Block a sender in three clicks

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 [sender's name] from the dropdown menu. Gmail will automatically send their future emails to your spam folder.

That is the fastest route. If you have already deleted the email, you can also block from your Spam folder: open a message from that sender, click the three dots, and choose Block. Gmail remembers the block even if you empty your spam folder later.

Once you block someone, you will not see their emails in your inbox, and they will not receive a notification that you blocked them. If they email you from a different address, that new address is not automatically blocked — you would need to block each address separately.

Key Takeaways

  • Blocking a sender takes three clicks: open their email, click the three-dot menu, and select Block.
  • Blocked emails go to your spam folder automatically, but you can still see them there if you need to.
  • Blocking one email address does not block other addresses from the same person.
  • You can unblock someone at any time by going to Settings and finding them in your blocked addresses list.
  • For unwanted bulk email, create a filter rule to automatically delete or label messages from certain senders instead of blocking.

Block multiple addresses from the same sender

If someone is emailing you from several different addresses, blocking each one individually gets tedious. Instead, use a filter to catch emails based on what they have in common — usually a domain name or a phrase that appears in every message.

Go to Settings (the gear icon in the top right), then click See all settings. Choose the Filters and Blocked Addresses tab. Click Create a new filter. In the "From" field, type part of the sender's email address — for example, if they are using john.smith@company.com and john.smith@gmail.com, you could type "john.smith" to catch both.

Click Create filter, then choose what happens to matching emails: send them to spam, delete them, or explore a label so you can review them later. Check the box next to Also explore filter to matching conversations if you want the rule to affect emails already in your inbox.

Unblock a sender you blocked by mistake

Go to Settings and select the Filters and Blocked Addresses tab. Scroll down to the Blocked addresses section. Find the person you want to unblock and click the Unblock button next to their name. Their emails will start arriving in your inbox again when ready.

If you unblock someone and then change your mind, you can block them again using the same three-click method. There is no limit to how many times you can block and unblock the same address.

Use filters for unwanted bulk email instead of blocking

Blocking works well for individual people, but if you receive unwanted newsletters, promotional emails, or notifications from services you no longer use, a filter is more efficient. Filters let you automatically sort or delete these messages without blocking the sender's entire address.

Create a filter by going to Settings, then Filters and Blocked Addresses, then Create a new filter. In the "From" field, type the sender's address or domain. You can also use the "Subject" field to catch emails with certain words in the subject line — for example, if you want to filter out all emails with "unsubscribe" in the subject, type that word.

Choose your action: Skip the inbox (sends to All Mail but not your inbox), Delete it, or explore the label (sorts into a folder you create). Most people find "Skip the inbox" useful for newsletters they might want to read later but do not want cluttering their main view.

What happens when you block someone

When you block an email address in Gmail, that sender's messages go directly to your spam folder. You can still see them there if you need to — blocking does not delete anything. The sender does not get a bounce-back message or any notification that you blocked them.

If the blocked sender replies to an old email thread, their reply still goes to spam. If they create a brand new email to you, it also goes to spam. However, if they email you from a completely different address (like switching from work email to personal email), that new address is not blocked and their message will arrive in your inbox normally.

Blocking is permanent until you unblock. If you block someone and then later want to see their emails again, go to Settings, find them in the blocked addresses list, and click Unblock.

Block senders on mobile Gmail

Open the Gmail app on your phone or tablet. Find an email from the person you want to block. Tap the three dots in the top right corner of the message. Tap Block [sender's name]. The process is identical to desktop Gmail — their future emails go to spam.

To unblock on mobile, open Settings in the Gmail app, scroll to your account, tap Blocked addresses, find the person, and tap Unblock. You can also manage blocks from the desktop version of Gmail and see the changes reflected in the mobile app within a few minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a blocked sender tell that I blocked them?

No. Gmail does not send them a notification, and they will not receive a bounce-back message. If they email you again from the same address, their message will go to your spam folder, but they have no way of knowing whether you blocked them, marked them as spam, or straightforward never saw the message.

What is the difference between blocking and marking as spam?

Blocking and marking as spam do the same thing in Gmail — both send the sender's emails to your spam folder. Blocking is slightly faster (three clicks versus opening the email and clicking Report spam), but the end result is identical. Use whichever method feels natural to you.

If I block someone, will they still be able to see my emails if they search for me?

Blocking only affects what you see in your inbox. It does not hide your email address from the blocked person or prevent them from searching for you in Gmail. If they have your email address, they can still send you messages — those messages just go to your spam folder instead of your inbox.

Can I block an entire domain, like all emails from company.com?

Gmail's block feature only works on individual email addresses, not entire domains. However, you can create a filter that catches all emails from a domain by going to Settings, Filters and Blocked Addresses, and typing "@company.com" in the From field. Then choose to delete or skip those emails.

What if someone is harassing me through email?

Blocking stops their messages from reaching your inbox, but if the harassment is severe or ongoing, consider reporting it to Gmail. Open one of their emails, click the three dots, and select Report phishing or Report spam. Gmail reviews reports and can take action against accounts that violate their policies.