The fastest way to unblock an email depends on which service you use

If you blocked someone's email address and now want to receive their messages again, the steps differ between Gmail, Outlook, and Apple Mail — but all three let you reverse a block in under a minute. The blocked sender's future emails will arrive in your inbox as normal, though messages they sent while blocked will not reappear. You do not need to contact the sender or ask them to resend anything; once you unblock, new mail from them flows through.

The process is the same whether you blocked them by accident or changed your mind. You are straightforward removing their address from your blocked list. No notification goes to the sender when you unblock them.

Key Takeaways

  • In Gmail, open Settings, find the Blocked addresses tab, and click Unblock next to the sender's name.
  • In Outlook on the web, go to Settings, then Mail, then Junk email, and remove the address from the Blocked senders list.
  • In Apple Mail on Mac, open Mail Preferences, go to the Junk Mail tab, and uncheck the sender's address if it appears there, or check the Rules tab for a block rule you created.
  • Blocked emails sent while the block was active will not arrive after you unblock — only new messages from that point forward.
  • If you use the Gmail or Outlook app on your phone, the unblock option is in the same settings area as the web version.

Unblocking someone in Gmail

Open Gmail in a web browser and click the gear icon in the top right corner. Select See all settings. Click the Filters and Blocked Addresses tab near the top of the page.

Scroll down to the section labeled Blocked addresses. You will see a list of every email address you have blocked. Find the sender you want to unblock and click the Unblock button next to their name. Gmail will ask you to confirm — click Unblock again. The address is now removed from your blocked list, and their future emails will arrive normally.

If you are using the Gmail app on your phone or tablet, the process is slightly different. Open the app, tap your profile picture in the top right, select Manage your Google Account, go to the Data & Privacy tab, scroll to Data from apps and services you use, and tap Google Play Store. This path is longer on mobile, so using a web browser on a computer is faster if you have access to one.

Unblocking someone in Outlook

Go to Outlook.com in a web browser and click the gear icon in the top right. Select View all Outlook settings. On the left side, click Mail, then Junk email.

You will see a field labeled Blocked senders with a list of addresses you have blocked. Click in the field next to the sender's address you want to unblock and delete their email address, then click Save at the bottom of the page. They are now unblocked.

If you use the Outlook app on your phone, open the app, tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines), go to Settings, select your email account, tap Junk email, and remove the address from the blocked list. The steps are the same; the app just organizes them differently.

Unblocking someone 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.

If the sender appears in the Junk Mail tab under a list of blocked addresses, select their name and click the minus button to remove them. If you do not see them listed there, click the Rules tab. Look for a rule with the sender's name or address in the description — it might say something like "From contains [sender's email]". Select that rule and click the minus button to delete it. Click Save when you are done.

Apple Mail does not always show blocked addresses in the same way Gmail and Outlook do. If you cannot find the sender in either the Junk Mail or Rules tab, try searching your email for a message from them. Right-click on one of their emails and look for an option that says Block this Contact or Unblock — if Unblock appears, click it.

What happens to emails sent while someone was blocked

When you block an email address, messages from that sender do not arrive in your inbox, spam folder, or anywhere else — they are rejected at the mail server level. If you unblock them later, those old rejected emails will not suddenly appear. Only new messages sent after you unblock them will come through.

If the sender needs to resend something important, they will have to do so after you unblock them. There is no way to recover emails that arrived while the block was active. This is why it is worth double-checking a sender's address before blocking them, especially if you think you might want to hear from them again.

If you cannot find the blocked address

Sometimes an address does not appear in your blocked list even though you thought you blocked it. This usually means you used a filter or rule instead of the block feature. Filters and rules work differently — they automatically send emails to spam or delete them, but they are not the same as blocking.

In Gmail, check the Filters and Blocked Addresses tab and look for any filters with the sender's address in the "From" field. Click the edit icon (pencil) next to the filter and change it to allow the emails through, or delete the filter entirely. In Outlook, check Mail > Rules to see if a rule is sending their emails to spam. In Apple Mail, the Rules tab is where to look. Removing or editing the rule will let their emails through again.

Blocking someone again if you change your mind

If you unblock someone and later decide you want to block them again, the process is just as quick. In Gmail, open an email from them, click the three dots menu, and select Block [sender's name]. In Outlook, right-click an email from them and choose Junk > Block. In Apple Mail, right-click their email and select Block this Contact. You can block and unblock the same address as many times as you need to.

There is no limit to how many times you can change your mind about blocking someone. Each time you block or unblock, the change takes effect when ready across all your devices that use that email account.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will the person I unblock know that I unblocked them?

No. Unblocking someone sends no notification to them. They will not know you blocked them in the first place or that you have now unblocked them. If you want them to know you are ready to receive their emails again, you will need to contact them separately.

Can I unblock someone on my phone?

Yes. The Gmail app, Outlook app, and Apple Mail app all have settings where you can view and remove blocked addresses. The steps are slightly different from the web version, but the option is in the same general location — usually under Settings or Preferences, then Junk email or Blocked senders.

What if I blocked someone by accident and they have already sent me important emails?

Those emails will not reappear once you unblock them. Ask the sender to resend the important messages after you have unblocked their address. Once you unblock them, their new emails will arrive normally.

Do I need to unblock someone in multiple places if I use Gmail on my phone and computer?

No. Blocking and unblocking happens on your email account itself, not on individual devices. If you unblock someone in Gmail on your computer, they are unblocked everywhere you access Gmail — phone, tablet, and web browser.

Can I block someone without them knowing?

Yes. Blocking is silent — the sender receives no notification that you have blocked them. They will straightforward notice that their emails are not reaching you, but they will not get a message saying they are blocked.