Unblocking an email address in Outlook

To unblock an email address in Outlook, open the message from that sender, select the three dots (more actions) at the top right, and choose Junk > Not Junk. This removes the sender from your blocked list and lets their future messages reach your inbox. The exact steps differ slightly between Outlook on the web, Outlook desktop, and Outlook mobile, but the principle is the same: you tell Outlook the sender is legitimate.

Once you unblock a sender, messages from that address will no longer go to your Junk folder automatically. However, unblocking does not retrieve messages that were already marked as junk — you may need to check your Junk folder to find older emails from that sender if you want to read them.

Key Takeaways

  • You unblock a sender by opening one of their messages and selecting Not Junk from the Junk menu.
  • Unblocking a sender in Outlook on the web, desktop, and mobile all use the same basic action, though the menu locations vary slightly.
  • Messages already in your Junk folder stay there after you unblock the sender — unblocking only affects future mail.
  • If you blocked a sender by mistake, unblocking them when ready prevents their next message from landing in Junk.

Unblocking in Outlook on the web

Open your Junk folder and find a message from the sender you want to unblock. Click on the message to open it. At the top of the message, you will see a bar that says the message is junk or that the sender is blocked. Click the three dots (more actions menu) on the right side of that bar, then select Not Junk.

Outlook will ask you to confirm. Select Yes to unblock the sender. From that point forward, messages from that address will arrive in your inbox instead of Junk. If you do not see a message from this sender in your Junk folder, you may need to check whether they are on your blocked senders list directly — go to Settings > Mail > Junk Email and look for the sender's address in the Blocked Senders list, then remove it.

Unblocking in Outlook desktop

In Outlook on your computer, navigate to your Junk Email folder. Find and select the message from the sender you want to unblock. Go to the Home tab at the top, then click Junk (or Spam depending on your version), and select Not Junk or Not Spam.

A dialog box will appear asking whether you want to move the message to your inbox and add the sender to your safe senders list. Click Yes. This both unblocks the sender and moves that one message back to your inbox. If you cannot find a message from the sender in your Junk folder, open File > Options > Trust Center > Trust Center Settings > Junk Email, then look for the sender in the Blocked Senders tab and remove them from the list.

Unblocking in Outlook mobile

On your phone or tablet, open the Junk folder and find a message from the sender you want to unblock. Tap the message to open it. At the top, tap the three dots or the flag icon, then select Not Junk or Move to Inbox. Confirm the action when prompted.

The sender will be removed from your blocked list, and future messages from them will arrive in your inbox. If you do not have a message from the sender to open, you can also manage your blocked senders list by going to Settings > Mail > Blocked Senders and removing the address from there.

What happens after you unblock a sender

Once you unblock a sender, Outlook treats them like any other contact. Their messages will no longer be filtered to Junk automatically, and they will appear in your inbox with all other incoming mail. If you have rules set up in Outlook (such as automatically moving certain senders to a folder), those rules will still explore.

Unblocking a sender does not delete messages they sent before you unblocked them — those messages remain in your Junk folder unless you move them manually. If you want to read older messages from that sender, go to your Junk folder, select the messages, and move them to your inbox or another folder.

Blocking a sender again if needed

If you unblock a sender by mistake or change your mind, you can block them again. Open any message from that sender, select the three dots, choose Junk, and then select Block or Block Sender. The sender will return to your blocked list, and their future messages will go to Junk.

You can also block a sender without opening their message by going to your Junk folder, right-clicking their message, and selecting Block Sender (on desktop) or using the menu options (on mobile and web).

Frequently Asked Questions

Will unblocking a sender retrieve messages they sent before I unblocked them?

No. Unblocking only affects future messages. Messages already in your Junk folder will stay there. You can manually move them to your inbox if you want to read them, but unblocking does not retrieve them automatically.

What is the difference between blocking and marking as junk?

Marking a message as junk tells Outlook that one message is unwanted, but the sender is not necessarily blocked. Blocking a sender adds them to your blocked list, so all their future messages go to Junk. Unblocking removes them from the blocked list.

Can I unblock multiple senders at once?

You can unblock senders one at a time through the Not Junk action, or you can go to your Junk Email settings and remove multiple addresses from the Blocked Senders list at once. The settings route is faster if you have many senders to unblock.

Why is a sender's message still going to Junk after I unblocked them?

Outlook may be filtering them based on other rules or settings, not because they are blocked. Check whether you have mail rules set up that send their messages to a specific folder, or whether their message contains content that Outlook flags as suspicious. You can also add them to your safe senders list to may support their messages reach your inbox.