Where to find the unblock button depends on which email service you use

The steps to unblock someone differ between Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo Mail, and Apple Mail. Gmail keeps blocked senders in your Blocked and Reported folder; Outlook uses a Junk Email settings page; Yahoo Mail has a blocked-senders list in Account Info; Apple Mail stores them in VIP or rules you set yourself. The fastest way is to search your email settings for "blocked" or "blocked senders" — most services put the option in the same place every time.

Before you unblock, think about why you blocked them in the first place. Unblocking means their emails will land in your inbox again, not in spam or trash. If you blocked them because of unwanted mail, unblocking might bring that back. If you blocked them by accident or because you were angry and have since made up, unblocking makes sense.

Key Takeaways

  • Gmail stores blocked senders in the Blocked and Reported folder, where you can unblock them in one click.
  • Outlook requires you to go to Settings > Mail > Junk Email > Blocked Senders to see and remove blocked addresses.
  • Yahoo Mail keeps a blocked-senders list under Account Info > Security and Privacy > Blocked Addresses.
  • Apple Mail does not have a built-in unblock feature; you must delete the rule you created or remove them from a VIP list.
  • Unblocking restores their emails to your inbox, so only unblock people whose mail you actually want to receive.

Unblocking in Gmail

Open Gmail and look for the Blocked and Reported folder on the left side of the screen. If you do not see it, click the More link to expand the folder list. Click on Blocked and Reported to see all the addresses you have blocked.

Find the sender you want to unblock and click the three dots next to their name. Select Unblock from the menu. Gmail will move their future emails to your inbox. If they sent you mail while they were blocked, those old messages will not reappear — only new mail from them will arrive.

Unblocking in Outlook

Go to Settings (the gear icon in the top right) and select View all Outlook settings. Click Mail in the left menu, then Junk Email. You will see a Blocked Senders section with a list of addresses you have blocked.

Find the address you want to unblock and click the trash icon next to it. Outlook will remove them from the blocked list when ready. Their emails will now go to your inbox instead of the junk folder. If you want to block them again later, you can do that from any email they send you.

Unblocking in Yahoo Mail

Click the Account Info icon (usually your profile picture) in the top right corner. Select Account Security and Privacy, then Blocked Addresses. You will see a list of everyone you have blocked.

Find the address you want to unblock and click the X next to it. Yahoo will remove them from your blocked list. Their mail will arrive in your inbox from that point forward. Yahoo does not restore old blocked mail, so you will only see messages they send after you unblock them.

Unblocking in Apple Mail

Apple Mail does not have a single "unblock" button the way other services do. Instead, you either created a rule to send their mail to trash, or you added them to a VIP list and then removed them. To undo a rule, go to Mail > Preferences > Rules, find the rule you created for that sender, and click Delete.

If you added them to your VIP list by mistake, open an email from them and click the star icon to remove them from VIP. After that, their mail will arrive in your regular inbox. If you are not sure which method you used to block them, check both places.

What happens after you unblock someone

Once you unblock an address, their emails will arrive in your inbox like any other mail. You will not see the messages they sent while they were blocked — those stay in your trash or deleted folder. If you change your mind and want to block them again, you can do that at any time from any email they send you.

If you unblock someone and then realize you made a mistake, blocking them again takes about ten seconds. Most email services let you block from the email itself or from the sender's contact card. There is no penalty for blocking and unblocking the same person multiple times.

Unblocking a contact versus unblocking a sender

Some email services let you block a contact (someone in your address book) separately from blocking a sender (someone who emails you). If you blocked someone as a contact, you may need to unblock them from your contacts list instead of your blocked-senders list. Check your contacts app or address book first if you do not see the person in your blocked-senders folder.

In Gmail, blocking a contact and blocking a sender are the same action. In Outlook and Yahoo, they are separate. If you cannot find someone in your blocked-senders list, try searching your contacts to see if they are blocked there instead.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will they know I unblocked them?

No. Email services do not notify someone when you unblock them. They will not know unless you tell them or they notice their emails are reaching you again. Unblocking is private.

Can I unblock someone on my phone?

Yes. The Gmail app, Outlook app, Yahoo Mail app, and Apple Mail app all let you unblock senders. The steps are similar to the desktop version — look for settings, find blocked senders, and remove the address from the list.

What if I blocked someone by accident?

You can unblock them right away using the steps above. If they sent you important mail while they were blocked, check your trash or spam folder to see if those messages are still there. You may be able to move them back to your inbox manually.

Do I need to unblock them in multiple places?

Only if you use multiple email services. If you use Gmail on your phone and computer, unblocking them in one place unblocks them everywhere because it is the same account. If you use both Gmail and Outlook, you would need to unblock them separately in each service.

Can I unblock a whole domain instead of one address?

Most email services let you block or unblock individual addresses, not entire domains. If you want to receive mail from anyone at a company domain, you would need to unblock each person individually or create a rule that sends their domain to your inbox instead of spam.