(Tiny Tips) – Block Emails on Gmail – A cluttered inbox full of unread emails, spam, and annoying notifications can quickly become overwhelming. Luckily, Gmail offers simple tools to help you clean up your inbox and stop unwanted emails from bombarding you. Let’s look at how to prevent unwanted emails from reaching your inbox.
How to block emails on Gmail on a desktop
We’ll look at various step-by-step guides from both desktop and mobile perspectives. We’ll start with how to block emails in Gmail when using a desktop or laptop.
Before you begin, please note: While some third-party email clients allow you to block email addresses and report spam, we’ve found that they have some issues syncing with your Gmail account. We recommend doing all email blocking and spam management through the Gmail portal or official mobile app.
To block email in the Gmail web app from your desktop or laptop, follow these instructions:
- Navigate to Gmail and log into your account.
- Search for emails from the person, business, or address you want to block.
- Open the email.
- Click on the three vertical dots in the upper right corner.
- Select Block [Sender Name]
- Click Block for the second time on the warning screen.
All future emails from blocked addresses will automatically be marked as spam and will not end up in your inbox.
How to unlock email on a desktop
If you later change your mind about blocking an address, you can easily reverse the process.
Open Gmail in your browser again. This time, click the gear icon in the upper right corner and select See all settings.
Find the “Filters and Blocked Addresses” tab and click on it. At the top of the screen, you’ll see a list of all inbox filters you’ve set up (if you have any).
Scroll down and you’ll find a list of all the addresses you’ve blocked. Find the address you want to whitelist and click the “Unblock” button.
How to block emails in Gmail on mobile
If you don’t have access to the Gmail web app, you can also block emails using your phone. The same considerations apply to third-party applications. You may be experiencing sync issues. You should download the official Gmail app for a hassle-free experience.
The principle behind the method is the same:
- Open the Gmail app on your phone.
- Browse to the email from the sender you want to block.
- Click the three vertical dots (Android) or horizontal dots (iOS) next to the sender address (not to be confused with the three vertical or horizontal dots in the upper right corner).
- Select “Block [sender name]“.
- If desired, you can also report the sender as spam.
How to unblock emails in Gmail on mobile
While the process of unlocking an email address is almost the same on Android and iOS, it is fundamentally different from the web app. To unblock an email address using the Gmail app, follow these steps:
- Open the Gmail app on your phone.
- Search for the old emails of the contact you want to unblock.
- Click Unblock Sender.
The field used to unblock a sender can only appear in the same email in which you blocked the sender. If you deleted this email or can’t find it, please open another email you received and follow the instructions provided previously to block it again. Even if you have already blocked the sender, you will see an option to block the sender.
After doing this, a warning box will appear where you can unblock the sender. Therefore, clicking Unblock Sender prevents emails from ending up as spam. Apart from this workaround, your last resort is to follow the instructions above to unlock the email address from the web app.
How to unsubscribe from emails in Gmail
If you find yourself annoyed by constant newsletters and marketing emails from companies but don’t want to block the address, consider unsubscribing from these emails.
The most effective method is directly through the sender’s email. You’ll almost always find a little unsubscribe button hidden in the fine print at the end of the message. Clicking this button will take you to a page where you can set your email communication preferences for this company.
However, Gmail also offers a built-in way to unsubscribe from mass marketing emails. It doesn’t work with all senders and doesn’t offer absolute reliability, but it’s faster than using the sender’s tool.
Please follow the instructions below to use this feature:
- Open the Gmail web app.
- Find the email of the sender you want to unsubscribe from.
- You may see a small unsubscribe label next to your return address. Click it to enable logout.
You may also see a “Change settings” button. This will take you to the sender’s unsubscribe options.
If you don’t see these two options, you need to use the sender tool or block the sender address entirely.
How to unsubscribe from newsletters using the Gmail mobile app
Gmail’s mobile app makes it easier to unsubscribe from newsletters and marketing emails. Please follow these steps to unsubscribe from a newsletter or mailing list:
- Open an old email you received from the sender you want to unsubscribe from.
- Click the three vertical or horizontal dots in the upper right corner (not next to the sender address).
- Click “Unsubscribe” in the menu. Then click “Unsubscribe” again in the confirmation box.
- The Gmail app will prompt you to select the browser you want to use to open the external link. This link will take you to the newsletter website where you can change your preferences or unsubscribe completely.
How to manage spam in Gmail
Spam is the final piece of the puzzle. In most cases, Gmail does a good job of catching spam before it reaches your inbox. However, spam often spreads across the Internet and you must deal with it.
Gmail offers two ways to manage spam in your inbox: You can report it as spam or a phishing attempt. If you’re using the Gmail web app:
- Open the email from the sender.
- Click the three vertical dots next to the sender’s name.
- Select Report Spam or Report Phishing.
The Gmail mobile app only has a report spam option. You can find it by clicking on the three dots in the upper right corner (i.e., the dots that are different from the ones used to block sender email addresses).
How to mark incorrectly flagged spam messages as safe in Gmail
Sometimes Gmail makes the opposite mistake and marks messages from legitimate senders as spam. When this happens, it goes into your spam folder.
To mark spam as safe, open the spam folder in the web app or mobile app. In the web app, go to the spam folder and select the email by checking the appropriate box. Click “Not Spam” at the top of your inbox.
For the mobile app, go to your spam folder, long-press on the email, and click on the three vertical dots in the upper right corner. Here, select the “Don’t report spam” option from the menu.
Cleaner Inbox, More Productivity
None of the steps described take much time. If you take a few seconds to track issues as they arise, you’ll find that your inbox becomes much cleaner, and your productivity increases.