The fastest way to block someone in Yahoo Mail

Open the email from the person you want to block. Click the three dots (more actions menu) at the top right of the message, then select Block. Yahoo will move that sender's future emails to spam automatically. You can also right-click on a sender's name in your inbox and choose Block from the menu.

Once blocked, emails from that address go straight to your spam folder. The sender won't know they're blocked — their emails will appear to send normally on their end, but you won't see them. If you change your mind, you can unblock them later from your blocked senders list.

Key Takeaways

  • Blocking someone in Yahoo Mail takes one click from any email they sent you, and their future messages go to spam automatically.
  • The person you block cannot tell they are blocked, and they will not receive a notification from Yahoo.
  • You can view and manage your full blocked senders list in Yahoo Mail settings under Privacy.
  • Unblocking someone is just as simple as blocking them, and you can do it anytime from your blocked list.

Where to find your blocked senders list

Go to your Yahoo Mail settings by clicking the gear icon in the top right corner, then select Settings. In the left sidebar, click Privacy. You will see a section called Blocked Addresses with a list of everyone you have blocked.

From this page, you can see exactly who is blocked and remove anyone from the list if you want to unblock them. Just click the X next to their email address. This is also where you can manually add email addresses to block without needing to receive an email from them first — useful if you want to block someone preemptively.

What happens when you block someone

When you block an email address, Yahoo automatically filters all future messages from that sender into your spam folder. You will not see notifications for their emails, and they will not appear in your inbox. The blocked sender's messages stay in spam for 30 days before Yahoo deletes them permanently.

If the person tries to contact you through a different email address, those messages will not be blocked — blocking only applies to the specific address you selected. This matters if someone is harassing you from multiple accounts, because you will need to block each address separately.

Blocking vs. reporting spam

Blocking and reporting spam are different actions in Yahoo Mail. When you block someone, only their messages stop reaching you. When you report as spam, you tell Yahoo that the sender is sending unwanted bulk mail, which helps Yahoo improve its spam filters for everyone.

If someone is sending you harassing or threatening messages, blocking is usually enough. If you are receiving bulk marketing emails or scams from an address, reporting as spam is more helpful because it trains Yahoo's system. You can do both at once — click the three dots on an email and choose Report as Spam, which blocks the sender and reports them.

Unblocking someone later

To unblock someone, go back to Settings > Privacy > Blocked Addresses. Find the person you want to unblock and click the X next to their name. They will immediately be unblocked, and their future emails will go to your inbox normally instead of spam.

Unblocking does not recover old emails that were sent to spam while they were blocked. If you need to read messages they sent during the blocked period, check your spam folder — they will still be there until the 30-day deletion period ends.

Blocking on mobile Yahoo Mail

On the Yahoo Mail app for iPhone or Android, open an email from the person you want to block. Tap the three dots at the top right, then tap Block Sender. The process is the same as on a computer — their future emails go to spam automatically.

To see your blocked list on mobile, tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines), then tap Settings. Scroll down to Privacy and tap Blocked Addresses. You can unblock people from this same screen by swiping left on their name and tapping delete.

When blocking is not enough

Blocking works well for unwanted emails, but it does not stop someone from contacting you through other channels like text, phone, or social media. If someone is harassing you across multiple platforms, blocking email alone will not solve the problem.

If you are being threatened or harassed, keep records of the messages and consider reporting the behavior to local police or the platform where it is happening. Yahoo's blocking feature is a privacy tool, not a safety tool for serious harassment or threats.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can the person I blocked tell that I blocked them?

No. When you block someone in Yahoo Mail, they receive no notification from Yahoo. Their emails appear to send normally on their end, so they have no way to know from Yahoo itself that they are blocked. They might figure it out if they never get responses, but Yahoo does not tell them.

Will blocking someone delete their old emails?

No. Blocking only affects future emails. Any messages from that person that are already in your inbox stay there. Only new emails from them go to spam. If you want to delete old messages from someone, you have to do that manually.

What if someone blocks me on Yahoo Mail?

You will not know for certain that someone blocked you. Your emails will appear to send normally, but they will go to their spam folder instead of their inbox. The only way to find out is if they tell you or if you notice they never respond to your messages.

Can I block an entire domain instead of just one email address?

Yahoo Mail does not have a built-in feature to block all emails from a domain (like all addresses ending in @example.com). You have to block individual email addresses. If you are getting spam from many addresses at the same domain, you can report them as spam to help Yahoo's filters, but you cannot block the whole domain at once.

Do I need to block someone if I just want to unsubscribe from their emails?

No. If someone is sending you marketing or newsletter emails, look for an unsubscribe link at the bottom of the message. Clicking it removes you from their mailing list. Blocking is better for unwanted personal emails or harassment, not for legitimate marketing emails where unsubscribe is available.