The fastest way to block someone in Gmail

Open the email from the person you want to block. Click the three dots (more actions menu) in the top right of the email, then select "Block [sender's name]". Gmail will immediately send their future emails to spam and hide any messages already in your inbox from that sender.

That is the entire process. Once blocked, you will not see emails from that address in your inbox, and Gmail will not notify you when they send something. The blocked sender's messages go straight to your spam folder, where they stay for 30 days before Gmail deletes them automatically.

If you change your mind later, you can unblock the sender by going to Settings > Filters and Blocked Addresses > Blocked addresses, finding their email, and clicking "Unblock".

Key Takeaways

  • Blocking a sender takes three clicks: open their email, click the three-dot menu, and select "Block [name]".
  • Blocked emails go to spam automatically and are hidden from your inbox, but the sender is not notified that you blocked them.
  • You can unblock someone at any time through Settings > Filters and Blocked Addresses > Blocked addresses.
  • Blocking works only on the email address you block — if someone sends from a different address, those emails will still reach your inbox.
  • Gmail keeps blocked emails in spam for 30 days, then deletes them; you cannot retrieve them after that point.

What happens when you block someone

When you block a sender, Gmail does three things at once. First, all their future emails go directly to your spam folder instead of your inbox. Second, any existing emails from that sender disappear from your inbox and move to spam. Third, Gmail stops showing you notifications when they send you something.

The blocked sender does not receive any message that you blocked them. They will not see a bounce-back email, and they have no way to know from Gmail's side that you took action. However, if they notice you never reply to their emails, they may figure it out on their own.

If the person sends you an email from a different email address, that new message will not be blocked. Blocking works only on the specific email address you selected. This matters if someone has both a work email and a personal email, or if they create a new account to contact you.

When to block versus when to use filters instead

Blocking is the right choice when you want to stop seeing emails from someone entirely and do not need to read what they send. Use it for spam, harassment, or anyone whose messages you do not want to see at all.

Filters are better if you want to keep reading emails from someone but organize them differently — for example, sending all emails from your manager to a label, or automatically marking newsletters as read. Filters let you choose what happens to each email: send it to a label, mark it as read, delete it, or skip the inbox while keeping it in a folder you can check later.

If you block someone and later realize you need to read their emails, unblocking takes 10 seconds. But if you delete emails using a filter, you cannot get them back. Start with a filter if you are unsure whether you want to block completely.

Blocking someone who is already in your contacts

If the person you want to block is saved in your Gmail contacts, blocking them still works the same way. Open one of their emails, click the three-dot menu, and select "Block [name]". Their contact card stays in your contacts list, but their emails will go to spam.

You can also block someone directly from their contact card. Open Contacts, find the person, click the three-dot menu next to their name, and select "Block". This does the same thing as blocking from an email.

Blocking does not delete the contact itself. If you want to remove them from your contacts entirely, you can delete the contact separately. But you do not have to — many people keep blocked contacts in their list for reference.

Unblocking a sender if you change your mind

To unblock someone, go to Gmail Settings by clicking the gear icon in the top right, then select "See all settings". Click the "Filters and Blocked Addresses" tab, then scroll down to "Blocked addresses". Find the person you want to unblock and click the "Unblock" button next to their name.

Once you unblock them, their future emails will go to your inbox normally again. However, emails they sent while they were blocked are still in your spam folder. You can move them back to your inbox manually if you want to read them, but Gmail does not do this automatically.

Unblocking takes effect immediately. The next email from that sender will arrive in your inbox like any other message.

Blocking does not work on group emails or mailing lists

If someone sends you an email as part of a group or mailing list, blocking them will not stop you from receiving messages sent to the whole group. Blocking works only on one-to-one emails from that specific address.

If you are on a mailing list and want to stop receiving emails, look for an "unsubscribe" link at the bottom of the message. Clicking it removes you from the list entirely. If there is no unsubscribe link, you can create a filter to send all emails from that mailing list address to a label or to spam.

Blocking on mobile Gmail

On the Gmail app for iPhone or Android, blocking works slightly differently but takes the same number of steps. Open the email from the person you want to block, tap the three dots at the top right, and select "Block sender". The app will ask you to confirm, then block them immediately.

To unblock on mobile, open Settings in the Gmail app, tap your account, select "Manage your Google Account", go to the "Data & Privacy" tab, scroll to "Your data in Google services", tap "Gmail", then find "Blocked senders" and unblock from there. It is more steps than on a computer, so many people prefer to unblock using a web browser instead.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can someone tell if I blocked them?

No. Gmail does not send them a notification, and they cannot check whether you blocked them. They will only suspect it if they notice you never reply and their emails seem to disappear.

What if someone keeps emailing me from different addresses?

Block each address separately as they arrive. If one person is using many different email addresses to contact you, consider creating a filter that catches emails containing certain words or phrases in the subject line, then sends them all to spam at once.

Does blocking someone delete their old emails from my inbox?

Yes. When you block someone, Gmail automatically moves all their existing emails to spam. You can still find them in your spam folder if you need to read them, but they disappear from your inbox immediately.

Can I block an email address that does not exist yet?

No. You can only block email addresses that have sent you at least one message. If you want to prevent emails from a specific address before they arrive, create a filter instead that sends emails from that address directly to spam.

If I block someone, will they see my out-of-office message?

No. Blocked emails go straight to spam without triggering your out-of-office reply. The sender will not receive any automatic response from you.