Where to find blocked senders in Outlook

Outlook stores blocked email addresses in the Junk Email settings, and the steps differ slightly depending on whether you use Outlook on the web, Outlook desktop, or Outlook on your phone. The blocked list is separate from your spam folder — when someone is blocked, their messages skip your inbox and spam folder entirely and go straight to a hidden location.

To see your blocked senders list, you need to open Junk Email settings. In Outlook on the web, click the gear icon in the top right, then select "View all Outlook settings." In Outlook desktop, go to the Home tab and click "Junk" in the toolbar, then select "Junk Email Options." On your phone, the process is faster but more limited — you can unblock from the message itself rather than a central list.

Unblocking in Outlook on the web

Open Outlook in your browser and click the gear icon in the top right corner. Select "View all Outlook settings," then go to Mail > Junk email. Scroll down to the "Blocked senders" section, which shows every address you have blocked.

Find the sender you want to unblock and click the trash icon next to their address. Outlook removes them from the blocked list when ready. The next email from that sender will arrive in your inbox or spam folder (depending on other filters), not in the blocked zone.

If your blocked list is long, use the search box at the top of the settings page to find the address faster. You can unblock multiple senders at once by clicking the trash icon for each one.

Unblocking in Outlook desktop

Open Outlook on your computer. Click the Home tab at the top, then find the Junk button in the toolbar. Click the small arrow next to it and select "Junk Email Options."

A window opens with four tabs: Options, Safe Senders, Safe Recipients, and Blocked Senders. Click the "Blocked Senders" tab to see your full list. Select the address you want to unblock and click "Remove." Click OK to save the change.

Outlook desktop also lets you unblock directly from an email. Open a message from the blocked sender, click Home, click Junk, and select "Never Block Sender." This removes them from the blocked list and adds them to your safe senders list at the same time, so their future emails go straight to your inbox.

Unblocking on Outlook mobile

On iPhone or Android, open an email from the blocked sender. Tap the three dots (more options) at the top or bottom of the message. Select "Unblock sender" or "Block/Unblock" depending on your phone version. Outlook removes them from the blocked list when ready.

Outlook mobile does not show a central blocked senders list the way desktop and web do. If you need to unblock someone but do not have an email from them, you will need to use Outlook on the web or desktop instead.

What happens after you unblock

Once you unblock an address, Outlook treats emails from that sender like any other incoming mail. They will not automatically go to your inbox — they follow the same rules as everyone else. If they land in spam, it means Outlook's filters flagged them, not that they are blocked.

If you want their emails to go straight to your inbox, add them to your safe senders list at the same time. In Outlook on the web, go to Junk Email settings and add their address to "Safe senders." In Outlook desktop, click Junk > Junk Email Options > Safe Senders tab and add them there. On mobile, when you unblock a sender, Outlook often adds them to safe senders automatically.

Blocking someone again if needed

If you unblock someone and later decide you want to block them again, the process is the same as the first time. Open their email, click Junk, and select "Block Sender" (desktop) or "Block" (web and mobile). Outlook moves them back to your blocked senders list.

You can also block someone without opening their email. In Outlook on the web, go to Junk Email settings and manually add their address to the blocked senders box. In Outlook desktop, use Junk Email Options > Blocked Senders tab and type in the address.

Key Takeaways

  • Blocked senders in Outlook are managed through Junk Email settings, which you reach through the gear icon (web), the Junk button (desktop), or the message options menu (mobile).
  • To unblock someone, find their address in your Blocked Senders list and click the trash or Remove button next to it.
  • After unblocking, emails from that sender follow normal filtering rules and may still land in spam if Outlook's filters flag them.
  • Adding an unblocked sender to your Safe Senders list ensures their emails go to your inbox instead of spam.
  • You can block the same person again at any time using the same Junk menu options.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will the person know I unblocked them?

No. Unblocking is invisible to the sender. They have no way to know whether you blocked them, unblocked them, or never blocked them at all. Outlook does not send notifications about blocking or unblocking.

What if I unblock someone but their emails still do not arrive?

Check your spam folder first — Outlook's filters may be catching them there instead. If they are in spam, mark them as "Not Junk" to train Outlook to accept them. If they are not in spam or your inbox, ask the sender to resend the email to confirm it was actually sent. Some email providers have their own blocking or filtering that prevents messages from reaching Outlook at all.

Can I unblock multiple people at once?

In Outlook on the web and desktop, yes — click the trash or Remove button for each address individually. On mobile, you have to unblock one person at a time from their emails. If you have a very long blocked list, desktop is the fastest option.

Does unblocking in Outlook web also unblock them in Outlook desktop?

Yes. Your blocked senders list syncs across all devices and versions of Outlook that use the same account. Unblock someone on the web and they are unblocked on your desktop and phone too.

What is the difference between blocking and marking as spam?

Blocking sends all future emails from that address to a hidden location and prevents them from reaching your inbox or spam folder. Marking as spam sends emails to your spam folder but you can still see them there. Blocked senders are more restrictive.