Block a sender in iCloud Mail on any device

To block an email address in iCloud, open the message from the sender you want to block, tap or click the three dots (more options), and select Block This Contact or Block Sender. The exact wording depends on whether you're using iCloud.com on a computer, the Mail app on iPhone or iPad, or the Mail app on Mac — but all three routes do the same thing and take about five seconds.

Once you block someone, their emails go straight to your trash folder automatically. You won't see notifications, and the sender won't know they've been blocked — their mail just disappears from your inbox. If you change your mind later, you can unblock them the same way, and their future emails will arrive normally again.

Key Takeaways

  • Blocked emails move to trash automatically; you won't receive notifications from that sender.
  • The block applies across all your devices if you use the same iCloud account on each one.
  • You can block a sender from any open email by tapping or clicking the options menu and selecting the block option.
  • Unblocking a sender uses the same menu — the block is not permanent and can be reversed at any time.

Block a sender on iCloud.com

Open iCloud.com in your web browser and sign in with your Apple ID. Find any email from the person you want to block, click it to open it, then look for the three-dot menu icon in the top right corner of the message. Click those three dots and select Block This Contact from the dropdown menu.

The message will disappear from your inbox when ready and move to trash. Any future emails from that address will skip your inbox and go straight to trash as well. If you want to see the block list or unblock someone later, go to Settings (the gear icon in the top left), then Mail, then look for a Blocked Contacts or Blocked Senders section.

Block a sender in Mail on iPhone or iPad

Open the Mail app and find an email from the sender you want to block. Tap the three dots in the top right corner of the message (you may need to scroll up to see them). A menu will appear with several options — tap Block This Contact.

A confirmation popup will ask if you're sure. Tap Block to confirm. From that moment on, emails from that address will go to trash, and you won't see them in your inbox. The sender's name and address will be added to your blocked list, which you can view or edit in Settings > Mail > Blocked Contacts.

Block a sender in Mail on Mac

Open the Mail app on your Mac and click on any email from the person you want to block. At the top of the message, you'll see the sender's name and address. Click the down arrow next to their name, and a small menu will appear. Select Block This Contact from that menu.

Mail will move the message to trash and add the sender to your blocked list. You can view your blocked contacts by opening Mail's preferences (Mail > Settings or Mail > Preferences, depending on your macOS version), clicking the Junk Mail tab, and looking for the Blocked section.

What happens when you block someone

When you block a sender, iCloud does three things: it moves their current email to trash, it sends all future emails from that address straight to trash, and it stops you from receiving any notifications about their messages. The sender will not receive a bounce-back message or any notification that they've been blocked — their email straightforward fails to appear in your inbox.

Blocked emails stay in your trash folder for 30 days before iCloud deletes them permanently. If you need to read a blocked message before then, you can open your trash folder and retrieve it. Blocking someone does not prevent them from sending you mail — it only hides their messages from you.

Unblock a sender if you change your mind

To unblock someone, the process is almost identical to blocking them. On iCloud.com, go to Settings, find Mail, locate your blocked contacts list, and click the minus sign or remove button next to the person's name. On iPhone or iPad, go to Settings > Mail > Blocked Contacts, swipe left on the name, and tap Delete. On Mac, open Mail preferences, find the blocked list, and click the minus button next to the contact.

Once you unblock someone, their future emails will arrive in your inbox normally. Any messages they sent while they were blocked will still be in your trash folder, and you can move them back to your inbox if you want to read them.

Blocked mail vs. spam and junk filters

Blocking a specific sender is different from marking mail as spam or junk. When you block someone, you're saying "I know this person and I don't want to hear from them" — their mail goes to trash. When you mark something as spam or junk, you're telling iCloud "I don't recognize this sender and their message looks suspicious" — iCloud learns from that and may filter similar messages in the future.

You can use both tools together. If someone is sending you unwanted mail and you don't recognize them, you can mark it as junk (which trains iCloud's filter) and also block them (which stops all their mail when ready). If it's someone you know but don't want to hear from, blocking alone is the right choice.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will the person I block know that I blocked them?

No. The sender will not receive any notification, bounce-back message, or indication that you've blocked them. Their email straightforward won't reach your inbox, and they'll have no way to know why.

Can I block an email address that isn't in my contacts?

Yes. You can block any email address, whether or not the person is saved in your contacts. Open any email from that address, use the three-dot menu, and select the block option.

If I block someone and then unblock them, will I see their old emails?

No. Emails that arrived while someone was blocked stay in your trash folder. Unblocking them only affects future emails — those will arrive in your inbox normally. You can manually move old messages from trash back to your inbox if you want to read them.

Does blocking on iCloud.com also block them on my iPhone?

Yes. If you use the same iCloud account on multiple devices, your blocked list syncs across all of them. Block someone on your Mac, and they're blocked on your iPhone too.

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

iCloud does not have a built-in way to block all emails from a domain (like all addresses ending in @example.com). You can only block individual email addresses. If you're receiving many unwanted emails from the same domain, you may want to mark them as junk instead, which can help iCloud's filter recognize similar messages.