The fastest way depends on which email service you use

Unblocking an email address takes two to four clicks in most services, but the exact steps change depending on whether you use Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, or your phone's built-in mail app. The blocked sender will not know you unblocked them — no notification goes out. Once you unblock, their future emails will land in your inbox normally, but old messages they sent while blocked stay deleted unless your service keeps them in a separate folder.

Start by opening the email service where you blocked the address. If you use multiple services, the person might be blocked in one but not another. The steps below cover the most common platforms. If you use a less common service, search "[your email service] unblock sender" — most have a nearly identical process.

Key Takeaways

  • Gmail stores blocked addresses in Settings under Filters and Blocked Addresses, where you can unblock with one click.
  • Outlook and Yahoo both show blocked senders in their settings, and you unblock by finding the address and selecting remove or unblock.
  • On iPhone Mail, blocked senders live in Settings > Mail > Blocked, and you swipe left to unblock.
  • On Android Gmail, go to Settings > Blocked addresses and tap the minus sign next to the sender you want to unblock.
  • Unblocking does not retrieve old emails from that sender — those remain deleted unless your service archives them separately.

Unblocking in Gmail on a computer

Open Gmail and click the gear icon in the top right corner, then select See all settings. Click the Filters and Blocked Addresses tab. Scroll down to the section labeled Blocked addresses. Find the email address you want to unblock and click the Unblock button next to it. That is all — the address is now unblocked and their emails will arrive in your inbox.

If you do not see the address in the list, double-check that you are looking at the right Gmail account. If you have multiple Gmail addresses, each one has its own blocked list. You can also search the page using Ctrl+F (or Cmd+F on Mac) to find the address faster if the list is long.

Unblocking in Outlook on a computer

Open Outlook and click the gear icon in the top right, then select View all Outlook settings. Click Mail in the left sidebar, then Junk email. Under Blocked senders, you will see a list of addresses you have blocked. Find the one you want to unblock, click the trash icon next to it, and confirm the removal. The sender is now unblocked.

Outlook sometimes takes a few minutes to sync the change across devices. If you use Outlook on your phone as well, you may need to close and reopen the app for the unblock to take effect there.

Unblocking in Yahoo Mail on a computer

Log into Yahoo Mail and click the gear icon in the top right corner. Select Settings. Click Security and privacy in the left menu. Scroll to Blocked addresses and you will see the list of senders you have blocked. Click the X or Remove button next to the address you want to unblock. Confirm the action if prompted.

Yahoo keeps blocked addresses in this one location, so if you cannot find the sender here, they may not actually be blocked in your Yahoo account — they might be blocked in a different email service instead.

Unblocking on iPhone Mail

Open the Settings app on your iPhone. Scroll down and tap Mail. Tap Blocked (you may need to scroll down to find it). You will see a list of blocked senders. Swipe left on the address you want to unblock and tap Unblock. The sender is now unblocked and their emails will appear in your inbox.

This process works for the built-in Mail app that comes with iPhone. If you use Gmail, Outlook, or Yahoo on your iPhone through their own apps, follow the computer steps above instead — the phone apps use the same settings as the web versions.

Unblocking on Android Gmail

Open the Gmail app and tap the three horizontal lines (menu) in the top left. Tap Settings. Select the Gmail account you want to change. Tap Blocked addresses. Find the sender you want to unblock and tap the minus sign next to their address. Confirm when prompted. They are now unblocked.

If you use a different email app on Android, the steps will differ. Check your app's settings menu for a section on blocked senders or blocked addresses — most Android email apps put this in Settings rather than in the main menu.

What happens after you unblock

Once you unblock an address, emails from that sender will arrive in your inbox starting when ready. However, any emails they sent while they were blocked will not reappear — those messages are permanently deleted from your inbox. Some email services keep deleted messages in a Trash or Deleted Items folder for 30 days before permanently removing them, so you can check there if you need to recover an old message.

The sender does not receive any notification that you unblocked them. They will not know you had them blocked unless you tell them. If you unblock someone by mistake, you can block them again using the same settings where you unblocked them.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I unblock someone without them knowing?

Yes. Unblocking sends no notification to the sender. They will not know you had them blocked or that you unblocked them unless you tell them directly.

Will I see old emails from someone I unblock?

No. Emails they sent while blocked are deleted and will not reappear in your inbox. Check your Trash or Deleted Items folder if you need to recover a specific message — most services keep deleted mail there for 30 days.

Do I need to unblock someone in every email service I use?

Yes. If you use both Gmail and Outlook, for example, you must unblock the person in each service separately. Blocking in one service does not affect the other.

What if I unblock someone and still do not see their emails?

Check your spam or junk folder first — sometimes emails land there even after unblocking. If they are not there, make sure you unblocked the correct email address and that you unblocked in the right account if you have multiple.

Can I block and unblock the same person multiple times?

Yes. You can block and unblock any address as many times as you need to. There is no limit on how many times you can change the block status.