Block a sender in Gmail, Outlook, or Apple Mail

The steps to block someone depend on which email service you use. Gmail, Outlook, and Apple Mail all have a block feature, but you access it from different places. The blocked sender's messages will still arrive in your inbox, but you won't see them — they go straight to spam or a blocked folder instead.

In Gmail, open any email from the person you want to block. Click the three dots (more actions) at the top right of the message. Select "Block [sender's name]" from the menu. Gmail will automatically send their future messages to spam.

In Outlook (both the web version and the desktop app), right-click the sender's name or email address in the message. Choose "Block" or "Junk" depending on your version. On the web, you can also click the trash icon and select "Block sender" from the options that appear.

In Apple Mail on Mac or iPhone, select the message from that sender. Click the flag icon or swipe left (on iPhone), then choose "Block This Contact." On Mac, you can also go to Mail menu > Preferences > Junk Mail and add addresses manually to the blocked list.

Key Takeaways

  • Gmail, Outlook, and Apple Mail all send blocked messages to spam automatically — you won't see them in your inbox.
  • The block feature is usually one click from any message: look for a three-dot menu, right-click option, or flag icon depending on your service.
  • Blocking someone does not delete their past messages; it only stops new ones from appearing in your inbox.
  • If you block someone by mistake, you can unblock them by going to your spam folder, finding their message, and selecting "not spam" or "unblock."
  • Some email services let you block entire domains (like all addresses ending in @company.com) rather than just one person.

What happens after you block someone

Once you block a sender, their messages arrive but skip your inbox entirely. In Gmail, they land in spam. In Outlook, they go to the Junk folder. In Apple Mail, they move to Junk or a blocked senders folder depending on your settings. You can still see these messages if you open your spam or junk folder — blocking does not delete anything.

The blocked sender does not receive a notification that you blocked them. They won't know their messages aren't reaching you. If they contact you through another method to ask why you're not responding, you'll need to tell them yourself.

Unblocking someone if you change your mind

To unblock someone in Gmail, go to Settings (the gear icon) and click "See all settings." Go to the Filters and Blocked Addresses tab. Find the blocked address in the list and click the delete icon next to it. Their messages will start arriving in your inbox again on the next send.

In Outlook on the web, go to Settings > Mail > Junk email. Look for the Blocked senders list and remove the address. In the Outlook desktop app, go to File > Options > Trust Center > Trust Center Settings > Blocked Senders and remove them from there.

In Apple Mail on Mac, go to Mail > Preferences > Junk Mail and remove the address from your blocked list. On iPhone, open Contacts, find the person, tap "Edit," scroll down, and tap "Unblock this Contact."

Block an entire domain instead of one person

If you're getting unwanted messages from multiple addresses at the same company or organization, you can block the entire domain. In Gmail, go to Settings > Filters and Blocked Addresses and create a new filter. In the "From" field, type the domain name with an asterisk (for example, *@unwantedcompany.com). Choose "Delete" or "Skip the inbox" and explore the filter.

In Outlook, you can add a domain to your blocked senders list the same way you add an individual address, but type the domain name instead (unwantedcompany.com). Outlook will block all addresses from that domain.

Apple Mail does not have a built-in domain-blocking feature, so you'll need to block each address individually or create a rule in Mail > Preferences > Rules that automatically moves messages from that domain to trash.

When blocking isn't enough

If someone keeps contacting you from different email addresses after you block them, blocking individual addresses becomes tedious. In this case, create a filter or rule that catches messages by subject line or content instead. For example, in Gmail you can filter for messages containing specific words and send them straight to trash without you seeing them.

If the messages are harassing or threatening, save them as evidence and report them to your email provider. Gmail, Outlook, and Apple Mail all have abuse reporting tools. You can also report the sender to your IT department if this is happening at work, or to local authorities if the messages constitute harassment or threats.

Blocking on mobile devices

On a phone or tablet, the blocking process is similar but the menus look different. In Gmail on iPhone or Android, open a message from the sender, tap the three dots at the top, and select "Block [sender]." In Outlook mobile, swipe left on the message (iPhone) or long-press it (Android), then tap the block or trash icon.

On Apple Mail for iPhone, swipe left on the message and tap the flag icon, then choose "Block This Contact." On Android devices using Gmail, the three-dot menu is your main access point for blocking. Mobile blocking works the same way as desktop — messages still arrive but you won't see them in your inbox.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can the person I blocked tell that I blocked them?

No. The blocked sender won't receive any notification. Their messages will appear to send normally on their end, but they'll land in your spam or junk folder instead of your inbox. They only know you blocked them if you tell them or if they notice you're not responding and try to contact you another way.

Will blocking delete the messages I already received from them?

No. Blocking only affects new messages going forward. All past messages from that sender stay in your inbox unless you manually delete them. If you want to remove old messages, you'll need to search for them and delete them separately.

What if I block someone by mistake?

You can unblock them by going to your email settings and finding the blocked senders list. In Gmail, it's in Settings > Filters and Blocked Addresses. In Outlook, it's in Settings > Junk email. In Apple Mail, it's in Preferences > Junk Mail. Remove the address and their messages will start arriving in your inbox again.

Can I block someone without opening their email?

In most email services, you need to open at least one message from that sender to access the block option. However, in Outlook you can sometimes right-click a sender's name in your inbox list without opening the message. If you don't have any messages from them yet, you can't block them preemptively — you'll need to wait until they send you something first.

Does blocking work the same way on all devices?

The blocking feature works the same way across devices — messages still go to spam or junk — but the steps to block are different on mobile than on desktop. Once you block someone on one device, the block usually applies across all your devices that use the same email account, since the block is stored on the email service's server, not just on your device.