How to Block an Email Address in Outlook Web
If you’re tired of sifting through spam messages or dealing with emails you didn’t ask for, chances are you’re probably wishing you knew how to block an email on Outlook. After all, blocking senders you don’t want to hear from is the simplest method to prevent their messages from cluttering your inbox.
Unfortunately, learning how to block an email address in Outlook is a little complicated, especially since every version (web, desktop, mobile) works a bit differently. That being said, you can follow the steps outlined below to figure out how to block email on Outlook through any version of Outlook or by using Clean Email, a user-friendly app that efficiently manages your inbox across all platforms.
💡 Note: The instructions provided are also applicable to users with older Hotmail accounts. For additional tips and detailed guidance, refer to our manual on how to block emails on Hotmail.
How to Block an Email in Outlook.com
Outlook.com version offers two options for blocking mail addresses. Microsoft recommends doing it directly through your inbox (Option 1). However, this method isn’t available for those who have their Outlook accounts linked to certain email clients, which is why Option 2 may also be useful.
Option 1: Selecting A Message From Your Inbox
- Log in to your Outlook inbox.
- Select the message(s) from the sender(s) you’d like to stop.
- Click three dots (More options) at the top toolbar.
- Select Block under Move & delete.
- Click OK in the popup window to confirm your choice.
The message(s) will be deleted and all future mail from the sender(s) will not come to your mailbox.
Option 2: Adding The Address To Your Blocked Senders List
- Log in to your Outlook inbox.
- Click the gear icon at the top right to open Settings.
- Choose Mail on the left panel, and go to the Junk email option.
- Press +Add to add a contact to the Blocked senders and domains list.
- Enter the address you’d like to stop from messaging you, then press Enter to save.
💡 Note: How to unblock email on Outlook
Regardless of which method you use, you can unblock emails in Outlook at any time by going to Settings → Mail → Junk Email and hitting the Trash Can icon next to any address you’d no longer like to restrict.
How to Block an Email Using Clean Email
Blocking emails in Outlook can be challenging. If you're struggling to block emails in your email provider or client application, Clean Email offers a simpler solution. With just a few clicks, you can stop all messages from a specific domain. This involves creating a rule that automatically filters out messages from the chosen domain, keeping future mail from this source out of your inbox.
To effectively block emails on Outlook using Clean Email, follow these steps:
- Visit https://app.clean.email and log in with your credentials.
- In your Inbox, find and open a message from the sender you want to restrict.
- Click Block found under the Sender Settings section at the top right.
- In the popup window, you have the option to Move existing messages to Trash. After making your choice, click Confirm.
- From this point on, all new emails from this sender will be restricted and automatically directed to your Trash folder.
Clean Email can also block entire domains for you. To auto-block mail from a specific domain using Clean Email, follow these steps:
- Open the app and go to the Auto Clean tab on the left panel. Click the + icon at the top.
- Name the new rule and choose Any sender or recipients option.
- Select Sender Domain from the dropdown menu, type the domain name, and select it from the displayed results.
- Choose the Trash action to stop messages from this domain.
- Toggle the switch under Trash to apply this rule to existing messages in your inbox.
- Press Create Rule to finish.
This app also offers advanced filters and automation for simplified message management and easy unsubscribing from unwanted newsletters, keeping your inbox consistently clean. Find more about these features at the end of this article.
How to Block a Sender in Outlook Desktop Client
If you are using the Outlook desktop client on Windows, you can stop messages from specific senders by following these steps:
- Open the Outlook desktop app.
- Select a message from the email address you’d like to block.
- In the top toolbar, click Junk → Block Sender.
- If this is your first time blocking any sender, click OK to acknowledge that the sender has been added to your Blocked Senders list and the message has been moved to the Junk folder.
To remove a restricted sender from your Blocked Senders list, simply go to Junk → Junk E-mail Options. In the Junk Email Options popup window, go to the Blocked Senders tab to make your edits.
Learn more about how to block emails on Mac from our blog.
How to Block Someone on Outlook Mobile App
If you use the Outlook mobile app, you might be wondering how to block an email address on iPhone or blocking emails on Android. In the most recent version of Outlook for iPhone, restricting unwanted senders is straightforward:
- Open the Outlook mobile app.
- Go to your Inbox and open a message from the sender you wish to restrict.
- Tap the three vertical dots in the top right corner and select Report Junk.
- Choose Block Sender.
- Tap Block Sender again in the confirmation window. Should you wish to undo this action later, you can unblock the sender from the Junk mail folder later.
Flag Messages As Spam
Sometimes you may not want to block a sender completely, but you also may not want the messages to clutter up your inbox. In such cases, flagging the messages as spam, rather than blocking the sender, can be a worthwhile alternative.
Regardless of what platform you use, you can select the message and then click Move to Junk to clear out the clutter.
Why am I getting unwanted emails in my Outlook inbox?
According to Statista, more than 46% of emails are spam. Like many people, you probably find the influx of this unwanted mail extremely irritating. However, the reasons these messages end up in your inbox are often attributed to multiple factors:
- You subscribed to an email chain. This is a common way for unwanted messages to show up in your inbox. This often happens when buying online, where a hidden checkbox at checkout can lead to numerous newsletters. In such situations, knowing how to unsubscribe from emails on Outlook is essential.
- You put your address out publicly. If your address somehow happens to end up on a public forum or webpage, internet crawlers are sure to get their hands on it and sell that information to other companies.
- A company you subscribed to had a data breach. Unfortunately, it is more common than you might think. When a company’s website data is breached, and they have your details, your mail address, along with other data, can become accessible to unauthorized parties. Learn how to check if you have been pwned and what steps to take in such scenarios.
- You have been a victim of malicious mail in the past. It's not unusual to mistakenly click on a seemingly legitimate message that actually contains harmful content. Interacting with such messages can alert malicious senders of your active inbox, potentially resulting in more intrusive and dangerous messages. To prevent this, learn more about how to stop junk email in Outlook.
Why you should block emails in Outlook
Blocking emails is a common practice, and should be done for the following reasons:
- To remove malicious senders from your inbox. As described above, opening messages from malicious senders can signal to them that your inbox is active, potentially leading to an influx of unwanted and harmful communications from these and other sources.
- Extract unnecessary communication from your inbox. Often, your inbox can become overloaded with irrelevant messages. Blocking senders who contribute to this clutter helps significantly reduce unwanted mail.
- Maintain a clean and organized inbox to stay productive. A crowded inbox can be overwhelming. By blocking non-essential senders, you are closer to achieving 'inbox zero,' which significantly contributes to higher productivity.
Achieve a Clutter-Free Inbox with Clean Email
We've seen how Clean Email can efficiently stop unwanted messages. Let's now explore its other features that help keep your inbox organized and clutter-free.
The Unsubscriber feature is particularly handy for dealing with frequent newsletters and promotional messages. Before blocking, consider unsubscribing from these senders. This feature simplifies the process, allowing you to easily opt out from lists you no longer want, without needing to block the sender.
For emails from unknown senders, the Screener feature is invaluable. It holds mail from new senders separately, giving you the chance to review them before they enter your main inbox. This helps in keeping your email flow organized, giving you control over which mail to accept into your inbox, thereby preventing unnecessary clutter.
The Auto Clean feature is perfect for managing a backlog of mail. It allows you to automatically sort your existing messages, whether by archiving, deleting, or moving them to specific folders. This feature is particularly useful for long-term inbox organization, helping to keep your inbox clean and manageable with minimal effort.
Adjusting Sender Settings provides personalized control, enabling you to manage messages from specific senders on an individual basis. You can set rules to automatically eliminate emails from certain senders, focusing your inbox on the messages that are important to you.
With 33 unique filters in Smart Folders, Clean Email greatly enhances inbox organization. These folders categorize your mail into groups such as ‘Top Senders,’ ‘Online shopping,’ and ‘Finance,’ among others. This categorization makes navigating through your emails much easier, saving you considerable time.
Clean Email not only improves your inbox management but also guarantees the security and privacy of your data. Your information is protected and is never shared, sold, analyzed, or utilized beyond the app's basic functionality.
💡 Note: Outlook offers both an email service (using an @outlook.com address) and an email client that can link with providers like Gmail, Yahoo, AOL, and others. Actions taken in Clean Email apply only to the Outlook service provider, and not to any other email accounts linked with the Outlook email client. You should add each email account you have to Clean Email separately (find out how to add an account here).
Conclusion
Unwanted messages are a common issue for everyone, but there are effective ways to clear your inbox of these distractions. Beyond the various blocking methods available in Outlook, Clean Email provides a suite of comprehensive solutions, making it easier and more efficient to stop unwanted messages in Outlook.
How to Block Emails on Outlook - FAQs
How do I permanently block an email in Outlook?
To permanently block an email address in Outlook, you can add your unwelcome sender to the Blocked Senders list. Refer to the instructions in this article to learn how to do this on desktop and on the web. Alternatively, you can stop messages from the whole domain using the Clean Email app.
How do I block unwanted email senders?
You can easily block unwanted senders in Outlook by selecting Block Sender, or you can use the Clean Email app to remove entire domains.
How do I block emails on Outlook Mobile?
To block emails in Outlook mobile app, open a message from the sender you want to restrict, tap the three vertical dots in the top right corner, select 'Report Junk,' then choose 'Block Sender.'
How do I block multiple emails on Outlook?
Currently, Outlook does not support blocking multiple messages simultaneously, requiring you to block senders one by one. However, to stop multiple senders at once, you can use the Clean Email app.
How to view blocked emails in Outlook?
To view blocked mail in Outlook, go to the Junk Email folder in your mailbox. Mail from blocked senders typically lands in this folder.
How do I find my blocked senders list in Outlook?
To view your blocked senders list in the web app, go to Settings, select 'Mail,' then 'Junk email,' and you'll see the list under 'Blocked senders and domains.'
How many emails can I block in Outlook?
Outlook has a maximum of 1,024 addresses or domains in your Blocked list. To include more, consider blocking entire domains rather than specific mail addresses.
