or not. Open their email and use the block option in your provider's menu.

What is the difference between blocking and marking as spam?

Blocking is a manual action you take against one specific sender. Marking as spam tells your email provider that the message is unwanted, which helps train the spam filter to catch similar emails in the future. Both hide the email from your inbox, but marking as spam also helps protect other users by flagging the sender as a spam source.