The fastest way to block an email on iPhone

Open the Mail app and find 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 with options including "Block This Contact". Tap that option, then confirm when prompted. The sender is now blocked: their future emails go to a separate folder, and you won't see notifications from them.

If you're already in your inbox, you can also swipe left on the email and tap the trash icon, then tap "Block This Sender" from the menu that appears. Both methods take about five seconds and require no settings changes.

Key Takeaways

  • Blocked senders' emails still arrive on your iPhone but go to a hidden folder instead of your inbox, so you can review them later if needed.
  • Blocking works across Mail, Messages, and FaceTime on the same iPhone — if you block someone's email, they're also blocked from texting and calling you through Apple services.
  • You can unblock a contact anytime by going to Settings > Mail > Blocked Contacts and swiping left on the name.
  • Blocking an email address does not stop the sender from emailing you; it only hides their messages from your inbox and turns off notifications.

Where blocked emails actually go

When you block a sender, their emails don't disappear — they move to a folder called "VIP" or a separate blocked folder depending on your Mail settings. You can still read them if you need to, but you won't get alerts when they arrive. This is different from deleting: the emails stay on your phone and can be searched.

To see your blocked emails, open Mail and look for a folder labeled "Blocked" or scroll down in your folder list. The exact name depends on your iPhone model and iOS version, but it's always there if you need to check it later.

Blocking someone you already know

If the sender is already in your Contacts app, blocking them through Mail also blocks them in Messages and FaceTime. You don't have to block them separately in each app. However, if you block someone in Contacts directly (by opening their contact card and tapping "Block This Caller"), it doesn't automatically block their email address in Mail.

The safest approach: block through Mail if you want to stop their emails, and block through Contacts if you want to stop calls and texts from the same person. Both actions are permanent until you undo them, but you can reverse either one anytime.

Unblocking a sender if you change your mind

Go to Settings on your iPhone, then tap Mail. Scroll down and tap "Blocked Contacts". You'll see a list of every email address and contact you've blocked. Find the one you want to unblock, swipe left on it, and tap "Unblock". That sender can now email you again, and their messages will return to your inbox.

If you blocked someone through Contacts instead of Mail, go to Settings > Phone > Blocked Contacts (or Settings > Messages > Blocked Contacts for text messages) and unblock them the same way. The process is identical across all three apps.

What blocking does and doesn't do

Blocking stops notifications and hides incoming emails from your inbox view. It does not prevent the sender from emailing you, and it does not send them a message saying they're blocked. They won't know you've blocked them unless they try to call or text you through an Apple service and see a "not delivered" message.

If you want to stop emails from a sender permanently rather than just hide them, you can delete them and set up a rule in Mail to automatically delete future emails from that address. That requires more steps but gives you complete control over what lands in your inbox.

Setting up automatic filtering instead of blocking

If you want to be more selective — for example, keeping emails from a sender but moving them to a folder automatically — you can create a Mail rule instead of blocking. Open Settings, tap Mail, then tap Rules. Tap "Add Rule" and set conditions like "From contains [email address]", then choose an action like "Move to Folder" or "Mark as Read". This keeps the emails but removes them from your inbox automatically.

Rules are useful for newsletters or automated messages you want to keep but don't want cluttering your inbox. Blocking is simpler if you just want the sender gone from your view entirely.

Blocking on older iPhone models

If you're using an iPhone with iOS 12 or earlier, the blocking process is slightly different. Open Mail, find the email, tap "Edit" in the top left, select the email, then tap "Move" and choose a folder. You won't see a "Block This Sender" button in older versions, so you'll need to manually move their emails or delete them. Upgrading to a newer iOS version adds the one-tap blocking feature.

You can check your iOS version by going to Settings > General > About. If you're on iOS 13 or later, you have access to the full blocking feature described at the top of this guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will the person I blocked know I blocked them?

No. They won't receive a notification, and their emails will still appear to send normally on their end. They'll only know if they try to call or text you through FaceTime or iMessage and see a "not delivered" message, which indicates they're blocked.

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

Yes. You don't need the sender to be in your Contacts app to block their email. Just open their message in Mail and tap their name at the top to see the block option. It works the same way whether you know them or not.

If I block someone's email, does it also block their phone number?

Only if that person is saved in your Contacts app with both their email and phone number. Blocking their email address blocks them in Mail, Messages, and FaceTime, but if you want to block their phone calls specifically, you need to block them through the Phone app or Contacts separately.

Can I block multiple emails from the same person?

If someone has multiple email addresses, you'll need to block each one separately. Open an email from each address and tap the sender's name to block it. There's no way to block all addresses from one person at once unless they're all linked to a single contact card.

What happens to emails I blocked before I unblock someone?

They stay in your blocked folder. Unblocking a sender doesn't move old emails back to your inbox — it only allows new emails from them to arrive normally. You can manually move old emails if you want to see them again.