Where to find your blocked senders list
The steps to unblock someone depend on which email service you use. Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo Mail, and Apple Mail all store blocked addresses in different places, but each one keeps a list you can view and edit.
You do not need to remember exactly when you blocked the person or what email address you used. Your email provider maintains the full list for you. The unblocking process takes less than a minute once you find the right menu.
Key Takeaways
- Gmail stores blocked senders in Settings under Filters and Blocked Addresses, where you can unblock by clicking a single button next to the address.
- Outlook (both web and desktop) shows blocked senders in Settings under Mail, then Junk Email, where you remove them from the Blocked Senders list.
- Yahoo Mail keeps blocked addresses in Settings under Blocked Addresses, accessible from the gear icon in the top right.
- Apple Mail on Mac requires you to go back to the original message thread and use the Mail menu to unblock, since there is no central blocked list.
- Once you unblock someone, their future emails will arrive in your inbox normally instead of going to spam or being rejected.
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 — this shows every address you have blocked.
Find the person's email address in the list. Click the Unblock button next to their name. Gmail removes them from the blocked list when ready. Their future emails will now arrive in your inbox instead of being filtered out.
Unblocking in Outlook
In Outlook on the web, click the gear icon in the top right and select View all Outlook settings. Go to Mail, then Junk email. You will see a section called Blocked senders with a list of all addresses you have blocked.
Click the X or delete button next to the address you want to unblock. In Outlook desktop (the Windows or Mac process), the process is similar: go to File, then Options, then Trust Center, then Trust Center Settings, then Junk Email. Find Blocked Senders and remove the address from the list.
Unblocking in Yahoo Mail
Click the gear icon in the top right corner of Yahoo Mail and select Settings. Click Blocked Addresses in the left menu. You will see a list of every address you have blocked.
Find the person's email address and click the Unblock button or X next to it. Yahoo removes them from the blocked list right away. They can now send you emails that will appear in your inbox normally.
Unblocking in Apple Mail on Mac
Apple Mail does not have a central blocked senders list like other email providers. Instead, you unblock someone by going back to a message from that person (or a thread containing their address) and using the Mail menu at the top of your screen.
Open a message from the person you want to unblock. Click Mail in the menu bar, then look for an option like Unblock Sender or Mark as Not Junk. The exact wording depends on your macOS version. Once you do this, their future emails will arrive normally. If you do not have any messages from them to open, you may need to check your Junk folder first.
What happens after you unblock someone
Once you unblock an address, that person's emails will arrive in your inbox like any other message. They will not receive a notification that you unblocked them — the change is invisible on their end.
If they sent you emails while they were blocked, those messages may still be in your spam or junk folder depending on your email provider's settings. You can search for their address in your junk folder and move those messages back to your inbox if you want to read them. Future emails from them will go straight to your inbox unless you block them again.
Blocking someone again if needed
If you unblock someone and later decide you want to block them again, the process is straightforward. In Gmail, open one of their emails, click the three dots menu, and select Block [person's name]. In Outlook, right-click the message and choose Junk, then Block Sender. In Yahoo Mail, click the three dots on their message and select Block. In Apple Mail, use the Mail menu again and select Block Sender.
You can block and unblock the same person as many times as you need to. There is no limit to how many addresses you can block, and blocking someone does not delete any of their past messages from your account.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will the person know I unblocked them?
No. Unblocking is invisible to the other person. They will not receive any notification or message telling them you unblocked their address. They will only know if their emails start arriving in your inbox again and you tell them.
What if I blocked someone but do not remember their email address?
Your blocked senders list shows the full email address of everyone you blocked. Go to your blocked addresses section in your email settings, and you can see the exact address. If you still cannot find them, search your email history for messages from that person before they were blocked.
Can I unblock someone on my phone?
Yes. Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo Mail, and Apple Mail all have mobile apps that let you access your blocked senders list. The steps are similar to the web or desktop versions, though the menu locations may be slightly different. Open your email app's settings and look for Blocked Addresses or Junk Email options.
If I unblock someone, will old blocked messages reappear in my inbox?
No. Messages that were blocked or sent to spam while the person was on your blocked list stay where they are. Unblocking only affects new emails going forward. If you want to see their old messages, you will need to search your spam or junk folder and move them back manually.
What is the difference between blocking and marking as spam?
Blocking prevents all emails from that address from reaching you. Marking as spam sends one message to your spam folder but does not block future emails from that sender. Blocking is more permanent; spam filtering is more flexible and learns from your choices over time.