Blocking a contact in Outlook stops their emails from reaching your inbox

When you block someone in Outlook, their messages go straight to your Junk folder instead of your inbox. You won't see notifications for their emails, and they won't know they've been blocked — the block is silent on their end. Outlook has different blocking steps depending on whether you use the web version, the desktop app for Windows, or Outlook on Mac.

The block stays in place until you remove it. You can unblock the person at any time by going back to your blocked senders list and deleting their address. Blocking is different from deleting: it doesn't erase past emails, it just redirects future ones.

Key Takeaways

  • Blocked emails land in your Junk folder, not your inbox, and you won't receive notifications about them.
  • The steps to block someone differ between Outlook on the web, Outlook desktop for Windows, and Outlook for Mac.
  • You can view and manage your blocked senders list in Settings to unblock someone or add more addresses.
  • Blocking someone does not delete their past emails — it only affects messages they send after you block them.
  • If someone is harassing you, blocking is a first step, but you may also want to report the messages as phishing or junk.

How to block someone in Outlook on the web

Open Outlook in your browser and go to your inbox. Find an email from the person you want to block. Right-click on the email (or click the three dots menu on the right side of the message if you're on mobile). Select Block from the menu that appears.

Outlook will ask you to confirm. Click Block again. The person is now blocked, and their future emails will go to Junk. If you want to block someone without opening an email from them, you can also go to Settings (the gear icon in the top right), select Mail, then Junk email, and type their email address into the Blocked senders field.

How to block someone in Outlook desktop for Windows

Open Outlook on your computer and find an email from the person you want to block. Right-click on the email. A menu will appear — select Junk, then Block Sender.

Outlook will move that email to Junk and add the sender to your blocked list. All future emails from that address will go to Junk automatically. To block someone without an email from them, go to File in the top menu, select Options, then Trust Center, then Trust Center Settings. Click Blocked Senders and type in the email address you want to block.

How to block someone in Outlook for Mac

Open Outlook on your Mac and find an email from the person you want to block. Click on the email to open it. At the top of the message, click the three dots menu. Select Block Sender.

The sender is now blocked. To manage your blocked list on Mac, go to Outlook in the top menu, select Preferences, then Junk Email. You'll see a list of blocked senders and can add or remove addresses from there.

How to view and manage your blocked senders list

In Outlook on the web, go to Settings (gear icon), select Mail, then Junk email. You'll see a field labeled Blocked senders with a list of all the addresses you've blocked. You can add new addresses by typing them in, or remove someone by clicking the X next to their name.

In Outlook desktop for Windows, go to File > Options > Trust Center > Trust Center Settings > Blocked Senders. In Outlook for Mac, go to Outlook > Preferences > Junk Email. All three versions show you exactly who is blocked and let you unblock them in seconds.

What happens when you block someone

Once you block an address, every email from that sender goes to your Junk folder. You won't see a notification or badge telling you a blocked email arrived. The sender has no way of knowing they're blocked — their email will appear to send normally on their end, but you won't see it in your inbox.

If you accidentally block someone, you can unblock them immediately by going to your blocked senders list and removing their address. Their future emails will then go back to your inbox. Past emails from them that landed in Junk will stay in Junk unless you move them manually.

When to block versus report as spam or phishing

Use Block when someone you know is sending unwanted emails and you want to stop seeing them. Use Report as Junk or Report as Phishing when you receive unsolicited commercial emails, scams, or messages that look suspicious. Reporting helps Outlook's spam filters improve for everyone.

If someone is harassing you, you can both block them and report their messages. Blocking stops the emails from reaching you; reporting helps Outlook identify patterns of abuse. If the harassment is severe or involves threats, consider saving the emails as evidence and reporting to local authorities or the platform where the person contacted you.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can someone tell if I blocked them in Outlook?

No. When you block someone, their emails still appear to send successfully on their end. They have no notification that you blocked them. The only way they might suspect it is if you previously replied to their emails and suddenly stop responding.

What if I block someone but they email me from a different address?

Blocking only affects the specific email address you blocked. If the person emails you from a different account, those emails will reach your inbox normally. You would need to block each address separately. If someone is repeatedly contacting you from multiple addresses, that may be harassment — consider reporting it.

Do blocked emails disappear from my inbox?

No. Blocking only affects future emails. Any emails from that sender that are already in your inbox stay there. Only new emails from them go to Junk. If you want to remove old emails from a blocked sender, you can delete them manually or move them to Junk.

Can I block a domain instead of just one email address?

In Outlook on the web and desktop, you can type a domain name like @example.com into the blocked senders field to block all addresses from that domain. On Mac, you may need to block individual addresses. Check your version's blocked senders settings to see if domain blocking is supported.

What's the difference between blocking and unsubscribing?

Unsubscribing removes you from a mailing list and tells the sender to stop sending you emails. Blocking silently redirects all emails from someone to Junk without notifying them. Use unsubscribe for legitimate newsletters you no longer want; use block for unwanted personal contact or spam.