How to Block Email on iPhone and iPad

How To Block Emails In The Mail App On iPhone

Since the release of iOS 13, it has been possible to use the Apple Mail app to prevent mailings from unwanted senders. When you block a sender from the Mail app, it goes to the Trash folder. Blocking an email is synchronized across all your Apple devices.

Here’s how to block a contact on iPhone’s email account using the Mail app on iOS 17:

1. Open the Mail app and find a message from the unwanted address.
2. Tap on the sender's name at the top of the email. Then tap the name again in the From field.
3. Tap Block this Contact.
4. Confirm the block.

If you prefer not to open the message, which is often more secure in cases of suspected spam, you need to learn how to block email on iPhone without opening it. This can be done directly from the inbox. Simply long-press the email from the unwanted sender to open a preview, then select Block Sender from the options below.

If you want to move these messages to your Trash folder, you’ll need to change the Mail app settings. Here’s how to stop unwanted emails on iPhone so that messages aren’t delivered to your inbox:

1. Open Settings on your iPhone and tap Mail.
2. Scroll down to the Threading section and tap Blocked Sender Options.
3. Choose Move to Bin.

To unblock a sender on iPhone, open Settings, tap Mail, and then tap Blocked. When you find the address you want to unblock, swipe left and tap Unblock.

Finding out how to block an email on iPhone for iOS 12 and lower isn’t as intuitive. Instead of blocking the address, mark those messages as spam. Then, the unwanted messages will be moved to the junk folder automatically.

If You Are Using Your Mail Provider’s iOS Email App

Not every iPhone user manages their email accounts with the Mail app. If you prefer sticking to your mail provider's iOS app, click on your provider below for direct instructions

How to block emails on iPhone in Gmail app

In the case of Gmail, the most popular email service among Apple users, the process is quite simple. Here’s how to block someone on Gmail on iPhone:

1. Open an email from the sender you’d like to be restricted.
2. Select More (the three vertical dots on the right next to the Reply button) and choose Block "sender's name" from the drop-down menu.
3. You can always choose the Unblock sender option in the warning dialog box if you’ve selected the wrong message.

Alternatively, you can also mark a message as spam, which is an alternative way how to block an email address on iPhone.

1. Open the Gmail mobile app on your iPhone.
2. Tap the profile picture of the contact you want to mark as spam.
3. Click More (three horizontal dots in the top-right corner).
4. Tap Report spam.

After clicking the Report spam button, the message you reported will be sent to Google for analysis to help it protect its users from spam and abuse.

How to block unwanted emails on Outlook

In the latest Outlook version for iPhone, you can effortlessly block unwanted senders directly from your mobile device.

1. Launch the Outlook mobile app.
2. Go to your Inbox and open a message from the unwelcome sender.
3. Select the three vertical dots at the top right and choose the Report Junk option.
4. Press Block Sender.
5. Confirm by tapping Block Sender in the ensuing window. If you change your mind later, you can unblock the sender in the Junk mail folder.

If you have never received a message from the address you wish to block, you can also do this directly on the web version. Simply open Settings → Mail → Junk email settings in the Outlook web app and enter the address under Blocked senders and domains. The number of mail addresses you can restrict is limited to 1,024, which should be more than enough for most users to stop junk in Outlook.

Block email on iPhone in Yahoo mobile app

Yahoo has become overshadowed by Google, but its iOS email app is among the most popular apps in the productivity category, and its fantastic rating speaks volumes about its quality. Yahoo users seldom delete emails because they get 1TB of cloud storage for free, but even they don’t like to read spam emails from senders with bad intentions.

Yahoo explains how to block email on iPhone on its help page, but here’s a concise summary for your convenience.

You can’t block email in Yahoo mobile app; however, you can mark it as spam. Here is how:

1. Go to your Inbox and tap the profile picture of a contact you want to blacklist, then press empty checkboxes near the other messages you’d like to stop.
2. Click More on the actions bar at the bottom panel. Choose Mark as spam option.
3. Once done, messages from this sender will go to the Spam folder automatically.

Learn more about blocking emails on Yahoo in our post.

Block unwanted emails on iCloud Mail

Even though it’s technically possible to block a sender straight from iPhone’s Mail app (as outlined at the beginning of this article), you may want to log in to your iCloud Mail account instead and block iCloud emails from there by following a couple of simple steps:

1. Go to the iCloud website and sign in to your account.
2. Go to Mail, then choose Settings (the gear icon).
3. Select the Rules tab and click Add New Rule.
4. From the Message drop-down menu, choose the is from option and input the email address you wish to block.
5. In the Action drop-down menu, select Move to Trash.
6. Click on Add. Any future emails coming from the address you added will be automatically moved to the Trash folder.

Block an email on iPhone in the AOL Mail app

AOL doesn’t have a dedicated email app for iOS. Instead, AOL Mail users can access their inboxes from the AOL app, which also provides access to trending news, weather information, and important alerts.

1. Open the AOL app on your iPhone and tap the Inbox in the bottom left corner to access your mail.
2. Tap the profile picture of the contact you wish to ban, then select the empty checkboxes alongside any other messages you’d like to stop.
3. Click More at the bottom panel.
4. Choose the Mark as spam option.

You can also move the message to the Spam folder, which has the same effect as marking it as spam. Follow our detailed guide on how to block an email address on AOL.

How to block emails on iPhone in ProtonMail

The ProtonMail app for iOS was built from the ground up to provide convenient access to all features found in ProtonMail’s web app, including email blocking. While ProtonMail uses a smart spam detection system that automatically filters messages to your Spam folder, the service provider acknowledges that the system makes a mistake from time to time and allows users to block unwanted emails manually.

1. Open the ProtonMail app on your iPhone.
2. Locate an email from the sender you’d like to restrict and open it.
3. Tap the sender’s email address to view the details. Then, tap the address once more.
4. Select Block messages from this sender.
5. Confirm your decision by clicking Block in the pop-up window.
6. New emails for the sender won’t be delivered and will be permanently deleted.

When you block a sender in ProtonMail, it gets added to the Block list. You can manage the blocked addresses in settings. Go to Settings, choose your account, scroll down to the Mailbox menu, and tap the Block list option to edit your list of restricted contacts.

How to block an email on Zoho Mail

Zoho Mail offers a native iOS app that lets you easily access your messages, Zoho Calendar, and Zoho Contacts. One great thing about the app is that it doesn’t interfere with your device’s calendars and contacts, allowing you to separate your personal contact list and calendar from your work contact list and calendar.

If you receive an unwanted message on your iPhone, you can mark the sender as spam. Here’s how to do it:

1. Open the Zoho Mail app on your iPhone.
2. Select email(s) from the unwanted sender(s).
3. Tap the down arrow at the top to open the options menu.
4. Select the Spam option. The address(es) will be added to the Blocklist, and their future emails will be delivered to your Spam folder.

Then, you can configure blocked emails from your computer, by logging into your Zoho Mail account on the web. Go to Settings, choose Anti-Spam Lists, then go to the Email Address tab where you can manage the Allowlist/Blocklist.

Block emails on Mail.com

Mail.com’s iOS has been around for a long time, allowing Mail.com users to enjoy the same email experience they’re used to from their computers on the go. With the latest version of Mail.com, users can activate push notifications, increase security through PIN protection, customize the user interface, take advantage of powerful organizational tools, and block junk email addresses with a few clicks.

1. Open the Mail.com app on your iPhone.
2. Select any message sent from the sender you want to block.
3. Tap the three dots in the lower-right corner and select Spam.

How to Block Emails on iPad

If you’re now wondering how to block unwanted emails on iPad, we have good news: the instructions on how to block messages on iPhone provided above are also applicable to the iPad.

Yes, it's true that iPad apps sometimes offer more features than their iPhone counterparts. However, it's generally more convenient to block unwanted emails on a computer. The one exception is the Clean Email app, a smart email organizer that performs equally well on mobile devices and desktop computers.

With Clean Email, you can enjoy straightforward email management on any device. One of the most satisfying features of the app is the Screener tool, which intercepts all messages from new senders so they do not land in your inbox. Once set up, you can review and take action on new emails—approve, unsubscribe, or block—in one spot. Clean Email will automatically delete future messages from the blocked senders.

How to Unsubscribe From Emails on iPhone

An alternative to blocking messages is to unsubscribe from mailing lists. When you block an email address, you’ll still receive messages from it, although they are diverted to a junk or trash folder instead of your main inbox.

For a more permanent solution to stop receiving unwanted mail, consider unsubscribing. By doing so, your name and address are removed from the mailing list, and you should not receive further messages from the sender.

Any messages you receive from a mailing list should have an unsubscribe link, probably toward the top of the message. When you click that link, you’re taken to a web page where you can ask to have your address removed from the list.

There is an easier option: unsubscribe from all unwanted emails on iPhone using the Clean Email app. Just launch the app and choose the Unsubscriber tool from the left-side panel, select the unwanted senders from the list of your subscriptions, and click Unsubscribe. The app will handle all the necessary actions on your behalf.

Conclusion

Understanding how to block unwanted emails on iPhone or iPad can greatly minimize inbox clutter. The article offers detailed instructions for various email providers, yet Clean Email stands out for its simplicity and compatibility with all popular services, enabling seamless use across devices.

Clean Email's user-friendly interface makes blocking unwanted emails effortless. Beyond blocking, the app excels in all other aspects of email management, aiding you in maintaining tidy inboxes and boosting productivity. Additionally, Clean Email is free to try, allowing everyone to experience its effectiveness firsthand.