The fastest way to block an email address

The method depends on which email service you use, but all three major platforms — Gmail, Outlook, and Apple Mail — let you block a sender in under a minute. In Gmail, open the email, click the three dots in the top right, and select "Block [sender]". In Outlook on the web, click the three dots, choose "Junk", then "Block". In Apple Mail on Mac, go to Mail menu > Preferences > Junk Mail and add the address manually, or right-click the email and select "Mark as Junk".

Blocking stops future emails from that address from reaching your inbox — they go to spam or a blocked folder instead. The sender does not get a notification that you blocked them. If you change your mind, you can unblock the address later through the same settings.

Key Takeaways

  • Gmail blocks senders through the three-dot menu on any email from that address; Outlook uses the Junk menu; Apple Mail requires the Preferences panel.
  • Blocked emails go to your spam or junk folder, not to a separate blocked folder, so you will not see them in your inbox.
  • Blocking works only for the exact email address — if someone sends from a different address, that email will not be blocked.
  • You can unblock an address anytime by finding it in your blocked senders list in settings and removing it.

Blocking emails in Gmail

Open any email from the sender you want to block. In the top right corner, you will see three vertical dots. Click them and select "Block [sender's name]" from the menu. Gmail will move that email and all future emails from that address to your spam folder automatically.

To see your blocked senders list in Gmail, click the gear icon in the top right, select "See all settings", then go to the "Filters and Blocked Addresses" tab. You will see every address you have blocked. Click the X next to any address to unblock it.

If you want to block an address before opening an email from them, you can also right-click the sender's name in your inbox and select "Block [sender]" from the context menu.

Blocking emails in Outlook

Open the email from the sender you want to block. Click the three dots in the top right of the message. Select "Junk" from the dropdown, then click "Block" in the submenu. Outlook will send that sender's future emails to your Junk folder.

To manage your blocked senders in Outlook on the web, click the gear icon in the top right, select "View all Outlook settings", then go to Mail > Junk email. You will see a "Blocked senders" section where you can add addresses manually or see ones you have already blocked. To unblock someone, find their address and click the trash icon next to it.

In Outlook on your desktop (Windows or Mac), go to Home > Junk > Block Sender from any email, or open Settings > Mail > Junk email to manage your blocked list manually.

Blocking emails in Apple Mail on Mac

Right-click any email from the sender you want to block and select "Mark as Junk" from the menu. Apple Mail will move that email to your Junk folder and learn to send future emails from that address there as well. However, this trains the filter rather than creating a hard block.

For a more direct block, open Mail > Preferences, click the "Junk Mail" tab, then click "Reset". Go back to Preferences, click "Junk Mail" again, and look for the "Sender" field under "The following types of messages are considered junk". Type the email address you want to block and click the plus button to add it. Close Preferences and the address is now blocked.

Alternatively, you can create a rule that automatically deletes or moves emails from a specific address. Go to Mail > Preferences > Rules, click "Add Rule", set the condition to "From" and enter the sender's address, then choose what happens to their emails (move to trash, move to a folder, or delete).

Blocking emails on iPhone and iPad

Open the email from the sender you want to block. Tap the sender's name or email address at the top of the message. A menu will appear — tap "Block this Contact". Apple Mail will move that sender's emails to the trash folder going forward.

To unblock someone on iPhone or iPad, open Settings > Mail > Blocked, find the contact, swipe left, and tap "Unblock".

What happens when you block an email address

When you block a sender, their emails stop appearing in your inbox. In Gmail and Outlook, blocked emails go to your spam or junk folder. In Apple Mail, they go to trash. You can still see blocked emails if you open the spam or junk folder, but they will not alert you or clutter your main inbox.

Blocking is address-specific. If someone sends from a different email address, that new address is not automatically blocked — you will need to block it separately. This is why blocking works best for persistent senders from the same address, but may not stop someone determined to contact you from multiple accounts.

The sender does not receive a bounce-back message or notification that you blocked them. From their perspective, the email was sent normally. They will not know whether you read it, blocked it, or straightforward ignored it.

Unblocking an email address

If you block someone by mistake or change your mind, you can unblock them. In Gmail, go to Settings > Filters and Blocked Addresses, find the address, and click the X. In Outlook on the web, go to Settings > Junk email > Blocked senders, find the address, and click the trash icon. On Apple Mail for Mac, go to Preferences > Junk Mail and remove the address from the blocked list. On iPhone or iPad, go to Settings > Mail > Blocked and swipe left on the contact to unblock.

Once you unblock an address, emails from that sender will return to your inbox normally. Any emails that arrived while they were blocked will still be in your spam or junk folder — unblocking does not recover them.

When blocking does not work the way you expect

Blocking works only on the exact email address. If a sender uses a slightly different address — for example, john.smith@example.com versus johnsmith@example.com — each one must be blocked separately. Some senders create new addresses specifically to get around blocks, which is why blocking alone may not stop determined harassment.

If you are receiving many emails from similar addresses or from a domain you want to block entirely, you may want to create a filter or rule instead of blocking individual addresses. In Gmail, you can create a filter that catches all emails from a domain (like @spammer.com) and sends them to spam. In Outlook and Apple Mail, rules let you block entire domains or patterns of addresses at once.

If blocking is not stopping emails from reaching you, check whether the sender is using a mailing list, a service that forwards emails on their behalf, or a spoofed address (one that looks like it comes from someone else). These require different solutions — unsubscribing from the list, blocking the forwarding service, or reporting the spoofed address to your email provider.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can the person I blocked tell that I blocked them?

No. When you block someone, their emails are sent normally from their perspective. They will not receive a bounce-back message, a delivery failure notice, or any indication that you blocked them. They straightforward will not see a reply from you.

If I block someone, can they still see my emails if they already have them?

Yes. Blocking only affects new emails going forward. Any emails from you that they already received will remain in their inbox. Blocking is one-way — it does not delete past conversations or prevent them from reading what you already sent.

What is the difference between blocking and marking as spam?

Marking an email as spam trains your email provider's filter to recognize similar messages in the future, but does not create a hard block. Blocking explicitly prevents all future emails from that address from reaching your inbox. Blocking is more direct; spam filtering is more flexible and learns over time.

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

Gmail and Outlook do not have a built-in "block domain" feature, but you can create a filter or rule that catches all emails from a domain and sends them to spam. In Gmail, create a filter with the condition "from:@domain.com". In Outlook and Apple Mail, create a rule with the same pattern. This is more effective than blocking individual addresses when you want to stop all mail from a company or service.

If I unblock someone, will old blocked emails come back to my inbox?

No. Unblocking restores future emails from that address to your inbox, but emails that arrived while they were blocked remain in your spam or junk folder. You can retrieve them manually if you need them, but they will not automatically move back to your inbox.