Unable to block email in Apple Mail after iOS 26.4 update

j wfromtorrance wrote:

No one comes here expecting to change Apple. We come here to see if anyone discovers a solution. Your comment was unnecessary.

How about: There is no solution. There is a limit to the size of the blocked address list. If you stay below that limit you can add to it.

But the main point is, it’s a USELESS feature except for blocking people or businesses you know, because spambots don’t reuse email addresses, so you have 3,000 blocked emails that will never send to you again.

For comparison, I have Nomorobo, which currently is blocking 13 million email addresses, and I still get email spam.

Javier Huerta wrote:

Thanks for that Owl-53. I was aware of the blocking process, and the messages would show the blocked icon before the last iOS/Mac OS update. After the new update, I can still go through the blocking process but there is nolonger a blocked icon nor do the senders appear in my blocked contacts. list.

While searching for answers, I saw that some folks were talking about either Apple having a Block limit or possibly my ISP.

-javier

It would appear otherwise as per " I can no longer block incoming inbox/junk email. "

Blocked List on iPhone

Of all the places for Apple to put this list of Blocked

Setting >> Messages >> Scroll way to bottom

Notice the > in image below

Open it

As for " While searching for answers, I saw that some folks were talking about either Apple having a Block limit or possibly my ISP. "

That is BUNK, untrue

Same. Just installed the 26.4.2 and it still won’t block emails. I tried going to the contact card to block them that way and it says it’s blocked but as soon as you close the contact card it unblocks them again.

I’ve been using Apple’s Mail block feature for many years, successfully until about a month ago. I really valued this function and the way it worked. Based on posts here, it seems it’s an issue known to Apple resulting from a software update.

I’m really surprised Apple hasn’t already brought out a fix which resolves this issue on MacOS and iOS since the issue to me is that it seems to fundamentally to weaken the previously workable defensive functionality of Apple’s core software, Mail, because of the change in the blocking function. This weakens its security because it degrades the ability of users to defend against spam and phishing attacks. Are there workarounds? Maybe. But none that provide easily visible evidence like before that my blocking action has worked. Plus, like most Apple users, I imagine, I choose Apple for its holistic approach, high quality, security and intuitive functionality. This apparently small change seems a significant retrograde step.

Come on Apple. Please resolve this issue quickly either by providing an explanation of the new steps needed to block senders which is at least as effective, visible and quick/easy as before, or, by restoring the way the previous blocking actions visibly worked - or provide an evident improvement.

acmeplant wrote:

I actually do get repeat messages from people trying to sell me services that will improve my website traffic, place an article on my website, protect my identity, etc., so being able to block them is helpful.

Rarely are spammers using the same originating email address/phone number, so the message may be the same, but blocking is not effective because the next one will appear to come from a completely different sender. That is called "spoofing" and is used for both Emails and Text Messages where the sending phone number/address is spoofed.

That has always been the case.

Have the same problem with my MacBook. contacted apple support- they said there maybe a change with the iCloud settings. They advised to contact apple support- the more that do this the quicker the tech team will look at it and hopefully fix the issue. So report the issue directly to apple support

I also read an article that the maximum blocked addresses is 3,000. But I could block over 7,000 on my old Mac.

the official statement from Apple support is that the maximum no. You can block is not listed anywhere. They are enquiring how many that should be. Maybe we’ll get an update soon

j wfromtorrance wrote:

And your “solution” to unblock contacts that you want, and have, blocked so you can block new ones isn’t a solution - it’s whack-a-mole.

Currently, it's your only option. No one here in this user-to-user forum can change what Apple does. You can always let Apple know your thoughts here:

Product Feedback - Apple

j wfromtorrance wrote:

You’re not thinking this through. Spammers use email to send emails on different topics - not just one. That’s their “occupation”. So blocking one of their emails stops repeated spam’s in the future. And yes you have to block every email they come up with. So saying there’s no point is incorrect.

Yes, in fact I am thinking it through. Spammers use new emails all the time. They don't just use them for different subjects. And they also spoof the emails. They're either somebody else's email or they're fake. There is no point.

If it were as simple as everyone blocking spammers emails or phone numbers for text messages, we would have solved the spam problem by now. You will note, however, that we haven't.

I have recently seen in an article that there is a limit of 3,000 entries.

I don’t understand why you keep saying that. Yes spammers use different email addresses and people would block each one which is how one gets to the long list and up against Apple’s new limitation.

Same, sadly the last update actually helped the block process by placing those blocked in the trash where they should go, I waited over a year for that fix, now its all messed up again and can't even block.

I’m having same issue. Since the 2 recent ios updates, my mail app will not let me do any blocking at all. If I block a number or an email, it doesn’t block it. For example:

I get lots of mail from a certain business I don’t like. I clicked to block their email, a red icon appears as though its blocked,

but, then I look at it in my trash mail, and it’s no longer blocked, it’s just in the trash bin. Not blocked!

acmeplant wrote:

So then how am I able to have 4472 blocked email addresses?

You do realize that none of those 4472 contacts will ever call you again, so there was no point in blocking them in the first place except for the momentary satisfaction of doing something; spammers and scammers never use the same email twice. But having that many will slow down your mail app, as every incoming email has to be checked against that list.

The only useful purpose for blocking is to block people you know who you don’t want to hear from (in-laws, exes, etc).