Where to find blocked senders in the Mail app

Open the Mail app on your iPhone and tap Settings at the bottom right of the screen. Scroll down and tap Blocked. You will see a list of every email address you have blocked — this is where you go to unblock them.

If you do not see a Blocked option in Settings, you may be using an older version of iOS. Update your iPhone to the latest available version first, then return to Mail Settings. The Blocked feature became standard in iOS 13 and later.

Key Takeaways

  • Blocked senders are managed in Mail Settings under a Blocked section that lists every address you have prevented from reaching you.
  • To unblock someone, swipe left on their name in the Blocked list and tap Unblock, or tap Edit and then the minus button next to their address.
  • Unblocking restores their future emails to your inbox — it does not retrieve messages they sent while blocked.
  • If you blocked someone through VIP or notification settings instead of the Blocked list, you will need to unblock them in those separate sections.
  • Gmail, Outlook, and other third-party email accounts accessed through the Mail app use their own blocking systems, not Apple's.

Unblocking a sender with the swipe method

In Mail Settings, find the person's email address in your Blocked list. Swipe left across their name with your finger. A red Unblock button will appear on the right side. Tap it once. The address is now unblocked and their future emails will reach your inbox normally.

This is the fastest way if you only need to unblock one or two people. The sender will not be notified that you unblocked them.

Unblocking multiple senders at once

If you have several people to unblock, tap Edit in the top right corner of your Blocked list. A minus sign will appear next to each email address. Tap the minus sign next to each person you want to unblock, then tap the red Delete button that appears on the right.

When you are finished, tap Done in the top right. All the addresses you deleted are now unblocked. This method is faster than swiping if you have more than three or four blocked senders.

Unblocking senders you blocked through VIP or notifications

You may have blocked someone without using the main Blocked list. If you added them to a VIP list and then removed them, or if you turned off notifications from a specific sender, those actions do not appear in your Blocked section.

To check VIP settings, go to Mail Settings and tap VIP. Remove anyone from that list if you want them to stop being treated as VIP. To restore notifications from a sender, go to Mail Settings, tap Notifications, find the sender's account, and turn notifications back on. These are separate from the main blocking system.

What happens after you unblock someone

Once you unblock an address, that person's emails will arrive in your inbox normally starting when ready. However, unblocking does not recover messages they sent while they were blocked — those emails were deleted and cannot be retrieved through the Mail app.

If you need to read something they sent during the blocked period, you may be able to recover it from your email provider's web interface or trash folder, depending on how long ago the message arrived. Check your email provider's website directly to see if they keep deleted messages in a recovery folder.

Unblocking senders in Gmail, Outlook, and other accounts

If you use Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, or another email service through the Mail app, blocking and unblocking happen in that service's own system, not in Apple's Mail settings. The Mail app's Blocked list only controls Apple's iCloud Mail accounts.

To unblock someone in Gmail, open Gmail in a web browser, go to Settings, click the Filters and Blocked Addresses tab, find the address, and click Unblock. For Outlook, sign in at outlook.com, go to Settings, select Mail, then Junk Email, and remove the address from the Blocked Senders list. Each service has its own process.

Preventing accidental blocks in the future

Blocking happens easily on iPhone — a long press on an email, then Block This Contact. If you find yourself unblocking people regularly, consider whether you meant to block them. Some people block senders by accident while trying to delete or flag an email.

If you want to stop emails without blocking, you can also unsubscribe from mailing lists, create filters to send certain senders to a folder, or turn off notifications from specific people while leaving their emails in your inbox. These options give you more control than blocking, which is a permanent action until you reverse it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I see emails someone sent me while they were blocked?

No. When you block someone in Mail, their messages are deleted when ready and cannot be recovered through the Mail app. If you need to read those messages, check your email provider's website to see if they keep deleted items in a trash or recovery folder for a limited time.

Will the person know I unblocked them?

No. Unblocking is invisible to the other person. They will not receive a notification, and there is no way for them to know you unblocked them unless you tell them or they send you an email and it goes through.

Why does my blocked list show email addresses I do not remember blocking?

Long pressing an email in Mail and selecting Block This Contact happens quickly and can occur by accident. Review your blocked list and unblock anyone you did not mean to block. You can also check if you blocked them through a different app — blocking a contact in the Contacts app is separate from blocking in Mail.

Do I need to unblock someone in both Mail and my email provider's website?

If you use iCloud Mail, unblocking in the Mail app is enough. If you use Gmail, Outlook, or another service, you must unblock them through that service's website or app, not through Apple Mail. The Mail app does not control blocking for third-party accounts.

What if I blocked someone and they are still not receiving my replies?

Unblocking only affects emails coming to you, not emails you send. If someone says they are not getting your messages, the problem is on their end — they may have blocked you, or your emails may be landing in their spam folder. Ask them to check their blocked list and spam folder.