Block senders in the Mail app

The Mail app on iPad has a built-in block feature that stops emails from a specific sender from reaching your inbox. When you block someone, their messages go straight to trash and you won't see notifications from them. Open any email from the person you want to block, tap the sender's name or email address at the top of the message, then tap Block this Contact. Confirm by tapping Block Contact in the popup that appears.

Once blocked, that sender's future emails arrive in your Trash folder automatically. You can still see them if you go looking, but they won't clutter your inbox or alert you. If you change your mind, open Mail settings, scroll to the account you use, tap VIP or scroll down to find Blocked, and tap Edit to remove the person from your blocked list.

Key Takeaways

  • Blocked emails go to Trash automatically and produce no notifications, but you can still view them if you open the Trash folder.
  • You block a sender by opening their email, tapping their name, and selecting Block this Contact from the menu.
  • Unblocking someone requires going to Mail settings, finding the Blocked list, and tapping Edit to remove them.
  • Blocking works only within the Mail app; if you use Gmail, Outlook, or another email service's own app, you may need to block senders there instead.

Block senders using Mail settings

If you want to block someone without opening their email first, you can add them directly through Mail settings. Go to Settings on your iPad home screen, scroll down and tap Mail, then tap the email account you use. Scroll to the bottom and look for Blocked Mail or Blocked Contacts. Tap Add or the plus icon, then type or paste the email address you want to block.

This method works best when you know the email address but haven't received a message from them yet. You can add multiple addresses this way before they ever contact you. The blocked address will behave the same way as if you had blocked them from an email — their messages land in Trash with no notification.

What happens when you block someone

Blocking is not the same as deleting. The sender does not receive a notification that you blocked them, and their email address does not bounce back to them. Instead, their messages silently arrive in your Trash folder. If they send you ten emails, all ten go to Trash, and you see no alerts.

The blocked person can still send you emails — they just won't know that you're not reading them. If you need to see what they sent, you can open your Trash folder and read the messages there. This is different from unsubscribing, which removes you from a mailing list but does not block future messages from that sender.

Unblock a sender if you change your mind

Open Settings, tap Mail, select your email account, and scroll down to find Blocked Mail or Blocked Contacts. Tap Edit in the top right corner, then tap the red minus sign next to the email address you want to unblock. Tap Delete to confirm. That sender's future emails will now arrive in your inbox normally.

Unblocking does not recover old messages that went to Trash while they were blocked. If you need to read those emails, go to your Trash folder first, find the messages, and move them back to your inbox before unblocking.

Block senders in Gmail or Outlook on iPad

If you use Gmail through the Gmail app or Outlook through the Outlook app instead of Apple's Mail app, blocking works differently. In the Gmail app, open an email from the sender, tap the three dots in the top right, and select Block [sender's name]. In the Outlook app, open the email, tap the three dots, and choose Block Sender.

These apps send blocked messages to your Spam folder rather than Trash. The process is similar to Mail, but the location where blocked emails land depends on which app you use. If you use multiple email apps on your iPad, you may need to block the same sender in each app separately.

Recover emails from Trash after blocking

Blocked emails sit in your Trash folder for 30 days before they delete permanently. If you blocked someone by mistake and want to read their messages, open Mail, tap Mailboxes at the bottom left, scroll down, and tap Trash. Find the emails from that sender, tap Edit, select the messages, and tap Move to move them back to your inbox.

You do not have to unblock the sender to recover their old emails. Once you move them back to your inbox, they stay there even if the sender remains blocked. Any new emails from that blocked sender will still go to Trash automatically.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the person I block know that I blocked them?

No. Blocking sends no notification to the sender, and their emails do not bounce back to them. They have no way to know you blocked them unless you tell them. Their messages straightforward arrive in your Trash folder silently.

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

The Mail app does not have a built-in way to block all emails from a domain like @company.com. You can only block individual email addresses. If you receive many emails from the same domain, you may need to block each address separately or use email rules if your email provider offers them through their website.

What's the difference between blocking and unsubscribing?

Unsubscribing removes you from a mailing list, and the sender stops sending you emails. Blocking stops emails from reaching your inbox but does not notify the sender. Use unsubscribe for newsletters and marketing emails, and blocking for people you do not want to hear from at all.

Will blocking on my iPad block emails on my Mac or iPhone too?

If you use the same email account on multiple Apple devices, blocking syncs across them. Block someone on your iPad, and they are blocked on your Mac and iPhone as well. This only works if all devices use the same account and have iCloud sync turned on.

Can I block emails by subject line or keyword?

The Mail app does not have a filter for blocking by subject line or keyword. You can only block by sender email address. If you want to filter emails by content, you may need to use your email provider's website to set up rules, or use a third-party email app that offers more filtering options.