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 differ slightly. In Gmail, you open the email, click the three dots in the top right, and select "Block." In Outlook on the web, you click the three dots, choose "Junk," then "Block." In Apple Mail on Mac, you right-click the sender and select "Block Contact." On iPhone or iPad, swipe left on the email and tap the trash icon, then go to Settings to block future mail from that sender. The block takes effect when ready — future emails from that address skip your inbox and go to spam or junk.

If you use a different email service, the principle is the same: find the email, look for a menu (usually three dots or a gear icon), and search for "block" or "spam." Most services bury the block option in a dropdown rather than making it a main button, so you may need to click through a menu first.

Key Takeaways

  • Gmail, Outlook, and Apple Mail all block senders from within the email itself — open the message, find the menu, and select block.
  • Blocked emails go to your spam or junk folder automatically, and the sender will not know they are blocked.
  • Blocking works only for that specific email address, so if a sender uses multiple addresses, you may need to block each one separately.
  • You can unblock a sender later by going to your blocked list in settings if you change your mind.

Blocking in Gmail

Open the email from the sender you want to block. In the top right corner of the email, you will see three vertical dots (sometimes called a menu icon). Click those dots and a dropdown menu appears. Select "Block [sender's name]" from the list. Gmail will ask you to confirm — click "Block" again, and the sender is now blocked.

Blocked senders in Gmail go to your spam folder automatically. If you ever change your mind, go to Settings (the gear icon in the top right of your inbox), click "See all settings," go to the "Filters and Blocked Addresses" tab, and you will see a list of blocked addresses. Click "Unblock" next to any address you want to receive mail from again.

Blocking in Outlook (web version)

Open the email from the sender you want to block. Click the three dots in the top toolbar. A menu drops down — select "Junk," then "Block." Outlook will confirm that the sender is blocked. All future emails from that address will go to your Junk folder.

To unblock someone in Outlook, go to Settings (the gear icon), select "View all Outlook settings," then go to "Mail" and "Junk email." You will see a "Blocked senders" list. Find the address you want to unblock and click the minus sign next to it.

Blocking in Apple Mail on Mac

Open the email from the sender you want to block. Right-click on the sender's name or email address in the "From" line. A small menu appears — select "Block Contact." The sender is now blocked, and future emails will go to your junk folder.

If you need to unblock someone, go to Mail in the top menu, select "Preferences," click the "Junk Mail" tab, and you will see a list of blocked senders. Select the address and click "Remove."

Blocking on iPhone or iPad in Apple Mail

Open the email from the sender you want to block. Swipe left on the email (or tap and hold if swiping does not work). A menu appears with options including a trash icon. Tap the trash icon first to delete the email. Then go to Settings on your device, scroll down to "Mail," tap "Blocked Contacts," and tap "Add Contact." Type or paste the email address you want to block.

Alternatively, if you have the sender in your Contacts app, you can go to Contacts, find their name, tap "Edit," scroll to the bottom, and select "Block this Caller." This blocks them across Mail, Messages, and FaceTime.

What happens when you block someone

When you block an email address, that sender's future emails go directly to your spam or junk folder instead of your inbox. You will not see a notification that they sent you anything. The sender does not receive a message saying they are blocked — their email straightforward goes unseen.

Blocking is address-specific, not person-specific. If someone sends you mail from multiple email addresses, you will need to block each address separately. Blocking also does not delete emails that sender already sent you — those stay in your inbox unless you delete them manually. If you want to remove old emails from a blocked sender, you can search for their address, select all their messages, and delete them.

When blocking does not work

If emails from a blocked sender keep appearing in your inbox, the sender may be using a different email address each time. Check the "From" line carefully — spammers sometimes use variations like adding a number or changing one letter. If you see a pattern, block the new address as well.

Some email services also have a "report spam" option alongside the block option. Using "report spam" in addition to blocking helps train the service's filter to catch similar mail in the future. In Gmail, you can click the three dots and select "Report spam" instead of block if you want to help filter out that type of mail for everyone.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will the person know I blocked them?

No. When you block someone, their emails go to spam, but they do not receive any notification that you blocked them. They will not know unless they try to contact you through another method and you tell them.

Can I block an email address if I have already deleted the email?

Yes, but the process varies by service. In Gmail, you can type the address into the search bar, open one of their emails, and block from there. In Outlook, you can go to Junk settings and manually add the address to your blocked list. In Apple Mail, you can add the address directly in Blocked Contacts settings without needing an email from them.

What if I block someone by mistake?

You can unblock them anytime by going to your blocked list in settings. In Gmail, go to Settings and the "Filters and Blocked Addresses" tab. In Outlook, go to Settings, then Junk Email settings. In Apple Mail, go to Preferences and the Junk Mail tab. Find the address and click unblock or remove.

Does blocking stop text messages or calls from that person?

Email blocking only affects email. If you want to block someone's phone number or text messages, you need to use your phone's built-in blocking feature, which is separate from email blocking. On iPhone, go to Phone or Messages settings and look for a "Blocked Contacts" option.

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

Most email services do not have a built-in domain block, but you can create a filter or rule to catch all mail from a domain. In Gmail, go to Settings, Filters and Blocked Addresses, and create a new filter with the domain in the "From" field, then set it to skip inbox or delete. In Outlook, you can create a rule under Settings that moves mail from that domain to junk automatically.