How to Block on Gmail

Written by Jack Lloyd

Last Updated: May 25, 2021

Gmail's "Block User" feature is a quick way to classify any email from a specific sender as spam. As of October 2016, the iOS version of Gmail doesn't support sender blocking; however, you can block a sender from the Android Gmail app or from a computer. If you'd rather delete any email from a sender by default, you can use a computer to create a filter for your selected sender.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:
Blocking a Sender (Android)

1
Tap the "Gmail" app.
2
Tap an email to open it.
3
Tap the Android menu button. This is the three horizontal dots icon in the top right corner of your opened conversation.^{[1]
X
Research source}
4
Tap "Block (sender)". Doing this will both blacklist this sender's email address and send any future email from this recipient to your "Spam" folder!^{[2]
X
Research source}

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:
Blocking a Sender (Desktop)

1
Navigate to your Gmail inbox. If you aren't already logged into your Gmail account, you'll need to enter your email address and the pertinent password to do so.
2
Click on an email to open it.
3
Open the email's drop-down options menu. This is the downward-facing arrow in the top right corner of your opened email.
4
Click "Block (sender)".
5
Click "Block" again when prompted. This will block your selected sender's email address; any subsequent email from this sender will go straight into your "Spam" folder.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:
Creating a Filter

1
Open Gmail. You will need to use a computer for this process.
2
Select an email you wish to filter. You can do this by clicking the box on the far left side of the email.
3
Click the "More" option. This is above your inbox's contents and on the right side of your Gmail toolbar.
4
Click "Filter messages like these". Gmail will automatically add your sender's email address to this form.^{[3]
X
Research source}
5
Click "Create filter with this search".
6
Click the checkbox next to "Delete it".
7
Click "Create Filter". Any incoming emails from your filtered sender will now be deleted automatically.