Unblocking an email address in Outlook takes one minute
To unblock someone in Outlook, open the message from that sender, select the three dots (more actions) at the top right, and choose Unblock Sender. If you do not see a message from them yet, go to Settings > Mail > Junk email, find the blocked sender in the list, select them, and click Remove from blocked list. The sender can now reach your inbox again when ready — no restart needed.
Outlook stores blocked senders in two places depending on how you blocked them. Messages you marked as junk go to your Junk folder and stay blocked. Senders you explicitly blocked through settings go to a separate blocked list. Both routes use the same unblock process, but knowing which list holds the address saves you time if you are looking for it.
Key Takeaways
- Unblocking happens in one of two places: directly from a message using the three-dot menu, or through Settings > Mail > Junk email if you have no recent message from them.
- Once unblocked, the sender's future messages go to your inbox normally; past messages in Junk stay there unless you move them manually.
- Blocking a sender in Outlook does not delete their messages — they move to Junk and stay retrievable if you change your mind.
- If someone keeps sending unwanted mail after you unblock them, you can block them again without losing the ability to unblock later.
Unblocking from a recent message
If you have received a message from the sender you want to unblock, this is the fastest route. Open the email, look at the top right of the message header, and click the three dots (the more actions menu). A dropdown appears with several options — select Unblock Sender. Outlook removes them from your blocked list when ready.
This method works whether the message is in your Junk folder or somewhere else. The unblock action does not move the message itself — it only changes the sender's status. Future messages from that address will arrive in your inbox as normal, but any past messages already in Junk stay there. You can move them manually if you want to keep them.
Unblocking through Settings when you have no recent message
If the sender has not contacted you recently and you have no message to open, go to Settings to find and unblock them. Click the gear icon in the top right corner of Outlook, then select View all Outlook settings. Navigate to Mail > Junk email. You will see a list of blocked senders under Blocked senders.
Find the email address you want to unblock in that list, click it to select it, and then click Remove from blocked list. The address disappears from the list when ready. You can unblock multiple senders at once by selecting each one while holding Ctrl (or Cmd on Mac) before clicking remove.
What happens to old messages after you unblock
Unblocking a sender does not automatically move their old messages out of your Junk folder. Those messages stay where they are unless you move them yourself. If you want to retrieve past emails from someone you just unblocked, go to your Junk folder, find their messages, select them, and click Move to > Inbox or another folder where you want to keep them.
This separation exists because Outlook treats the sender status and the message location as separate things. Unblocking changes the sender status going forward; it does not rewrite the past. This design lets you unblock someone without accidentally cluttering your inbox with old junk messages.
Blocking someone again if they keep sending unwanted mail
If you unblock someone and then decide you made a mistake, you can block them again just as easily. Open one of their messages, click the three dots, and select Block Sender. Their future messages will go back to Junk, and you can unblock them again later if circumstances change.
There is no limit to how many times you can block and unblock the same address. Outlook does not penalize repeated changes or lock you out of the feature. This flexibility means you can experiment with unblocking without worrying about being stuck with a decision.
Difference between blocking and marking as junk
Outlook offers two ways to stop seeing messages from someone, and they work slightly differently. Marking as junk sends that one message to your Junk folder but does not block future messages from that sender — they still arrive in your inbox. Blocking a sender sends all future messages from that address to Junk automatically.
If you have blocked someone, unblocking them reverses the block entirely. If you only marked one message as junk, that sender is not blocked — their next message will still reach your inbox normally. Check which action you took before looking for the unblock option, because the location and method differ slightly.
Unblocking on Outlook mobile apps
The process on Outlook for iPhone and Android is similar but uses the mobile interface. Open a message from the sender you want to unblock, tap the three dots at the top right, and look for Unblock Sender in the menu. Tap it, and the sender is unblocked when ready.
If you do not have a recent message from them, open Settings in the Outlook app, go to Mail settings > Junk email, and find the blocked senders list. Tap the sender you want to unblock and select the remove or unblock option. The exact wording varies slightly between iPhone and Android, but the result is the same.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will unblocking someone let them see that I blocked them?
No. Blocking and unblocking are invisible to the other person. They have no way to know you blocked them or that you have now unblocked them. The only way they would know is if you tell them.
Can I unblock an email address that never sent me a message?
You can only unblock addresses that are already on your blocked list. If you have never received a message from someone, they are not blocked — you can straightforward receive their mail normally. If you want to prevent someone from reaching you before they contact you, you would need to add them to a blocked list first, which Outlook does not support directly.
What if I unblock someone but their messages still go to Junk?
Check your Junk email rules in Settings. You may have created a rule that sends mail from that address to Junk based on keywords, domain, or other criteria. Rules override the blocked senders list. Go to Settings > Mail > Junk email and look for any active rules that match the sender, then delete or modify them.
Does unblocking restore messages that were permanently deleted?
No. Unblocking only changes whether future messages from that sender go to Junk. If you deleted messages from a blocked sender, unblocking does not recover them. You would need to check your Deleted Items folder if the messages are still there within Outlook's retention period.
Can I block an entire domain instead of just one email address?
Outlook's block feature works on individual email addresses, not domains. To block all mail from a domain, you would need to create a Junk email rule in Settings > Mail > Junk email that targets the domain pattern. This is more advanced than straightforward blocking but gives you more control.