How to Unblock Someone on Gmail

Key Takeaways

• Settings path works even without their email: if blocked messages were auto-deleted from Spam, the Settings path (Filters and Blocked Addresses) still shows the full blocked list
• Sender is not notified: unblocking is silent — the sender gets no notification, no email, and no indication that anything changed
• Old emails do not return: unblocking only affects future messages; anything deleted from Spam while they were blocked is gone
• New emails arrive immediately: once unblocked, future messages from that address go to your inbox normally
• Mobile app has no blocked list: the Gmail app for Android and iPhone doesn't have a blocked-senders settings screen — if you need to manage the list rather than unblock from a specific email, use Gmail on a desktop browser
• Two separate block systems: Gmail email blocking (Filters and Blocked Addresses) and Google Account blocking (Profile → People & sharing → Blocked contacts) are different lists — if a sender doesn't appear in Filters, check your Google Account

How to Unblock Someone on Gmail on the Web

Option 1: Via Settings (works even without a recent email)

This is the most reliable method and the only one that shows your complete blocked list.

1. Open Gmail in a browser and click the gear icon at the top right.
2. Select See all settings.
3. Go to the Filters and Blocked Addresses tab.
4. Scroll to the blocked addresses section. To unblock one sender, click Unblock to the right of their address. To unblock several at once, check the boxes next to each and click Unblock selected addresses.
5. Click Unblock in the confirmation dialog.

Future emails from the unblocked address will go to your inbox as normal.

Option 2: From an Email

If you can find a message from the sender — check your Spam folder — you can unblock directly from it.

1. Open the email from the sender you want to unblock.
2. Do one of the following:
   • Click Unblock sender in the banner at the top of the email.
   • Click More (three dots) at the top right of the email and choose Unblock [sender].
1. Confirm with Unblock.

💡 Tip: Gmail's Spam folder auto-deletes messages after 30 days. If you blocked someone more than a month ago, their emails may already be gone — use the Settings path (Option 1) instead, which shows the blocked list regardless.

How to Unblock Someone on Gmail on Android

1. Open the Gmail app and find an email from the sender. Check the Spam folder using the left-hand menu if needed.
2. Open the email, then do one of the following:
   • Tap Unblock sender in the banner at the top of the email.
   • Tap More (three dots) next to the Reply button and choose Unblock [sender].

⚠️ Note: The Gmail Android app does not have a blocked senders screen in its settings. If you can't locate an email from the sender, open Gmail.com in a mobile browser, request the desktop site, and use the Settings path above.

Learn more about how to block an email on an Android.

How to Unblock Someone on Gmail on iPhone

1. Open the Gmail app and find an email from the sender — check Spam if it's not in your inbox.
2. Open the email, then do one of the following:
   • Tap Unblock sender in the banner at the top of the email.
   • Tap More (three dots) next to Reply and choose Unblock [sender].

⚠️ Note: Like Android, the Gmail iPhone app has no settings screen for managing the blocked list. To unblock someone without a recent email from them, open Gmail.com in Safari, tap the ⋯ menu and choose Request Desktop Website, then follow the web steps above.

Learn more about how to block an email on an iPhone.

What If You Can't Find Their Email?

This is the most common unblock problem. It happens when the sender's messages were auto-deleted from Spam after 30 days (Gmail's standard spam retention period).

If you can't find the sender in Filters and Blocked Addresses either, see the section below — they may have been blocked at the Google Account level rather than at the Gmail level.

What Happens After You Unblock Someone

Is the sender notified?
No. Unblocking is completely silent. The sender receives no email, no notification, and no indication anything changed. From their side, they simply start getting replies again if you choose to respond.

Do old emails reappear?
No. Unblocking only affects future messages. Any emails that were auto-deleted from Spam while the sender was blocked are gone permanently. Unblocking cannot restore them.

When do new emails start arriving?
Immediately. The next email from that address goes straight to your inbox.

What if Gmail keeps routing their messages to Spam anyway?
Unblocking removes the explicit block, but Gmail's own spam filter runs separately. If their messages still land in Spam after you unblock, open one and click Not spam — that signal helps train Gmail's filter. For guaranteed inbox delivery, create a Never send to Spam filter: Show search options → enter their address in the From field → Create filter → check Never send it to Spam.

Gmail Email Blocking vs. Google Account Blocking

Gmail has two separate blocking systems that store their lists in different places:

Gmail email blocking (Filters and Blocked Addresses) — routes that sender's future emails to your Spam folder. This is what the Block button inside Gmail does.

Google Account blocking (Profile picture → Manage your Google Account → People & sharing → Blocked) — prevents the person from interacting with you across Google products (Google Chat, Google Photos shared albums, etc.). It does not affect email delivery.

If you blocked someone and they don't appear in Filters and Blocked Addresses, they were blocked at the Google Account level. To unblock them there: click your profile picture → Manage your Google Account → People & sharing → Blocked → find the person and click Remove.