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 are slightly different for each one. The general idea is the same: open the email from the sender you want to block, find the block or spam option, and confirm. After that, their emails go straight to spam or a blocked folder, and you won't see notifications from them.

If you use your email through your internet provider or a work account, the blocking method might be different — some corporate email systems use rules instead of a block button. The instructions below cover the most common personal email services. If you don't see your service listed, search your email provider's help center for "block sender" or "block email address".

Key Takeaways

  • Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo Mail, and Apple Mail all have a block feature you can access directly from an email message.
  • Blocking an address sends their future emails to spam automatically, but does not delete messages you have already received.
  • If you block someone by mistake, you can unblock them through your email settings — the process takes less than a minute.
  • Blocking works only within your email account; it does not prevent the sender from emailing you, but you will not see those emails.

How to block in Gmail

Open any email from the sender you want to block. Click the three dots (more options) in the top right corner of the email. Select "Block [sender's name]" from the menu. Gmail will ask you to confirm — click "Block" again. From that point on, emails from that address go to your spam folder automatically.

If you want to unblock someone later, go to Settings (the gear icon), click "See all settings", then go to the Filters and Blocked Addresses tab. Find the blocked address in the list and click "Unblock" next to it.

How to block in Outlook

Open the email from the person you want to block. Click the three dots at the top right of the message. Select "Block" from the dropdown menu. Outlook will move that sender's emails to your Junk folder from now on.

To unblock, go to Settings (the gear icon), then "Mail" > "Junk email". Look for "Blocked senders" and find the address you want to unblock. Click the X next to it to remove them from the blocked list.

How to block in Yahoo Mail

Open an email from the sender you want to block. Click the three dots (more options) at the top of the message. Choose "Block sender". Yahoo will confirm the block and send future emails from that address to spam.

To unblock, click the gear icon for Settings, then "Privacy and security". Scroll to "Blocked addresses" and find the sender. Click "Unblock" to remove them from your blocked list.

How to block in Apple Mail

On an iPhone or iPad, open the email and tap the sender's name at the top. Tap "Block this Contact". On a Mac, right-click the email in your inbox, select "Block Sender", and confirm. After blocking, emails from that address go to your Junk folder.

To unblock on iPhone or iPad, go to Settings > Mail > Blocked, find the contact, and swipe left, then tap "Unblock". On a Mac, go to Mail > Settings > Junk Mail, find the address under "Blocked senders", and click the minus sign to remove it.

What happens when you block someone

Blocking does not delete emails you have already received from that sender — those stay in your inbox unless you delete them yourself. Only new emails from that address are affected. They go to your spam or junk folder, and you will not get a notification when they arrive.

The sender does not receive a message saying they have been blocked. From their perspective, they sent an email normally. They may not know it landed in your spam folder. If they contact you through another method asking why you are not responding, that is the only way they would find out.

When blocking is not enough

If someone is sending you repeated unwanted emails from different addresses, blocking each one individually becomes tedious. In that case, you can create a filter or rule that catches emails with certain words or phrases and sends them to spam automatically. Most email services let you set this up in Settings under Filters or Rules.

If the emails are harassing, threatening, or part of a scam, consider reporting them to your email provider as well. Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, and Apple all have abuse reporting tools. Reporting helps them identify and shut down accounts that are being used to harass or defraud people. You can usually report an email by clicking the three dots and selecting "Report spam" or "Report phishing".

Frequently Asked Questions

Can someone tell if I blocked them?

No. When you block someone, they do not receive a notification. Their emails straightforward go to your spam folder, and they have no way of knowing unless they contact you through another method and you tell them.

If I block someone, can they still see my emails?

Blocking only affects what you receive. It does not prevent them from sending you emails or seeing messages you sent them in the past. It only stops their new emails from reaching your inbox.

What is 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 address from reaching your inbox. Use unsubscribe for legitimate mailing lists and block for unwanted senders.

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

Yes. Go to your email settings and find the Blocked Addresses or Blocked Senders section. Most services let you type in an email address directly without needing an email from that sender open.

Will blocking stop spam?

Blocking one address stops emails from that specific sender. If you are getting spam from many different addresses, blocking each one individually is not practical. Instead, mark spam emails as spam or junk, which trains your email provider's filter to catch similar messages automatically.