Can I View Blocked Emails in Gmail?
By Chuck Malenfant
Strictly speaking, you can't block emails from particular people in Gmail, but you can report unwanted nuisance email as spam, and you can set up a filter so that unwanted email from a person or a domain is put directly into your trash folder. If you believe an email has wound up in your spam or trash folder in error, you can still view it and, if you like, change your mind and move it to your inbox.
Filtering Emails
Step 1
Log in to your Gmail account.
Step 2
Click the "Show Search Options" arrow that appears on the right of the search box.
Step 3
Type your search terms into the drop-down form. You can enter a sender's name, for example, or a subject. You could also enter a domain such as "astd.com."
Step 4
Click the "Create Filter With This Search" link.
Step 5
Select the check box next to the option that describes how you would like the filter to handle emails that match the criteria you entered. If you'd like the emails to go to your trash folder, select "Delete It."
Step 6
Click the "Create Filter" button.
Viewing Filtered Messages
Step 1
Check the folder list in the left panel of the Gmail window. Click "More" if you don't see your spam and trash folders. If they're still not visible, click the "Labels" tab in the Settings menu. Click "Show" next to Spam and Trash in the System Labels list.
Step 2
Click the "Spam" folder to see messages that have been placed there by Gmail. Use caution: Opening a spam email may confirm your address to the sender and generate more spam.
Step 3
Check the box next to any message from someone you trust if you believe the message is in your Spam folder by mistake, and click the "Not Spam" button. This will move the messages to your inbox. Further messages from this sender should also then appear in your inbox.
Step 4
Click the "Trash" folder to see messages that have been placed there by Gmail.
Step 5
Click the check box next to any message you would like to view.
Step 6
Click "MoveTo" in the menu bar above the list of messages and select a destination from the drop-down list. You can select your inbox, another folder you've created, or you can click on "Create New" to start a new folder.
Step 7
Click on the "Filters" tab in the Settings menu and review your filters. If Gmail is putting emails in your trash folder by mistake, you'll need to update your filters to correct the error.
References
Tips
- If you've been expecting to hear from someone, Gmail may be mistakenly moving incoming emails to your spam or trash folders. Check each folder for missing emails your contact is assuring you have been sent.
Warnings
- Gmail deletes emails from your spam and trash folders after 30 days; if you want to see a filtered email, check for it in fewer than 30 days of its arrival.
- If you click the "Delete all Spam Messages Now" link in your spam folder, there's no way to later recover those messages.
- If you click the "Delete Forever" button at the top of a message displayed in either your spam or trash folder, there's no way to later recover that message.
Writer Bio
Chuck Malenfant has been working in high-tech educational environments since 1994, serving as a teacher, trainer, writer, research librarian and administrator. He holds a Master of Fine Arts in writing from Arizona State University, as well as a Master of Library and Information Science from Louisiana State University. Malenfant serves as a computer literacy trainer at Broward County Library.