How to block an email address depends on which service you use
Most email services let you block a sender directly from the message itself — usually through a menu option or button. Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo Mail, and Apple Mail all have built-in blocking features that prevent messages from a specific address from reaching your inbox. The blocked sender's emails go to spam or a separate folder, and you won't see notifications when they arrive.
The exact steps differ slightly between services, but the principle is the same: open the email, find the block option, and confirm. Some services also let you block an address before you receive a message from them, if you know the address in advance.
Key Takeaways
- Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo Mail, and Apple Mail all have block features accessible directly from an email message.
- Blocking sends future emails from that address to spam; it does not delete messages already in your inbox.
- You can usually unblock a sender later if you change your mind, and the process takes less than a minute.
- Some services let you block addresses before you receive mail from them by entering the address manually in settings.
How to block an email in Gmail
Open the email from the sender you want to block. Click the three-dot menu icon in the top right of the message. Select "Block [sender's name]" from the dropdown menu. Gmail will ask you to confirm — click "Block" again.
Future emails from that address will skip your inbox and go straight to spam. If you receive many emails from the same sender, blocking stops them all at once rather than filtering them one by one.
To block an address without receiving a message first, go to Settings (the gear icon in the top right), click "See all settings," then go to the Filters and Blocked Addresses tab. Scroll to the bottom and click "Create a new filter." Enter the email address you want to block, click "Create filter," then check "Delete it" or "Skip the inbox" and click "Create filter" again.
How to block an email in Outlook
Open the email from the sender you want to block. Click the three-dot menu icon at the top of the message. Select "Block" from the options. Outlook will move the sender to your blocked list and send their future emails to the Junk folder.
To unblock a sender in Outlook, go to Settings (the gear icon), then "View all Outlook settings." Click "Mail," then "Junk email." Under "Blocked senders," you will see a list of addresses you have blocked. Click the X next to any address to remove it from the blocked list.
How to block an email in Yahoo Mail
Open the email from the sender you want to block. Click the three-dot menu icon at the top right of the message. Select "Block sender." Yahoo Mail will confirm the block and move future emails from that address to spam.
To manage your blocked senders list, click the gear icon in the top right, then "Settings." Go to "Blocked addresses" and you will see all the addresses you have blocked. Click the X next to any address to unblock it.
How to block an email in Apple Mail
Open the email from the sender you want to block. Click the sender's name or email address at the top of the message. A menu will appear — select "Block Contact." Apple Mail will confirm and add the sender to your blocked list.
On iPhone or iPad, open the email, tap the sender's name, then tap "Block this Contact." On Mac, the process is the same: click the sender's name and select "Block Contact" from the menu that appears.
What happens when you block an email address
When you block a sender, their future emails go to spam or a junk folder instead of your inbox. You will not receive notifications when they send you a message. Most services do not delete emails that are already in your inbox — blocking only affects new messages going forward.
If you block someone by mistake, you can unblock them through your email service's settings. The process is quick and reverses the block immediately. Some services also let you temporarily unblock a sender to read a specific message, then re-block them afterward.
Blocking vs. unsubscribing and other options
Blocking is different from unsubscribing. An unsubscribe link (usually at the bottom of marketing emails) removes you from a mailing list, but it only works if the sender honors the request. Blocking works regardless — it stops all mail from that address, whether they respect unsubscribe requests or not.
If you receive unwanted emails from many addresses, creating a filter or rule may be faster than blocking each sender individually. Filters let you automatically sort, delete, or move emails based on keywords, sender domain, or subject line. Most email services also have spam detection that learns from the emails you mark as spam, improving over time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a blocked sender tell that I blocked them?
No. When you block someone, they do not receive a notification. Their emails simply go to spam or a junk folder on your end. They may eventually notice that you are not responding, but the email service does not inform them that you blocked them.
Will blocking delete emails I already received from that sender?
No. Blocking only affects new emails going forward. Messages already in your inbox stay there unless you delete them manually. If you want to remove old emails from a blocked sender, you will need to delete them yourself or use your email service's search function to find and delete them in bulk.
Can I block an entire domain instead of just one email address?
Most email services do not have a built-in block-by-domain feature, but you can create a filter or rule to handle this. In Gmail, create a filter for emails from "@example.com" and set it to skip the inbox or delete. Outlook and Yahoo Mail have similar filter options in their settings.
What if I block someone and then want to unblock them?
You can unblock a sender anytime through your email service's settings. In Gmail, go to Filters and Blocked Addresses and remove them from the list. In Outlook, Yahoo Mail, and Apple Mail, go to settings and find your blocked senders list, then click the option to unblock. The process takes about a minute.
Does blocking work the same way on mobile and desktop?
The blocking feature works the same way on both, but the steps may look slightly different. On mobile, you may tap a menu icon instead of clicking it, and the layout of settings differs. The end result is identical — the sender is blocked and their future emails go to spam.