The steps depend on which email service you use
Unblocking someone works differently in Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo Mail, and Apple Mail. The fastest way is to find the blocked sender in your settings, locate their address, and remove them from the block list. Most services let you do this in under a minute once you know where to look.
Before you unblock, decide whether you actually want their messages in your inbox. Unblocking means their future emails will arrive normally — they won't go to spam, and you won't see a notification that they tried to reach you. If you unblock someone by accident, you can block them again just as quickly.
Key Takeaways
- Gmail stores blocked senders in Settings under Filters and Blocked Addresses, where you can remove them one at a time.
- Outlook (including Hotmail) keeps blocked senders in Settings under Mail > Junk Email, and unblocking takes one click.
- Yahoo Mail blocks are managed under Settings > Security and Privacy > Blocked Addresses.
- Apple Mail blocks are stored locally on your device, so you unblock through Mail > Preferences > Junk Mail on a Mac or through Settings on an iPhone.
- Unblocking someone does not notify them — they straightforward start receiving delivery confirmations again if they send you mail.
Unblocking in Gmail
Open Gmail and click the gear icon in the top right corner, then select See all settings. Go to the Filters and Blocked Addresses tab. Scroll down to the section labeled Blocked addresses and you will see a list of every email address you have blocked.
Find the person you want to unblock and click the Unblock button next to their address. Gmail will ask you to confirm — click Unblock again. That is all. Their future emails will arrive in your inbox like any other message.
If you have blocked many people and cannot find the address you are looking for, use your browser's search function (Ctrl+F on Windows, Command+F on Mac) to search the page for part of their name or email domain.
Unblocking in Outlook and Hotmail
Sign into your Outlook or Hotmail account and click the gear icon in the top right. Select View all Outlook settings. In the left sidebar, click Mail, then scroll down and click Junk email.
Under the Safe Senders and Domains section, you will see a tab for Blocked Senders. Click that tab to see everyone you have blocked. Find the address you want to unblock and click the trash icon next to it. The person is now unblocked.
Outlook also blocks senders automatically if you mark their messages as junk repeatedly. If someone keeps landing in your junk folder even though you have not manually blocked them, check the Blocked Senders list anyway — they may be there.
Unblocking in Yahoo Mail
Log into Yahoo Mail and click the gear icon in the top right corner. Select Settings. In the left sidebar, click Security and Privacy. Scroll down to Blocked Addresses.
You will see a list of every address you have blocked. Click the X button next to the person you want to unblock. Yahoo will remove them from the list when ready, and their emails will start arriving in your inbox again.
Unblocking in Apple Mail on Mac
Open the Mail app and click Mail in the menu bar at the top of your screen. Select Preferences. Click the Junk Mail tab.
At the bottom of the window, you will see a button labeled Reset. This clears all blocked senders at once. If you only want to unblock one person, there is no way to do it from this menu — you will need to mark their next email as Not Junk when it arrives, and Apple Mail will learn to stop blocking them.
Alternatively, you can open an email from the blocked sender (it will be in your Junk folder) and click Not Junk at the top of the message. Apple Mail will move it to your inbox and add them to your safe senders list.
Unblocking in Apple Mail on iPhone or iPad
Apple Mail on iOS does not have a visible blocked senders list. To unblock someone, you must wait for them to send you an email. When their message arrives in your Junk folder, swipe left on it and tap Not Junk. This tells Apple Mail to stop blocking them.
If you want to unblock someone proactively without waiting for their email, you can add them to your Contacts app. Apple Mail treats people in your Contacts as trusted senders and will not block them, even if you previously blocked their address.
What happens after you unblock someone
Once you unblock an address, that person's future emails will arrive in your inbox normally. They will not receive a notification that you unblocked them. If they sent you messages while they were blocked, those old emails remain in your Junk or Deleted folder — unblocking does not recover them.
If you unblock someone and then change your mind, you can block them again using the same settings menu. There is no limit to how many times you can block and unblock the same person.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I unblock someone without going into settings?
In Gmail, Outlook, and Yahoo Mail, you must go into settings to unblock. In Apple Mail on iPhone, you can unblock someone by marking their email as Not Junk when it arrives. This is faster than navigating to settings if you are waiting for a specific message.
Will the person know I unblocked them?
No. Unblocking is silent — they will not receive any notification. They will only know you unblocked them if their emails start arriving again and you tell them you had blocked them.
What if I blocked someone and forgot their email address?
Go to your blocked senders list in settings. You can see every address you have blocked. If you remember part of their name or company domain, use your browser's search function to find them faster.
Does unblocking recover emails they sent while blocked?
No. Emails sent while someone was blocked stay in your Junk or Deleted folder. Unblocking only affects future messages. If you need to read old emails from them, you will have to find them manually in those folders.
Can I block and unblock someone multiple times?
Yes. You can block and unblock the same person as many times as you want. There is no limit, and no record is kept of how many times you have done it.