The fastest way to block someone on Yahoo Mail

Open the email from the person you want to block. Click the three dots (more actions menu) in the top right of the message. Select Block from the dropdown. Yahoo will move all future emails from that address to spam and prevent them from seeing your read receipts or knowing you are online.

If you have already deleted the email, you can still block the sender. Go to your Settings (gear icon, top right), then Blocked addresses under the Privacy tab. Click Add address and type the email address you want to block. That person's emails will go straight to spam from that moment on.

Blocking is not reversible through the same menu — you have to unblock the address the same way you blocked it, by going back to Settings and removing it from your blocked list. The person you blocked will not receive a notification that you blocked them.

Key Takeaways

  • You can block someone directly from their email by clicking the three dots and selecting Block, or add an address manually through Settings.
  • Blocked emails go to your spam folder automatically, and the sender cannot see your online status or read receipts.
  • Blocking does not delete past emails from that person — they stay in your inbox unless you delete them yourself.
  • You can unblock an address at any time by returning to Settings and removing it from your blocked list.

What happens when you block someone

Once you block an address, Yahoo routes all emails from that sender to your spam folder. You will not see notifications for their messages, and they will not appear in your inbox. If you check your spam folder, you can still read blocked emails — blocking does not delete them.

The blocked person cannot tell they are blocked just by sending you an email. They will not get a bounce-back message or any other notification. However, if they have access to your calendar or contact information through another service, they may notice you are no longer sharing your online status with them on Yahoo Messenger.

Blocking a whole domain instead of one address

If you are receiving unwanted emails from multiple addresses at the same company or domain, you can block the entire domain. In Settings under Blocked addresses, enter the domain name with an asterisk — for example, @company.com — and all emails from any address at that domain will go to spam.

Be careful with this option if you do legitimate business with people at that company. Blocking a domain blocks everyone there, and you will have to unblock the whole domain to receive emails from anyone at that address again.

Unblocking someone and what to do if you block by mistake

To unblock an address, go to Settings, select the Privacy tab, and click Blocked addresses. Find the address or domain you want to unblock and click the X next to it. That person's emails will start arriving in your inbox again on the next message they send.

If you blocked someone by mistake, unblocking them immediately will restore their emails to your normal inbox. Any emails they sent while you had them blocked will still be in your spam folder — you can move them back to your inbox manually if you need them.

Using filters and rules instead of blocking

Blocking sends emails to spam, but it does not let you organize them. If you want to keep emails from someone but separate them into a folder, use a filter instead. Go to Settings, click Filters, and create a rule that automatically moves emails from a specific address to a folder you choose.

Filters are useful when you want to receive emails from someone but do not want them cluttering your main inbox — for example, emails from a mailing list or a service you signed up for but rarely read. Blocking is better when you do not want to see the emails at all.

Blocking on Yahoo Mail mobile app

On the Yahoo Mail app for iPhone or Android, open an email from the person you want to block. Tap the three dots in the top right corner and select Block sender. The process is the same as on the web version — their future emails go to spam.

You can also manage your blocked list on the mobile app by tapping the menu icon (three horizontal lines), going to Settings, and selecting Blocked addresses. Add or remove addresses the same way you would on a computer.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can someone tell if I blocked them on Yahoo Mail?

No. Blocked senders will not receive a notification, and their emails will not bounce back to them. They may eventually notice you are not responding to their messages, but Yahoo does not inform them that you blocked them.

Do blocked emails get deleted?

No. Blocked emails go to your spam folder, but they stay there. You can still read them if you check spam, and you can move them back to your inbox if you change your mind. Blocking only stops new emails from arriving in your main inbox.

What is the difference between blocking and reporting spam?

Blocking stops emails from one address from reaching your inbox. Reporting spam tells Yahoo that an email is unwanted and helps their system identify similar messages for other users. You can do both — report the email as spam and then block the sender.

Can I block emails by subject line or content instead of sender address?

No, blocking only works by sender address or domain. If you want to filter emails by subject or content, use the Filters feature in Settings instead. Filters let you create rules based on keywords, subject lines, or sender information.

If I block someone, will they still see emails I sent them before?

Yes. Blocking only affects emails going forward — it does not change emails already in their inbox. They can still read any messages you sent them before you blocked them.