Unable to Block Emails across 3 Apple Devices

Use iCloud/server level rules rather than client level rules.

Set up rules to filter email in Mail on iCloud.com - Apple Support

We understand and appreciate the time you have invested working with Apple Support and visiting the Apple Store.

We recognize how frustrating it can be when your experience does not match your expectations.

Based on our testing, however, we have not been able to reproduce the behavior you described regarding the inability to block email senders.

Our testing included four Apple Silicon (M-series) Macs running macOS Tahoe 26.5.2, an iPhone 15 Pro running iOS 26.5.2, and an Apple Watch Series 11 running watchOS 26.5.

In each case, when an email sender was blocked on one device, the blocked sender synchronized correctly across all devices signed in to the same Apple Account.

It is also important to clarify how Mail's blocking feature is designed to work.

Blocking a sender does not prevent that person from sending you email or stop messages from arriving in your mailbox.

Instead, Mail identifies the sender as blocked and handles those messages according to your Mail settings.

Regarding unwanted or spam phone calls, if your goal is to reduce calls from unknown numbers, you can go to Settings → Apps → Phone and enable features such as Call Screening, Silence Unknown Callers, or Spam Filtering (when supported by your wireless carrier).

These features can help reduce interruptions from unknown or suspected spam callers.

Screen and block calls on iPhone

My Friend @BobTheFisherman

As a Test also using an AI / LMM model and below is what I get.

It seem the answer will be totally dependent on the actual question asked

" Based on what is publicly known as of now, no—there is not a widespread, confirmed issue in Apple Mail on macOS Tahoe 26.5.2 that is broadly blocking or losing email to the point that organizations should recommend switching email clients.

Here's what the evidence shows:

• Apple's release notes for macOS 26.5.2 are almost entirely security fixes and do not list any Mail-specific reliability or email delivery problems. (Mail Archive)
• There were significant Mail bugs in earlier 26.5 beta builds, including blank message bodies and composition problems. Those affected multiple mail clients because they were related to the underlying WebKit/WebView framework, but Apple addressed those before the final releases. (Reddit)
• There are isolated reports of issues with specific IMAP servers, Exchange environments, VPNs, antivirus software that intercepts SSL/TLS, or mailbox indexing. These are not indicative of a universal Apple Mail failure. (Apple Support Community)

If you're seeing users report that emails are "blocked," it's worth distinguishing between several different symptoms:

• Messages never arrive at the mail server → usually a sender, DNS, or spam-filtering problem.
• Messages exist in webmail but not Apple Mail → often an Apple Mail synchronization or mailbox index issue.
• HTML content is blank → historically a rendering bug (mostly seen in beta versions).
• Messages are moved to Junk or Trash unexpectedly → could be Mail rules, blocked sender settings, or server-side filtering.

Should you switch clients?

For most users, I would not recommend changing email clients solely because they're on macOS 26.5.2.

However, if you're supporting a business and you're experiencing reproducible problems that:

• occur only in Apple Mail,
• do not occur in Outlook, Thunderbird, or webmail,
• and affect productivity,

then using another client temporarily is a reasonable workaround while troubleshooting.

If this question is motivated by a specific problem you're seeing (for example, emails from one sender disappearing, Exchange issues, IMAP sync failures, or messages arriving in webmail but not Apple Mail), describe:

• your mail provider (Microsoft 365, Gmail, iCloud, Fastmail, etc.),
• whether it affects all users or just some,
• and what "blocking" looks like,

and I can help determine whether it matches any known issue. "

sharifromdelraybeach wrote:

Hi Apple. I appreciate your response but these are generic answers on what to do. None of them work and are not resolving my issue. <snip> Thank you.

Apple is not here. We are users like you. Contact Apple Support, link at bottom left of this page, if you want to discuss with Apple.

sharifromdelraybeach wrote:

"Owl-53" is Apple Support. They responded to the question "We understand and appreciate the time you have invested working with Apple Support and visiting the Apple Store. We recognize how frustrating it can be when your experience does not match your expectations. Based on our testing, however, we have not been able to reproduce the behavior you described regarding the inability to block email senders. . . ." Scroll back up and re-read. For clarification "BobTheFisherman" is a User response. Much appreciated.

Owl-53 is a user. They are not Apple support. Apple is not here. We are all users trying to help other users.

🦉-53 IS NOT APPLL does not work for Apple and have never worked for Apple

Being as you appear to have used an AII /LMM ( as per images ) and have spent extended time with Apple Support and Apple in the Apple stores to try and resolve this preserved issue

It would appear they may have already arrived at certain conclusions

The issue with AL /LLM models

They tend to tell the user exactly what they want they want to hear

Thusly reinforcing their already preconceived conclusion

The concern arises when AI-generated responses include speculative assertions, present conclusions that cannot be independently verified through official Apple Support or Apple Developer documentation, or fail to provide supporting references or URLs that allow readers to verify the information for themselves. Without transparent sourcing, it can be difficult to distinguish between documented fact, informed interpretation, and AI-generated inference.

Thank you

Just for the benefit of the " audience "

Come up on 21 Years this September 2026 using Apple devices