Where to find blocked senders in Outlook

Outlook stores blocked email addresses in a single list you can access from the settings menu. The exact path depends on whether you use Outlook on the web, the desktop process for Windows or Mac, or Outlook on your phone — but in each case, the blocked list lives in one predictable place.

If you use Outlook on the web (outlook.com or your work account), click the gear icon in the top right corner, then select "View all Outlook settings." Go to "Mail," then "Junk email," and you'll see a section called "Blocked senders." This is where every address you've blocked appears as a list.

If you use the Outlook desktop process on Windows, open Outlook and go to File > Options > Trust Center > Trust Center Settings > Junk Email. The "Blocked Senders" tab shows your full list. On Mac, the path is Outlook > Preferences > Junk Email, and you'll see the same tab.

Key Takeaways

  • Blocked senders in Outlook are stored in the Junk Email settings, not in a separate menu, and the location differs slightly between web and desktop versions.
  • To unblock an address, you find it in the Blocked Senders list and click "Remove" — the sender's future emails will then arrive in your inbox instead of junk.
  • Unblocking does not retrieve old emails the sender already tried to deliver; those messages remain deleted unless you recover them from Deleted Items.
  • If you blocked a sender by mistake and they've already sent mail, check your Junk folder first — their recent messages may still be there waiting.

Unblocking a sender in Outlook on the web

Once you're in the Junk Email settings and can see your Blocked Senders list, find the address you want to unblock. Click the X or "Remove" button next to that sender's name. Outlook will ask you to confirm — click "Yes" or "OK" depending on your version.

The change takes effect when ready. Any new emails from that sender will arrive in your inbox starting with the next message they send. However, emails they sent while they were blocked are not automatically recovered — they were deleted or moved to junk, and you'll need to retrieve them separately if you need them.

Unblocking a sender in Outlook desktop (Windows or Mac)

Open Outlook and navigate to File > Options > Trust Center > Trust Center Settings > Junk Email (Windows) or Outlook > Preferences > Junk Email (Mac). Click the "Blocked Senders" tab to see your list of blocked addresses.

Highlight the sender you want to unblock and click the "Remove" button. A confirmation dialog will appear — click "OK" to confirm. Close the settings window, and the change is saved. The sender's future emails will now reach your inbox instead of being filtered to junk.

Unblocking a sender on Outlook mobile

On the Outlook mobile app (iPhone, iPad, or Android), tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines) and go to Settings. Scroll down and tap "Junk Email" or "Blocked Senders," depending on your device. You'll see a list of every address you've blocked.

Find the sender you want to unblock, tap their name or the remove icon next to it, and confirm the removal. The app will update within seconds. Like the desktop version, unblocking does not recover emails that arrived while the sender was blocked — those remain in your Deleted Items or Junk folder.

What happens after you unblock a sender

Once you remove a sender from your blocked list, Outlook treats them like any other contact. Their emails will arrive in your inbox (or filtered to other folders based on your rules) instead of going straight to junk. You can read, reply to, and organize their messages normally.

If the sender has already tried to contact you multiple times while blocked, their old messages are not automatically restored. Check your Junk folder and Deleted Items folder — you may find recent messages still there. If you deleted them permanently, they cannot be recovered.

Preventing accidental blocks in the future

Outlook blocks a sender when you click "Block" on an email, or sometimes when you mark repeated messages as junk. Before blocking, double-check the sender's address — it's straightforward to block a legitimate sender if their email address is slightly misspelled or unfamiliar.

If you receive unwanted mail from a sender, marking it as junk once or twice is safer than blocking, because junk filtering can be adjusted or reversed more easily than a full block. Reserve blocking for senders you're certain you never want to hear from again.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I unblock a sender and then block them again later?

Yes. Unblocking straightforward removes them from your blocked list. If you change your mind and want to block them again, you can do so at any time by opening one of their emails and selecting "Block" or by adding them back to the blocked senders list manually.

Will unblocking a sender retrieve emails they sent while blocked?

No. Unblocking only affects future emails. Messages sent while the sender was blocked were deleted or moved to junk and remain there. Check your Junk folder and Deleted Items folder to see if their recent messages are still recoverable.

What's the difference between blocking and marking as junk?

Marking as junk trains Outlook's filter to treat similar messages as unwanted, but the sender is not blocked. Blocking adds the sender to a list that prevents all their mail from reaching your inbox. Blocking is permanent until you unblock; junk filtering is ongoing and can be adjusted.

Can I unblock multiple senders at once?

In the desktop version, you can select multiple addresses in the Blocked Senders list (hold Ctrl or Cmd and click each one) and then click Remove. On the web and mobile versions, you typically unblock one sender at a time.

If I unblock a sender, will they know?

No. Unblocking is invisible to the sender. They won't receive a notification, and there's no way for them to know you've unblocked them. They'll only know if their emails start reaching you and you respond to them.