How blocking works across email services

Blocking someone by email means telling your email service to send their messages straight to spam or delete them entirely — you won't see them in your inbox, and the sender usually won't know they're blocked. The exact steps depend on which email service you use. Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo Mail, and Apple Mail all have built-in blocking tools, but they're in different places and work slightly differently.

When you block someone, their future emails stop arriving in your inbox. Some services also prevent them from seeing when you've read messages or whether you're online. However, blocking does not delete messages they've already sent you — those stay in your mailbox unless you delete them manually. The person who is blocked can still send you email; it just goes to spam or a blocked folder instead of your inbox.

Key Takeaways

  • In Gmail, open the email from the person you want to block, click the three-dot menu, and select "Block [sender]" — their future emails go to spam automatically.
  • In Outlook, right-click the sender's name in your inbox and choose "Block" — you can also open an email and use the Block button in the toolbar.
  • In Yahoo Mail and Apple Mail, the block option appears in the email itself or in the sender's contact card, though the exact location varies by device.
  • Blocking is not the same as unsubscribing; unsubscribe removes you from mailing lists, while blocking stops all email from one person.
  • You can unblock someone later if you change your mind — the setting is reversible in all major email services.

Blocking someone in Gmail

Open the email from the person you want to block. In the top right corner of the email, click the three vertical dots (the menu icon). A dropdown list appears. Click "Block [sender's name]." Gmail will ask you to confirm — click "Block" again.

Once blocked, all future emails from that person go directly to your spam folder. You won't see notifications, and the emails won't clutter your inbox. If you ever want to unblock them, go to your Gmail settings, click the "Filters and Blocked Addresses" tab, find their address in the blocked list, and click "Unblock."

Blocking someone in Outlook

Open the email from the person you want to block. In the toolbar at the top, look for the "Block" button — it usually appears near the delete button. Click it, and Outlook will move that sender's emails to your junk folder automatically.

If you don't see the Block button in the toolbar, right-click the sender's name or email address in the message itself and select "Block" from the menu. You can also right-click their name in your inbox list. To unblock someone later, go to Settings, then "Mail," then "Junk email," and look for the "Blocked Senders" list.

Blocking someone in Yahoo Mail

Open the email from the person you want to block. Click the three-dot menu icon in the top right corner of the email. Select "Block sender." Yahoo Mail will confirm the block and move their future emails to spam.

You can also block someone by hovering over their name in the email and clicking the block icon that appears. To see your list of blocked senders or unblock someone, go to Settings, click "Security and privacy," then "Blocked addresses."

Blocking someone in Apple Mail

On an iPhone or iPad, open the email from the person you want to block. Tap "Report Junk" at the bottom of the screen, then tap "Block This Contact." Apple Mail will move their future emails to your junk folder.

On a Mac, right-click the sender's email address in the message and select "Block Contact." You can also click the sender's name at the top of the email and choose "Block This Contact" from the menu. To unblock someone on any Apple device, go to your Mail settings, find the Blocked list, and remove their address.

What happens after you block someone

Their emails still arrive at your email service, but they bypass your inbox and go to spam or a blocked folder instead. You won't get notifications about their messages. If they send you an attachment or a link, you won't see it unless you manually check your spam folder.

The person who is blocked usually cannot tell they've been blocked — they won't receive a notification, and their emails will appear to send normally from their end. However, if they check whether you've read their messages or whether you're online, some services will not show that information to blocked senders.

Blocking versus unsubscribing

Blocking and unsubscribing are different actions. Unsubscribing removes you from a mailing list — it works for newsletters, marketing emails, and other bulk messages where there's an "Unsubscribe" link at the bottom. Blocking stops all email from one specific person or address, regardless of whether there's an unsubscribe option.

If you receive marketing emails from a company, unsubscribing is usually the right choice because it tells the sender you don't want their messages. If you receive unwanted email from a person or a sender that ignores unsubscribe requests, blocking is more effective. You can do both — unsubscribe first, then block if the emails continue.

Unblocking someone if you change your mind

All major email services let you unblock someone later. In Gmail, go to Settings, click "Filters and Blocked Addresses," find the person's address, and click "Unblock." In Outlook, go to Settings, then "Mail," then "Junk email," find "Blocked Senders," and remove their address. In Yahoo Mail, go to Settings, click "Security and privacy," then "Blocked addresses," and unblock from there.

On Apple Mail, go to your Mail settings and find the Blocked Contacts list, then remove the person's name. Once you unblock someone, their emails will start arriving in your inbox again — old blocked messages won't reappear, but new ones will come through normally.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can someone tell if I've blocked them?

No. When you block someone, they won't receive a notification, and their emails will appear to send normally from their end. They cannot see that you've blocked them unless they try to contact you through another method and notice you're not responding.

Will blocking delete emails they already sent me?

No. Blocking only affects future emails. Messages they sent before you blocked them stay in your mailbox. You can delete them manually if you want, but blocking doesn't remove old messages automatically.

What if someone uses a different email address to contact me after I block them?

Blocking only stops email from the specific address you blocked. If they send from a different email address, those messages will arrive in your inbox normally. You can block multiple addresses from the same person if needed.

Does blocking stop them from seeing my read receipts or online status?

It depends on the service. In some email systems, blocked senders cannot see read receipts or whether you're online. In others, the blocking only affects whether their emails reach your inbox. Check your specific email service's settings for details.

Can I block an entire domain or company?

Most email services don't have a built-in option to block an entire domain at once. You can block individual email addresses one at a time, or you can create filters or rules that automatically send emails from a domain to spam. Check your email service's filter or rule settings for this option.