Blocking an email address in Gmail stops messages from that sender from reaching your inbox
When you block someone in Gmail, their emails go straight to your Spam folder automatically. You won't see notifications, and they won't know they're blocked — Gmail doesn't tell them. The block stays in place until you remove it, even if they send from a different device or email client.
Blocking is different from unsubscribing. Unsubscribe removes you from a mailing list (newsletters, promotions, notifications). Blocking stops all mail from a specific person or address, whether they're sending one message or many. If someone is harassing you or sending unwanted mail repeatedly, blocking is the right tool.
Key Takeaways
- Open any email from the sender you want to block, click the three-dot menu, and select "Block [sender name]" — the whole process takes five seconds.
- Blocked emails land in your Spam folder, and you can still view them there if you need to check what they sent.
- Blocking works on the Gmail account you're using; if you use Gmail on multiple devices or accounts, you'll need to block the address in each one separately.
- You can unblock someone anytime by going to Settings, opening the Blocked and Unsubscribed tab, finding their address, and clicking Unblock.
The fastest way to block: right from the email
Open any message from the person you want to block. Look for the three vertical dots (the menu icon) in the top right corner of the email. Click it, and you'll see a dropdown menu. Select "Block [sender's name]" — Gmail will show you exactly whose mail you're blocking so there's no mistake.
That's it. The email stays in your inbox for now, but all future messages from that address will skip your inbox and land in Spam. If you want to delete the current email too, you can do that separately — blocking doesn't automatically delete old messages.
What happens to blocked emails
Blocked emails go to your Spam folder, not deleted. This matters because you can still read them if you need to — say, to check if they contain important information or to gather evidence if someone is harassing you. Go to your Spam folder, find the message, and open it normally.
Gmail keeps blocked emails in Spam for 30 days by default, then deletes them automatically. If you want to keep a blocked email longer, you can move it to another folder (like a folder you create for records). The block itself doesn't expire — it stays active until you turn it off.
Blocking someone who uses multiple email addresses
If someone is sending you mail from different addresses, you'll need to block each one separately. Gmail blocks by email address, not by person. So if they email you from work.email@company.com and personal.email@gmail.com, blocking one doesn't block the other.
When you get a message from a new address, use the same three-dot menu and block that address too. If this is happening repeatedly and you suspect the same person is using multiple accounts to contact you after you've asked them to stop, that crosses into harassment — consider reporting it to Gmail or to law enforcement depending on the severity.
Unblocking someone if you change your mind
Open Gmail Settings (click the gear icon in the top right, then "See all settings"). Go to the "Filters and Blocked Addresses" tab. Scroll down to "Blocked addresses" and you'll see a list of everyone you've blocked on this account.
Find the address you want to unblock and click the Unblock button next to it. That person's emails will no longer go to Spam — they'll arrive in your inbox like normal mail. This doesn't undo anything that happened while they were blocked; it just stops the block going forward.
Blocking vs. other ways to manage unwanted mail
Gmail gives you several tools, and which one you use depends on what's happening. If you're getting promotional emails from a company you once bought from, unsubscribe (look for the unsubscribe link at the bottom of the email). If you're getting mail from a specific person and want it out of your inbox but might need to read it later, create a filter to send it to a folder automatically. If someone is harassing you or won't stop after you've asked, block them.
You can also report mail as spam without blocking. Click the spam icon (exclamation mark in a triangle) at the top of the email. This tells Gmail the message is unwanted and helps train Gmail's spam filter, but it doesn't block future mail from that address the way blocking does. Use report-as-spam for one-off unwanted messages; use block for ongoing problems.
Blocking on mobile Gmail
The process is the same on your phone. Open the email, tap the three-dot menu (usually in the top right), and tap "Block [sender]". On both iPhone and Android, Gmail will confirm that you've blocked the address.
Remember that blocking is tied to your Gmail account, not your device. If you block someone on your phone, they're blocked when you check Gmail on your computer too — as long as you're signed into the same account. If you use multiple Gmail accounts, you'll need to block them in each account separately.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can someone tell if I've blocked them?
No. Gmail doesn't notify the sender that they've been blocked. Their emails simply go to your Spam folder, and they won't see any bounce-back or delivery failure message. From their perspective, their mail is being sent normally.
What if I block someone by mistake?
Go to Settings, click "Filters and Blocked Addresses", find their address under "Blocked addresses", and click Unblock. Their future emails will arrive in your inbox again. Any emails that went to Spam while they were blocked will still be in your Spam folder.
Does blocking someone in Gmail block them on other Google services?
No. Blocking in Gmail only affects email. If you want to block someone on Google Meet, YouTube, or Google Chat, you'll need to block them separately in each service. Each Google product has its own blocking system.
Can I block an entire domain instead of one email address?
Gmail doesn't have a built-in block-by-domain feature, but you can create a filter. Go to Settings, click "Filters and Blocked Addresses", then "Create a new filter". In the "From" field, type the domain (like @unwanteddomain.com), and set it to skip the inbox or delete automatically. This catches all mail from that domain.
If I block someone, will they still be able to see my emails if I sent them before?
Yes. Blocking only affects new mail going forward. Old emails you sent to them are still in their inbox. Blocking doesn't delete your message history or prevent them from reading what you've already sent.