The fastest way to unblock an email address
To unblock an email address in Outlook, open the message from that sender, select the three dots (more actions menu) at the top right, and choose Junk > Not Junk. This removes the sender from your blocked list and future messages will arrive in your inbox. The process takes about 10 seconds and works the same way in Outlook on the web, Outlook desktop, and Outlook mobile.
If you cannot find the message because it went to Junk, search for the sender's name or email address in the search bar at the top of Outlook. Once you open any message from that sender, the unblock option appears in the same menu.
For Outlook desktop on Windows or Mac, you can also unblock directly from settings without needing an actual message. Go to File > Options (Windows) or Outlook > Preferences (Mac), then Trust Center > Trust Center Settings > Safe Senders & Recipients. Find the sender's address in the Blocked Senders list and click Remove.
Key Takeaways
- The quickest unblock is opening any message from that sender and clicking the three dots menu, then Junk > Not Junk.
- If the message is already in Junk, use the search bar to find it by sender name or email address.
- On Outlook desktop, you can unblock a sender through settings without needing to open a message first.
- After unblocking, new messages from that sender will arrive in your inbox instead of Junk.
Unblocking in Outlook on the web
Outlook on the web (the version you access through a browser at outlook.com or outlook.office.com) unblocks senders through the same three-dot menu. Open any message from the blocked sender — if you cannot see it in your inbox, check the Junk folder or use the search bar. Click the three dots at the top right of the message, hover over Junk, and select Not Junk.
A dialog box will appear asking if you want to move the message to your inbox and add the sender to your safe senders list. Click Yes to confirm. From that point forward, messages from this sender will skip the Junk folder.
Unblocking in Outlook desktop (Windows and Mac)
On Outlook desktop for Windows, go to File > Options > Trust Center > Trust Center Settings > Safe Senders & Recipients. You will see four tabs: Safe Senders, Safe Recipients, Blocked Senders, and Trusted Domains. Click the Blocked Senders tab, find the email address you want to unblock, select it, and click Remove. Then click OK to save the change.
On Outlook for Mac, the path is slightly different: Outlook > Preferences > Junk Email > Safe Senders & Recipients. The layout is the same — find the sender in the Blocked Senders list and click the minus button to remove them.
After you unblock through settings, Outlook may take a few minutes to sync the change across your devices. If you have Outlook open on your phone or tablet, you might see the sender's messages still filtered to Junk for a short time before the update reaches those devices.
Unblocking in Outlook mobile (iPhone and Android)
On Outlook mobile, open any message from the blocked sender. Tap the three dots at the top right and select Junk > Not Junk. The sender is when ready removed from your blocked list and future messages will arrive in your inbox.
If you do not have a message from that sender, you cannot unblock them directly through the mobile app. Instead, use Outlook on the web or desktop to unblock, and the change will sync to your phone within a few minutes.
What happens after you unblock a sender
Once you unblock an email address, Outlook stops filtering that sender's messages to Junk. New messages will arrive in your inbox like any other sender. The unblock does not retroactively move old messages from Junk to your inbox — those stay in Junk unless you move them manually.
If you want to recover old messages from a sender you just unblocked, go to your Junk folder, search for their name or email address, select the messages you want to keep, and move them to your inbox or another folder. You can select multiple messages at once by holding Ctrl (Windows) or Command (Mac) and clicking each one.
Why a sender might be blocked in the first place
Outlook blocks senders for a few reasons. You may have manually blocked them by clicking Junk > Block on one of their messages. Outlook's automatic filters may have flagged them as spam or phishing based on their sending patterns or the content of their messages. Or a rule you created in your mailbox settings might be sending their messages to Junk automatically.
If a sender keeps ending up in Junk even after you unblock them, the issue is usually an automatic rule, not the blocked senders list. Check your inbox rules by going to Settings > Mail > Rules (on the web) or File > Options > Mail > Rules and Alerts (on desktop). Look for any rule that sends messages from that sender to Junk and delete or edit it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I unblock someone if I don't have any messages from them?
On Outlook desktop, yes — you can unblock through settings without needing a message. On Outlook on the web and mobile, you need at least one message from that sender to unblock them. If you do not have a message, send them a test email first, wait for their reply, then unblock using the reply.
Will unblocking a sender remove them from my safe senders list?
No. Unblocking removes them from the blocked senders list, but if they are also on your safe senders list, they stay there. Being on the safe senders list means their messages will never go to Junk, even if Outlook's filters think they are spam.
What if I unblock someone and their messages still go to Junk?
Check your inbox rules — you may have created an automatic rule that sends their messages to Junk regardless of the blocked senders list. Go to Settings > Mail > Rules and look for any rule mentioning that sender's name or email address. Delete or edit the rule to stop it from filtering their messages.
Does unblocking on my phone unblock them on my desktop too?
Yes. Outlook syncs your blocked senders list across all your devices. If you unblock someone on your phone, they are unblocked on your desktop, tablet, and on the web within a few minutes.