Unblocking an email address in Outlook takes one minute

When you block someone in Outlook, their messages go straight to your Junk folder and you stop seeing notifications. To unblock them, open Outlook, go to File > Options > Trust Center > Trust Center Settings > Safe Senders & Recipients, find the blocked address in the Blocked Senders list, select it, and click Remove. After you unblock, their future emails will arrive in your inbox normally — but messages already in Junk stay there unless you move them manually.

The exact steps differ slightly between Outlook on the web (Outlook.com or Outlook.office.com) and Outlook desktop, so this guide covers both. If you use Outlook on your phone, you cannot manage blocked senders from the app itself — you will need to use a computer.

Key Takeaways

  • Blocked senders in Outlook desktop are managed through File > Options > Trust Center, where you can see the full list and remove names one at a time.
  • Outlook on the web (Outlook.com) uses the Settings gear icon, then Junk email, where you can view and unblock senders in seconds.
  • Unblocking only stops future messages from going to Junk — emails already there will not move to your inbox automatically.
  • If you unblock someone by mistake, you can block them again using the same process in reverse.

Unblocking in Outlook desktop (Windows or Mac)

Open Outlook and click File in the top menu. Then select Options (on Windows) or Preferences (on Mac). A window will open with a list of categories on the left side.

Click Trust Center, then click the button labeled Trust Center Settings (it is a blue button in the middle of the window). A new window opens. On the left side, you will see a list that includes Safe Senders & Recipients — click that. You will now see four tabs at the top: Safe Senders, Safe Recipients, Blocked Senders, and Safe Mailing Lists. Click the Blocked Senders tab.

The Blocked Senders tab shows every email address or domain you have blocked. Find the one you want to unblock, click it once to select it (it will highlight), then click the Remove button below the list. Click OK to close the Trust Center window, then click OK again to close Options. You are done — the address is now unblocked.

Unblocking in Outlook on the web

Log into your Outlook account at Outlook.com or Outlook.office.com. In the top right corner, click the gear icon (Settings). A menu will drop down. Click View all Outlook settings at the bottom of that menu.

The Settings page will open. On the left side, click Mail, then scroll down and click Junk email. You will see several sections. Look for the section labeled Blocked senders. This shows every address you have blocked. Find the one you want to unblock and click the trash icon (or X icon) next to it. The address is now unblocked when ready — no additional confirmation needed.

What happens after you unblock someone

Once you unblock an address, new messages from that person will arrive in your inbox starting with their next email. Outlook stops treating them as blocked, so you will see notifications and their messages will not be filtered to Junk.

However, any emails from that sender that are already sitting in your Junk folder will stay there. You will need to move them manually if you want to see them. Open your Junk folder, find the messages you want to keep, and drag them to your inbox or another folder. If there are many messages, you can select multiple at once by clicking the first one, holding Shift, and clicking the last one, then dragging the whole group.

Blocking someone again if you change your mind

If you unblock someone and then decide you want to block them again, the process is similar but in reverse. In Outlook desktop, go back to File > Options > Trust Center > Trust Center Settings > Safe Senders & Recipients, but this time click the Safe Senders tab. Find the address and remove it from the Safe Senders list, then go to your inbox, right-click an email from that person, and select Junk > Block Sender.

In Outlook on the web, open an email from the person you want to block, click the three dots (More actions) at the top right of the email, and select Block. They will be added back to your Blocked Senders list when ready.

Why someone might end up in Junk even after unblocking

If you unblock someone but their emails still go to Junk, the issue is usually not the block list — it is Outlook's spam filter. Outlook has two separate systems: the block list (which you just managed) and an automatic spam filter that catches emails that look suspicious. An unblocked sender can still be caught by the spam filter if their email looks like phishing or contains spam-like content.

To fix this, add the person to your Safe Senders list instead. In Outlook desktop, go back to Trust Center > Safe Senders & Recipients, click the Safe Senders tab, click Add, type their email address, and click OK. In Outlook on the web, open an email from them, click the three dots, and select Mark as not junk. This tells Outlook to trust that sender and deliver their messages to your inbox.

Unblocking a whole domain instead of one address

If you blocked an entire domain (like @company.com instead of just one person's address), you unblock it the same way — find it in the Blocked Senders list and click Remove. However, if you only remember blocking someone from that company and want to unblock just them, you will need to check whether you blocked the person's address or the whole domain. Open the Blocked Senders list and look carefully at what is listed. If it shows @company.com, you blocked the domain. If it shows jane.smith@company.com, you blocked just that person.

Blocking a domain is rare and usually accidental. Most people block individual addresses. If you did block a domain and only want to unblock one person from it, remove the domain from Blocked Senders, then add that domain to your Safe Senders list so the whole domain is trusted again.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I see a list of everyone I have blocked?

Yes. In Outlook desktop, go to File > Options > Trust Center > Trust Center Settings > Safe Senders & Recipients > Blocked Senders tab. In Outlook on the web, go to Settings > Mail > Junk email and scroll to the Blocked senders section. Both show you every address or domain you have blocked.

If I unblock someone, will they know?

No. Unblocking is invisible to the other person. They will not receive a notification, and there is no way for them to know you unblocked them. They will only know if their emails start reaching you and you tell them.

What is the difference between blocking and marking as spam?

Blocking sends future emails from that address to Junk. Marking as spam does the same thing but also trains Outlook's filter to recognize similar emails as spam. For a single person, blocking is usually enough. Marking as spam is more useful for phishing emails or obvious scams where you want Outlook to learn the pattern.

Can I unblock someone on my phone?

Not directly from the Outlook app. You will need to use a computer to access the blocked senders list. Open Outlook on the web or Outlook desktop, unblock the address there, and the change will sync to your phone within a few minutes.

Why do I have so many blocked senders?

If you have blocked dozens of addresses without remembering why, you may have been blocking spam or phishing emails. Review the list and unblock any legitimate senders. For addresses you do not recognize, it is usually safe to unblock them — if they turn out to be spam, you can block them again.