Block a sender in iCloud Mail on your Mac or PC

Open iCloud Mail in your web browser and find an email from the sender you want to block. Click the email to open it, then look for the three dots (more options menu) in the top right corner of the message. Click those dots and select Block Contact from the menu that appears.

Once you block a sender, all future emails from that address go directly to your Trash folder. iCloud does not send a notification to the sender that you blocked them — the block is silent on your end. If you change your mind later, you can unblock the sender by going to iCloud Mail settings, finding the blocked list, and removing their address.

Key Takeaways

  • Blocked emails in iCloud Mail go straight to Trash, not to a separate spam folder.
  • You can block a sender directly from any email by clicking the three-dot menu and selecting Block Contact.
  • Blocking works across all your iCloud devices when you use the same Apple ID.
  • You can view and unblock senders anytime in iCloud Mail settings under the Mail section.

Block a sender on iPhone or iPad

Open the Mail app and find an email from the person you want to block. Swipe left on the email (or tap and hold it), then tap the trash icon or the three dots. Look for an option that says Block This Contact or Block Sender — the exact wording depends on your iOS version.

On newer versions of iOS, you may see the block option appear directly when you swipe. Tap it, and the sender is blocked. Like the web version, blocked emails go to Trash automatically, and the sender never knows you blocked them.

Where blocked emails go and how to find them

When you block someone in iCloud Mail, their emails do not disappear — they move to your Trash folder. This means you can still read them if you need to, but they will not clutter your inbox or other folders. The blocked sender's address stays on your blocked list until you remove it.

If you want to see what emails from a blocked sender look like before permanently deleting them, go to Trash and search for their name or email address. You can read the message, then decide whether to delete it permanently or restore it to another folder.

Unblock a sender you blocked by mistake

On Mac or PC, go to iCloud Mail settings by clicking the gear icon in the top right corner of your inbox. Select Mail from the menu, then look for a section called VIP or Blocked (the location varies by browser and iCloud version). Find the sender you want to unblock and click the X or remove button next to their name.

On iPhone or iPad, open Settings, scroll down to Mail, tap Accounts, select your iCloud account, then look for Blocked Contacts or Blocked Mail Senders. Tap Edit in the top right, find the sender, and tap the red minus sign to unblock them. Once unblocked, their future emails will go to your inbox normally again.

Block emails from a domain instead of just one address

iCloud Mail does not have a built-in feature to block an entire domain (like all emails from @example.com). If you want to block multiple addresses from the same company or domain, you need to block each sender individually. However, you can create a mail rule to automatically send emails from a domain to Trash or a specific folder.

To set up a rule on the web, go to iCloud Mail settings, select Rules, and click Add a Rule. Set the condition to match emails from a domain (using the "from" field), then choose the action to move them to Trash. This works for any domain pattern you specify, though it requires a few extra steps compared to blocking a single sender.

What happens after you block someone

Blocking only affects incoming emails in iCloud Mail. The sender can still send you messages — they just will not see a delivery failure or bounce-back. From your perspective, their emails arrive in Trash instead of your inbox, so you will not be bothered by notifications.

If the blocked sender uses multiple email addresses, blocking one address does not block the others. You will need to block each address separately. If someone is harassing you across many addresses, consider reporting the emails as spam or junk instead of blocking, which gives iCloud information to improve its spam filters for everyone.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can the person I blocked tell that I blocked them?

No. iCloud does not send any notification to a blocked sender. Their emails straightforward go to your Trash folder silently. They will not receive a bounce-back message or any indication that you blocked them.

Do blocked emails get deleted automatically?

No. Blocked emails move to Trash but stay there until you delete them permanently. Trash typically keeps emails for 30 days before iCloud removes them automatically, but you can delete them sooner if you want.

If I unblock someone, will I see their old emails again?

No. Unblocking only stops new emails from going to Trash. Old emails from that sender remain in Trash unless you move them back to your inbox manually. You can search for their name in Trash and restore specific messages if needed.

Does blocking on my iPhone block them on my Mac too?

Yes. Because both devices use the same iCloud account, blocking a sender on one device blocks them on all your devices. The block syncs automatically across your Mac, PC, iPhone, and iPad.

What is the difference between blocking and marking as spam?

Blocking sends emails to Trash silently. Marking as spam sends emails to your Junk folder and tells iCloud's filters that the sender is unwanted, which helps improve filtering for everyone. Use spam for unsolicited bulk mail and blocking for specific people you want to ignore.