The fastest way to unblock an email on iPhone

Open the Mail app, go to your Mailbox list, and tap Edit in the top left corner. Scroll down to find VIP or a folder labeled with the sender's name, then swipe left on it and tap Delete. This removes the block. If you blocked the sender through Settings instead, go to Settings > Mail > Blocked Contacts, find the address, swipe left, and tap Unblock.

The method you use depends on how you blocked them in the first place. Mail app blocks and Settings blocks are stored in different places, so if you don't find the address in one location, check the other. Both take about 30 seconds once you know where to look.

Key Takeaways

  • Blocked senders in the Mail app live in a folder you can delete by tapping Edit in your Mailbox list.
  • Blocked contacts in Settings > Mail > Blocked Contacts can be unblocked by swiping left and tapping Unblock.
  • After you unblock someone, their emails will start arriving in your inbox again on your next mail refresh.
  • Unblocking does not delete old emails from that sender — they stay in your archive or trash folder depending on when you blocked them.

Unblocking through the Mail app

If you blocked the sender by tapping Report Junk or Block Sender while reading their email, the block lives in your Mail app. To undo it, open Mail and look at your Mailbox list — the folders on the left side of the screen. Tap Edit in the top left corner.

Scroll down past your regular folders. You will see a section for blocked senders, often labeled with the person's name or email address, or grouped under a folder called VIP or similar. Tap and hold on that folder, then swipe left. A red Delete button will appear. Tap it. The block is now removed, and mail from that sender will arrive normally again.

Unblocking through Settings

If you blocked the sender through your iPhone Settings rather than the Mail app itself, you need to go to Settings > Mail > Blocked Contacts. This is where iPhone stores a master list of all blocked email addresses across your device.

Find the email address you want to unblock in the list. Swipe left on it — a red Unblock button will appear. Tap it. The address is now unblocked. Any emails from that sender will arrive in your inbox on your next mail refresh, which usually happens within a few seconds.

What happens to old emails after you unblock

Unblocking someone does not restore their old emails to your inbox. Emails you received before you blocked them stay wherever they were moved — usually Trash or a folder you created. Emails that arrived while they were blocked go to Trash and stay there unless you move them back.

If you want to see their old messages, open Trash and search for their email address or name. You can move individual emails back to your inbox by tapping Edit, selecting them, and tapping Move. Or leave them in Trash — unblocking just means new emails from them will arrive normally going forward.

If you cannot find the blocked sender

If you blocked someone but cannot find them in either location, check whether you blocked them on a different device. If you use Mail on both your iPhone and iPad, or if you have iCloud Mail synced across devices, a block made on one device may not show up on another when ready.

Try restarting your iPhone: hold the power button, swipe to power off, wait 10 seconds, and turn it back on. Then check both the Mail app and Settings > Mail > Blocked Contacts again. If the address still does not appear, it may have been blocked on a different device — check your iPad or Mac if you have one.

Preventing accidental blocks in the future

The easiest way to avoid blocking someone by mistake is to read the full email before tapping any buttons. When you open an email and see the sender's name at the top, tapping it opens a menu with options including Block Sender. It is straightforward to tap this by accident if you are scrolling quickly.

If you receive a lot of unwanted mail from a sender but do not want to block them completely, consider creating a rule instead. Go to Settings > Mail > VIP and add trusted senders there, or use Mail's built-in filters to sort certain senders into a folder automatically. This gives you more control than an outright block.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will the person know I unblocked them?

No. Unblocking is invisible to the other person. They have no way of knowing whether you blocked them or when you unblocked them. They will straightforward see that their emails are being delivered to you again if they send new messages.

Can I block someone again after unblocking them?

Yes. You can block and unblock the same person as many times as you want. Just open their email, tap the sender's name, and choose Block Sender again. Or go to Settings > Mail > Blocked Contacts and add them back manually.

What if I blocked them on iCloud.com instead of my iPhone?

If you blocked them through iCloud Mail on a computer or web browser, the block syncs to your iPhone automatically. To unblock, go to Settings > Mail > Blocked Contacts on your iPhone and swipe left to unblock. Or log into iCloud.com, go to Mail settings, and remove them from the blocked list there.

Do I need to do anything after unblocking?

No. Once you unblock them, new emails from that sender will arrive in your inbox on the next mail refresh. You do not need to restart Mail or your phone, though restarting can speed up the sync if you are in a hurry.