The fastest way to block an email address

Open the email from the person you want to block. Look for a menu icon — three vertical dots in Gmail, a downward arrow in Outlook, or "More" in Apple Mail. Click it and select "Block" or "Block sender". The email service will then send that person's messages straight to spam or a blocked folder, and you won't see notifications when they arrive.

This works the same way across all major email providers. The person sending the email doesn't know they've been blocked — they'll see no error message, no bounce-back. Their emails straightforward disappear from your inbox. If they contact you through another channel asking why you're not responding, that's between you and them.

Blocking is permanent until you undo it. If you change your mind later, you can unblock the address through your email settings, and their messages will go to your inbox again.

Key Takeaways

  • Gmail, Outlook, and Apple Mail all let you block a sender in one click from the email itself — no settings menu required.
  • Blocked emails go to spam or a blocked folder; you won't see them or get notifications.
  • The sender receives no notification that they've been blocked.
  • You can unblock an address anytime through your email settings if you change your mind.
  • If someone uses a different email address to contact you, you'll need to block that address separately.

Blocking in Gmail

Open any email from the sender. In the top right, click the three vertical dots (the menu icon). A dropdown menu appears. Click "Block [sender's name]". Gmail will move that email and all future ones from that address to your spam folder.

To unblock them later, go to your Gmail settings. Click the "Filters and Blocked Addresses" tab. Find the blocked address in the list and click "Unblock" next to it. Their future emails will go to your inbox again, though Gmail won't move old blocked emails back out of spam.

Blocking in Outlook (web and desktop)

In Outlook on the web, open the email and click the downward arrow at the top right. Select "Block". In Outlook desktop (Windows or Mac), right-click the email and choose "Junk" then "Block Sender". Either way, future emails from that address go to your Junk folder.

To unblock in Outlook on the web, go to Settings, then "Mail" and "Junk email". Scroll to "Blocked senders" and find the address. Click the X next to it. In Outlook desktop, go to Home, then "Junk" and "Junk Email Options", find the Blocked Senders tab, select the address, and click "Remove".

Blocking in Apple Mail

Open the email and click "Mail" in the menu bar at the top of your screen. Select "Block Sender". The email disappears, and future messages from that address go to your junk folder. Apple Mail doesn't show a confirmation — the action happens silently.

To unblock, go to Mail menu, then "Preferences". Click the "Junk Mail" tab. You'll see a list of blocked senders. Select the one you want to unblock and click "Remove". Their emails will go to your inbox again on the next send.

What happens to emails after you block someone

In Gmail, blocked emails land in spam. In Outlook, they go to Junk. In Apple Mail, they go to Junk as well. You can still see these folders if you want to check whether someone tried to contact you, but you won't get a notification when a blocked sender emails you. Most people never look at these folders again.

If the blocked person uses a different email address — a work account, a new personal account, a shared family email — their messages from that new address will come through normally. You'll need to block each address separately. There's no way to block an entire person or domain from a personal email account; you can only block individual addresses.

When blocking doesn't work the way you expect

If you're still seeing emails from someone you blocked, check whether they're using a different email address. Search your inbox for their name or any variation of it. If you find emails from a different address, that's why they're getting through — block that address too.

If emails are coming from a mailing list, a company newsletter, or an automated system, blocking the sender address might not stop them. Look for an "Unsubscribe" link at the bottom of the email instead. That removes you from the list itself, which is more effective than blocking.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can the person I blocked tell that I've blocked them?

No. They won't receive a bounce-back message, an error, or any notification. Their email straightforward goes to your spam or junk folder. They have no way to know unless you tell them or they contact you through another method and you explain it.

What if someone keeps contacting me from different email addresses?

Block each address as it arrives. If it becomes a pattern, contact your email provider's support team — they may be able to flag the behavior as harassment. You can also report the emails as spam or phishing, which helps the provider identify patterns across many users.

Can I block an entire domain, like all emails from a company?

Personal email accounts don't have a domain-blocking feature. You can only block individual email addresses. If you need to block many addresses from the same organization, you may want to set up a filter rule instead, which some providers offer in advanced settings.

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

No. Unblocking only affects future emails. Old messages that went to spam or junk stay there. You can manually move them back to your inbox if you want, but unblocking doesn't do it automatically.

Does blocking on my phone work the same way as on my computer?

Yes. Gmail, Outlook, and Apple Mail work the same on mobile as on desktop. Open the email, tap the menu icon, and select block. The process is identical, and the block applies across all your devices using that email account.