How to Block People on Gmail in 2024

Email can be a great communication tool when used properly. However, sometimes you may receive unwanted messages from particular senders that border on harassment or make you uncomfortable. Fortunately, Gmail provides simple settings to block people so you no longer receive emails from unwelcome addresses.

Is It Possible to Block People on Gmail?

Yes, it is absolutely possible to block people on Gmail. Here are the details on how to do it:

On Your Computer

Open Gmail and locate an email from the person you want to block.
Click the three dot “More” menu to the right of the email.
Select “Block [sender’s email address]”.
Confirm by clicking the “Block” button on the pop-up.

The emails from this address will now automatically be sent to your spam folder.

On Mobile Devices

The process is very similar on the Gmail mobile app for iOS and Android phones/tablets:

Locate an email from the sender you wish to block.
Tap the three dot menu icon next to the email.
Choose the option to block that specific address.
Confirm the block action when prompted.

And that’s all it takes! Once blocked on mobile or desktop, that sender will no longer show up in your Gmail inbox. This can be incredibly useful for stopping harassment, spam, or just reducing email clutter.

To unblock someone in the future, go into your Gmail Settings > Filters and Blocked Addresses. Delete their address from this list and emails will show up again.

Yes, blocking unwanted senders is absolutely possible in Gmail and works great to better manage your inbox.

Why You Might Want to Block Someone on Gmail

There are a few common reasons you may want to block an email address on Gmail:

Stopping Harassment or Bullying

If someone is sending you malicious, threatening, or harassing emails, you likely want them to stop immediately. Blocking them prevents additional emails from coming through so you no longer have to deal with their unwanted messages.

Avoiding Spam

Spammers often get ahold of email lists and will repeatedly send advertisements or phishing emails. Blocking these addresses helps keep your inbox clear of spam.

Managing Contact After a Breakup

If you have recently broken up with someone, blocking their email address can help provide a clean break and prevent unwanted emails begging to get back together.

Limiting Contact with Toxic People

Perhaps you have a family member or former friend who constantly sends antagonistic or toxic emails. Blocking them on Gmail can limit their ability to contact you and prevent stress.

How to Block Someone in Gmail’s Web Interface

Blocking an email address in Gmail is quick and easy to do through the web interface. Here are step-by-step instructions:

1. Open Gmail on Your Web Browser

If you aren’t already in Gmail, navigate to https://mail.google.com in any web browser and log into your account. This will bring you to your inbox.

2. Open the Offending Email

Locate an email from the address you want to block in your inbox. Open the email to bring up the message window.

3. Click the More Button

At the top right of the email window, click the three vertical dots labeled “More.” This will open a drop-down menu.

4. Select “Block [email address]”

In the drop-down menu, you will find an option labeled “Block” followed by the email address of the sender. Click this option.

5. Confirm the Block

A pop-up will appear asking you to confirm that you want to block this email address. Click the blue “Block” button to confirm.

And that’s it! The email address is now blocked from sending additional messages to your Gmail inbox.

How to Unblock Someone on Gmail

If you change your mind later on, it’s easy to unblock an email address and start receiving messages again. Here’s how:

1. Open Gmail Settings

At the top right of your Gmail page, click the gear icon to open settings. Then select “See all settings.”

2. Navigate to Blocked Addresses

On the left side, click the “Filters and Blocked Addresses” option. Then select “Blocked.”

3. Remove the Address From Your List

Find the email address you want to unblock in the list and click the small trash can icon on the right side to remove it.

The address will be deleted from your block list and you will begin receiving emails from them once more.

How to Blocking on Mobile Gmail Apps

You can also easily block unwanted email addresses right from the Gmail mobile apps for iPhone or Android. The process looks nearly identical to the web instructions above:

Open the email from the unwanted sender
Tap the three dots “More” menu
Tap the option to block the address
Confirm you wish to block

And that’s all it takes! The mobile apps make it quick and convenient to manage your block list on the go.

How to Unsubscribe from Massage Emails

Here are some tips for unsubscribing from unwanted marketing or mass email messages:

Look for an “Unsubscribe” link

Reputable senders will include an unsubscribe option, usually at the bottom of the email. This is the easiest way to opt out of future messages. Just click the link and follow the instructions.

Unsubscribe manually

If there’s no visible unsubscribe link, look for a web address near the sender’s name or at the bottom. Go to that site and navigate to account settings or preference center to opt out.

Reply with “Unsubscribe”

Some systems will automatically honor unsubscribe requests sent as a reply. Simply reply to the unwanted email with “Unsubscribe” in the message body.

Mark messages as spam

Open the email, click the three dots or gear icon, and choose “Mark as Spam.” This helps train your spam filter.

Make a filter

Create an email filter in Gmail or Outlook to automatically delete future messages from that unwanted sender.

Block the sender

Rather than just unsubscribing, you can block the sender’s entire domain to prevent all future mail delivery.

Be Patient. It may take a few days to fully process your unsubscribe request before the emails stop arriving, but these tips should prevent further unwanted marketing messages.

How to Report Spam on Gmail

Here are the steps to report spam emails on Gmail using either the desktop website or mobile app:

Reporting Spam on the Gmail Desktop Website

Open the spam email in Gmail on your desktop.
Click the three dot “More” menu at the top right of the email.
Select “Report spam”.
Check any additional boxes if the email contains phishing attempts or offensive content.
Click “Report spam” to confirm.

This will send feedback to Google, helping them identify and filter future spam emails for you and other users.

Reporting Spam on the Gmail Mobile App

In the Gmail app, open the unwanted spam email.
Tap the three line menu icon at the top right.
Choose “Report spam”.
Check the boxes for any additional issues like phishing or offensive content.
Confirm by tapping “Report spam”.

The process is very similar on mobile or desktop. Reporting unwanted spam helps train Gmail’s filtering so you and others receive less unwanted messages over time. Consistently reporting issues also helps Google identify new spam tactics being employed.

How to Report Phishing on Gmail?

Here are the steps to report a phishing email in Gmail:

Open the suspicious email that you think is a phishing attempt. Do not click on any links in the email.
Click the three dot (more) menu in the upper right corner.
Select “Report phishing”.
Check the box that states “This is phishing”.
You can also check the “Suspicious content” and “Impersonation” boxes if those apply as well.
Click the “Report phishing” button to submit your report.

Reporting phishing emails helps Gmail improve its phishing detection and protect other users. When you report a phishing email, Gmail will use that information to better identify similar scam emails in the future.

A few tips:

Pay attention to links that look suspicious or malformed. Real companies won’t send broken links.
Watch for poor spelling and grammar. This can indicate a scammer who doesn’t speak your language fluently.
Do not ever enter any login credentials or personal information in an unsolicited email. Legitimate services won’t unexpectedly ask for sensitive information over email.

Reporting suspicious emails as soon as you notice them helps keep Gmail secure for you and all users. Be proactive about identifying and reporting phishing scam attempts.

How to Automatically Delete Emails from a Sender without Opening Them

Here are a few methods to automatically delete emails from a specific sender without having to open them in Gmail:

Create a Filter

In Gmail, click the gear icon > See all settings > Filters and Blocked Addresses > Create a new filter.
Enter the email address you want to filter out.
Click “Create filter with this search”.
Check the box next to “Delete it”.
Click “Create filter”.

Any future emails from that sender will be automatically deleted.

Block the Sender

Open one of the emails you want to block.
Click the three dot menu next to the email.
Choose “Block [sender’s email address]”.

This will send all future emails straight to trash.

Unsubscribe

If the sender allows it, click the unsubscribe link generally found at the bottom of their emails. This will stop future messages.

These methods ensure you never have to see emails from someone cluttering up your inbox again. The emails are deleted or sent to spam automatically without any action needed on your part.

How to Block Emails on Gmail from a Desktop

Here are the steps to block emails on Gmail from a desktop computer:

Open Gmail and open one of the emails you want to block.
Click the three dot “More” menu next to the email.
Select “Block [sender’s email address]”. This will open up a confirmation box.
Click “Block” to confirm.

This will automatically send all future emails from that address to your spam folder.

Optionally:

You can also open Gmail Settings by clicking on the gear icon.
Go to the Filters and Blocked Addresses tab.
Click Create New Filter.
Enter the email address you want to block.
Check the box for “Delete it”.
Click “Create Filter” to save.

Now all emails from that sender will be automatically deleted instead of sent to spam.

Blocking on desktop prevents any future emails from showing up in your inbox. It keeps Gmail clean and free from harassment or unwanted contact. You can unblock addresses at any time in your Gmail Settings if needed.

How to Block Emails on Gmail Using the App

Blocking emails on the Gmail mobile app is easy to do:

Open the Gmail app on your iPhone, Android phone or tablet.
Locate an email from the contact you wish to block and tap to open it.
Tap the three dot menu icon in the upper right corner.
Select “Block [email address]” from the menu options.
Tap “Block” on the confirmation message.

This will stop additional emails from this sender from arriving in your mobile inbox going forward.

A couple notes:

If you want to review blocked addresses or undo any blocks, go to the Gmail app settings and look under the Filters and Blocked Addresses option.
On some Android devices, you may need to press and hold an email to bring up the menu to access the block feature instead of tapping the 3 dot icon.

So in just a few taps, you can swiftly block irritating senders right on your mobile Gmail app. This will keep your inbox a lot cleaner and free from harassment on your phone or tablet.

What Happens When You Block Someone on Gmail

Once you block an address on Gmail, any further emails they send will be automatically deleted. They will not show up in your inbox, spam folder, or any other filters.

From the sender’s perspective, the emails will likely go through with no failed delivery notice. So they won’t even know you’ve blocked them! The messages simply disappear from your view.

This makes blocking an effective way to fully stop hearing from certain unwanted contacts on Gmail while avoiding potential retaliation if they discovered your intent.

Tips for Using Gmail’s Blocking Feature

Here are some tips to use Gmail’s block feature effectively:

Be Selective When Blocking

Avoid blocking addresses too hastily. Only use it for senders who repeatedly send harassing, abusive, or spam content. Blocking should not be used to merely hide opposing viewpoints.

Watch for Spoofed Addresses

Keep in mind that unwanted senders could spoof accounts to look like a different person is emailing you. So if a contact you normally want to hear from seems to suddenly send malicious content, they may be impersonated.

Periodically Review Your Block List

It can be easy to forget what email addresses you’ve blocked over time. Occasionally review your block list to ensure you aren’t missing important messages that were accidentally blocked.

Consider Disposable Email Services

If you interact in settings where blocking one address wouldn’t stop harassment, consider services like AnonAddy that generate disposable email addresses. This gives you the option to deactivate any generated addresses being misused.

Report Threats to The Authorities

If you receive alarming threats of violence or crime via email, report the messages to your local authorities in addition to blocking the sender. Don’t tolerate dangerous behavior.

Blocking unwanted emails on Gmail is typically the first step to regaining control and peace of your inbox. But make sure to combine it with other precautions when faced with threatening situations.

Frequently Asked Questions About Gmail Blocking

Here are answers to some common questions about blocking contacts on Gmail:

Can a blocked sender tell that I blocked them?

Fortunately, no. Recipients who have been blocked do not receive any failed delivery notices. The messages will appear to send normally from their side, though you will never see them.

What happens if a blocked person emails me from another account?

Each email address must be blocked individually. So if they email you from an alternative address not in your block list, the message will still appear in your inbox.

Does blocking someone also block their chat messages?

Yes, blocking an email address will also prevent any chat/Google Hangout messages sent by that account. They will no longer be able to contact you via Gmail or Google Chat.

Can I see old emails from a blocked person?

Previous emails that were sent before you added someone to your block list will still be accessible in your inbox and history. Blocking just prevents additional emails moving forward.

What’s the limit to blocked addresses I can add?

Gmail does not publish any limit to the number of email addresses you can add to your block list. You likely are limited only by how many unique contacts attempt to email you.

Conclusion

Blocking unwanted email senders is an important tool in keeping your inbox under control. Hopefully this guide has helped explain exactly how the block feature works and how you can use it most effectively when faced with harassment, spam, or other unwanted attention.