The fastest way to unblock someone in Gmail

Open Gmail and go to Settings (the gear icon in the top right). Click See all settings, then select the Filters and Blocked Addresses tab. Find the sender you want to unblock in the list, click the trash icon next to their address, and confirm the deletion. The next email from that person will arrive in your inbox normally.

If you blocked them by mistake or changed your mind, this is the only step you need. Gmail does not send a notification to the person you unblocked, and there is no record of the block on their end.

Key Takeaways

  • Unblocking happens in Settings under Filters and Blocked Addresses, where you delete the blocked address from the list.
  • Once unblocked, emails from that sender go to your inbox; Gmail does not move old blocked messages there automatically.
  • If you cannot find the address in your blocked list, check whether the email was filtered by a rule instead of blocked directly.
  • Unblocking takes less than a minute and requires no confirmation from the other person.

Where to find your blocked addresses list

The Filters and Blocked Addresses tab is the only place Gmail stores a list of people you have blocked. To reach it: open Gmail, click the gear icon in the top right corner, select See all settings, then click the Filters and Blocked Addresses tab. You will see every address you have blocked in this account.

If the list is empty or the person you want to unblock is not there, they may have been filtered by a rule instead. Rules are different from blocks — they automatically sort, delete, or label emails without blocking the sender. If you created a rule that sends someone's emails to trash or a specific folder, you would unblock them by editing or deleting that rule instead, which is also in the same tab.

What happens to old emails after you unblock

Unblocking someone does not restore their old emails to your inbox. Messages that arrived while they were blocked stay in the trash or wherever Gmail sent them. If you want to read those old emails, you will need to find them yourself.

To recover old emails from a blocked sender, check your Trash folder first — Gmail often sends blocked messages there. If they are not in Trash, search for the sender's address in the search bar at the top of Gmail. You can then move individual emails back to your inbox or a label if you want to keep them. Once you unblock the address, any new emails from that sender will arrive in your inbox automatically.

Unblocking on mobile devices

The Gmail app on iPhone and Android does not have a direct way to unblock addresses. You will need to use a web browser instead. Open Gmail in Safari, Chrome, or your phone's default browser, then follow the same steps: Settings > See all settings > Filters and Blocked Addresses > delete the address.

If you prefer not to use a browser, you can ask someone with access to the Gmail account to unblock the address from a computer. The block applies to the entire account, not to a single device, so unblocking on one device unblocks everywhere.

If you blocked someone by mistake

Blocking in Gmail happens when you click the three-dot menu on an email and select Block [sender]. It is straightforward to do by accident, especially on a phone. The good news is that unblocking takes the same 30 seconds as blocking did.

If you realize you blocked someone when ready after, go straight to Settings > Filters and Blocked Addresses and delete their address. If weeks have passed and you forgot who you blocked, scan through the entire list in that tab. Gmail shows every blocked address in one place, so you can find whoever it was and unblock them.

Unblocking does not notify the other person

When you unblock an address, Gmail does not send a message to that person saying you unblocked them. They have no way of knowing you had blocked them in the first place. The unblock is private to your account.

If you want to let them know you are ready to receive their emails again, you would need to contact them separately — by phone, text, or a different email account. Unblocking alone is silent.

What to do if you cannot find the address in your blocked list

If someone's emails are not reaching you but you cannot find their address in your blocked list, they may be caught by a filter rule instead. Rules can automatically delete, archive, or label emails without technically blocking the sender. Check the Filters and Blocked Addresses tab for any rules that might match their email address or domain.

You can also search Gmail for their address to see if their old emails are in Trash or a specific label. If you find emails from them in Trash, that confirms a filter or block sent them there. Edit or delete the rule that is catching their emails, and future messages will reach your inbox.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I unblock someone without going to Settings?

No. Gmail requires you to go to Settings > Filters and Blocked Addresses to unblock. There is no shortcut from the inbox or from an email itself. The three-dot menu on an email lets you block someone, but unblocking only works from the Settings page.

Will the person know I unblocked them?

No. Gmail does not notify anyone when you unblock them. The person has no way of knowing you had blocked them or that you removed the block. If you want them to know, you would need to tell them yourself through another method.

What if I blocked an entire domain instead of one person?

Domains appear in your blocked list the same way individual addresses do. Find the domain (for example, @company.com) in the Filters and Blocked Addresses tab and click the trash icon next to it. All emails from that domain will then reach your inbox again.

Can I unblock multiple people at once?

No. Gmail requires you to delete each blocked address one at a time. If you have many people to unblock, you will need to go through the list and click the trash icon next to each one. There is no bulk unblock option.

Do I need to do anything after I unblock someone?

No. Once you delete the address from your blocked list, you are done. Their next email will arrive in your inbox automatically. You do not need to confirm anything or take any other steps.