The fastest way to unblock an email in Outlook

Open the email from the sender you want to unblock. Look for a message bar near the top that says something like "This sender has been blocked" or "Add to Safe Senders." Click the option to add them to your Safe Senders list or unblock them directly. The exact wording depends on your Outlook version — web, desktop, or mobile — but the button is always visible in that message bar.

If you do not see a message bar, the sender may not actually be blocked; they might just be in your Junk folder. Check your Junk folder first by clicking it in the left sidebar. If their email is there, right-click it and select "Mark as Not Junk" or "Never Block Sender."

Once you unblock or mark as safe, future emails from that sender will arrive in your inbox instead of Junk or being rejected entirely.

Key Takeaways

  • The unblock button appears in a message bar at the top of a blocked email; click it to add the sender to your Safe Senders list.
  • If an email is in your Junk folder, right-click it and choose "Mark as Not Junk" to stop filtering that sender in the future.
  • Outlook on the web, Outlook desktop, and Outlook mobile all have unblock options, but the exact steps vary slightly by version.
  • Unblocking one email does not unblock the sender; you must use the Safe Senders feature or mark-as-not-junk option to prevent future filtering.

Unblocking in Outlook on the web

Log into your Outlook account at outlook.com or outlook.office.com. Navigate to your Inbox or Junk folder and open the email from the sender you want to unblock.

At the top of the email, you will see a blue message bar or a button labeled "Add to Safe Senders" or "Unblock Sender." Click it. Outlook will move that sender to your Safe Senders list, and their future emails will skip the Junk folder.

If the email is already in your Junk folder and you do not see an unblock button, click the three dots (more actions menu) at the top right of the email. Select "Mark as Not Junk" or "Never Block Sender." This tells Outlook to treat that sender as trusted going forward.

Unblocking in Outlook desktop (Windows and Mac)

Open Outlook on your computer and find the email from the blocked sender. It may be in your Inbox with a warning banner, or in your Junk folder.

If the email has a warning banner at the top, click "Add to Safe Senders" or "Never Block Sender." If the email is in Junk, right-click it and select "Mark as Not Junk" or "Junk" menu, then "Never Block Sender." The exact menu name depends on your Outlook version (2016, 2019, 2021, or Microsoft 365), but the option is always in the right-click menu or the Home tab.

After you unblock, Outlook will remember that sender and route their future emails to your Inbox. You can also manage your Safe Senders list manually by going to File > Options > Trust Center > Junk Email and editing the Safe Senders list directly.

Unblocking in Outlook mobile (iPhone and Android)

Open the Outlook app on your phone and find the email from the sender you want to unblock. Tap and hold the email, or tap the three dots menu icon.

Look for an option like "Mark as Not Junk," "Never Block Sender," or "Add to Safe Senders." Tap it. On some versions of the mobile app, you may need to swipe left on the email to reveal the unblock option.

If you cannot find the unblock option in the mobile app, open the email in Outlook on the web or desktop instead. Mobile versions sometimes have fewer options, and the web version always has the full set of unblock controls.

Why emails get blocked in the first place

Outlook blocks emails for two main reasons: the sender is on your Blocked Senders list, or Outlook's junk filter flagged them as likely spam. The junk filter looks at sender reputation, email content, links, and attachments. Legitimate emails sometimes get caught by mistake, especially if they come from a new sender or contain certain keywords.

If you unblock a sender and their emails keep going to Junk, the junk filter may be re-flagging them. In that case, mark their emails as not junk several times in a row. After you mark a few emails as not junk, Outlook learns to trust that sender and stops filtering them.

Managing your Safe Senders list directly

Instead of unblocking one email at a time, you can add senders to your Safe Senders list before you receive their emails. In Outlook on the web, click the settings gear icon, then "View All Outlook Settings" > "Mail" > "Junk Email." Scroll to "Safe Senders" and type in the email address or domain you want to trust.

In Outlook desktop, go to File > Options > Trust Center > Junk Email. Click "Safe Senders" and add the email address or domain. You can also add entire domains (for example, @company.com) so that all emails from that organization skip the junk filter.

Adding a sender to Safe Senders is stronger than marking one email as not junk. Safe Senders tells Outlook to always trust that address, while marking as not junk only trains the filter gradually.

What to do if you cannot find the unblock option

If you open an email and do not see an unblock button or message bar, the sender may not actually be blocked. They might straightforward be in your Junk folder because of the junk filter, not because you blocked them manually. Check your Junk folder and mark their email as not junk.

Another possibility: the email arrived before you blocked the sender, so it was not filtered. Future emails from that sender will be blocked, but this one slipped through. In that case, go to your Junk folder settings and add the sender to your Blocked Senders list if you want to block them, or add them to Safe Senders if you want to unblock them.

If you are using Outlook through your workplace or school, your organization may have email filtering rules that override your personal settings. Contact your IT department or help desk to ask whether they are filtering emails from a particular sender.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will unblocking one email unblock the sender permanently?

No. Unblocking one email only lets you read that message. To stop Outlook from filtering that sender in the future, you must add them to your Safe Senders list or mark their email as not junk. After you do that, their future emails will arrive in your Inbox.

Can I unblock an entire domain instead of just one email address?

Yes. In Outlook on the web or desktop, go to your Junk Email settings and add the domain (for example, @company.com) to your Safe Senders list. All emails from anyone at that domain will then skip the junk filter. This is useful for work domains or newsletters you trust.

What if I unblock a sender and they still go to Junk?

The junk filter may be re-flagging them. Mark several of their emails as not junk in a row. After a few times, Outlook learns to trust that sender. If it keeps happening, add them directly to your Safe Senders list instead of relying on the mark-as-not-junk feature alone.

Is there a difference between blocking and junk filtering?

Yes. Blocking means you manually added someone to your Blocked Senders list, and Outlook rejects their emails outright. Junk filtering means Outlook's automatic system flagged them as likely spam. Unblocking removes them from your Blocked list; marking as not junk trains the filter to trust them.

Can my email provider block senders on my behalf?

Yes, if you use Outlook through work or school, your organization's email administrator may have set up filtering rules that block certain senders or domains for everyone. If you think that is happening, contact your IT department to ask whether they can whitelist a sender for you.