Unblock a Sender in Outlook: App and Desktop Steps

To unblock a sender in Outlook, remove their email address or domain from Outlook’s blocked-senders list; in new Outlook and Outlook on the web, go to Settings > Mail > Junk email, while classic Outlook for Windows uses Home > Junk > Junk E-mail Options. The exact route depends on which Outlook app and account you use. After unblocking, check the Junk Email folder and any inbox rules if messages still do not arrive.

Unblocking stops Outlook from treating that address or domain as blocked, but it does not guarantee that every future message will land in your Inbox. A message may still be in Junk, have been moved by a rule, or be rejected by your email provider. The steps below cover the main Outlook versions and explain how to deal with a message already in Junk.

What You’ll Need

Access to the Outlook account where the sender was blocked. If you use several accounts in Outlook, identify which account received the message.
The sender’s exact email address. If the block was added for an entire domain, you will need to recognize that domain in the blocked list.
A current internet connection for Outlook on the web or for changes that need to sync with your mailbox.

Step-by-Step

Identify your Outlook version and account. New Outlook for Windows has a Settings gear and a simplified layout. Classic Outlook for Windows has the traditional ribbon, including a Home tab. Outlook on the web opens in a browser. Outlook for Mac has its own Settings or Tools menus, depending on the version. If you are unsure which app you have, use the browser version at your organization’s or Outlook account’s usual webmail address and sign in to the same mailbox.
Open the blocked-senders list in new Outlook or Outlook on the web. Select the Settings gear near the top of the window. Choose Mail, then Junk email. Find the section labeled Blocked senders and domains. If the settings pane is narrow, scroll within the pane or use its search box for “Junk email.” Do not confuse the blocked list with the separate list of trusted senders, usually called Safe senders and domains.
Remove the sender from the list. Find the exact address or domain you want to unblock. Select its remove or trash-can control, then confirm or save if Outlook prompts you. If you see both an individual address and a domain entry that matches it, remove the entry or entries responsible for the block. For example, blocking example.com can affect mail from multiple addresses at that domain, whereas blocking alex@example.com targets that specific address.
Use classic Outlook for Windows if it has the traditional ribbon. Select the Home tab, open Junk, and choose Junk E-mail Options. Select the Blocked Senders tab. Click the sender’s address or domain, choose Remove, and select OK to close the dialog. If the address is not visible, check that the correct account is selected and that you are looking at the blocked list rather than Safe Senders.
For Outlook for Mac, check Junk settings. In current versions, open Outlook > Settings (or Preferences in some releases), then look for Junk Email or Junk and the blocked-senders list. Select the unwanted entry and remove it. Some older Mac versions place the control under Tools > Junk Email Preferences > Blocked Senders. Menu names vary by release, so use Settings search for “Junk” if the listed path is not present.
Handle a message that is already in Junk. Open the Junk Email folder and select a message from the sender. Use the message’s report or move options to mark it as not junk, or move it to the Inbox if that is the available command. The wording differs across desktop, web, and mobile versions. This action corrects the classification of that message; it is not a substitute for removing the sender from the blocked list.
Check rules and other filtering locations. If the sender is no longer blocked but mail is still missing, search All folders for the sender’s address and subject. Check Deleted Items, Archive, and any custom folders. In Outlook on the web or new Outlook, review Settings > Mail > Rules. In classic Outlook, find rules under File > Manage Rules & Alerts. Disable or edit only a rule that is actually moving or deleting the sender’s messages.
Allow the change to apply, then test it. Keep Outlook online and give the settings a little time to sync. Ask the sender to send a new, ordinary test message rather than repeatedly resending the old one. Search for the new message across all folders. If you manage more than one mailbox, verify the test went to the account whose blocked list you changed.

Common Mistakes

Removing the wrong entry: A domain entry and an individual address are not interchangeable. Removing one address will not necessarily unblock other people at the same domain, and removing a domain entry can allow mail from many senders. Read the whole entry before deleting it.

Changing Safe Senders instead of Blocked Senders: Safe Senders is a list of addresses you want to trust. It can help with junk classification, but it does not remove an address from the blocked list. If the sender appears under Blocked Senders, remove it there first.

Assuming “Not junk” removes the block: Marking a message as not junk can correct how Outlook treats that particular message or help improve filtering, but the sender can remain on the blocked list. Check both the message’s location and the list itself.

Checking the wrong account or app: Outlook can display several mailboxes. A blocked entry may belong to a different account from the one you are inspecting. Select the mailbox that received the mail and repeat the check there. Also confirm whether you are using classic Outlook, new Outlook, or a browser, because their menus differ.

Expecting an old message to reappear automatically: Unblocking changes future handling; it does not necessarily restore a message already deleted or move a message out of Junk. Look for the old email and move it manually if you find it.

Tips

Copy the sender’s address from a genuine message or ask the sender to confirm it. A small spelling difference can make you remove the wrong entry.
Search the blocked list for both the full address and the domain after removing an item. This helps catch a second entry that could still affect the sender.
If an email was incorrectly placed in Junk, move it to the Inbox or mark it not junk as well as removing any block. Check the sender’s address carefully before trusting a message, especially if it asks for passwords, payment, or personal details.
For a work or school mailbox, your organization may apply additional filtering outside your personal Outlook settings. If the sender is absent from your blocked list and messages still do not arrive, contact your IT administrator with the sender’s address and the time a test was sent.
On a phone, use the Outlook app’s message actions to move a message from Junk or mark it not junk if that option appears. For a dependable check of the actual blocked-senders list, use Outlook on the web or the desktop settings for the same account; mobile menus and available controls can vary.

Troubleshooting

The blocked-senders list is empty, but messages are still missing. Search the mailbox for the sender, including Junk Email and Deleted Items. Then inspect rules, forwarding settings, and any organization-level quarantine. If the sender’s message never appears in the mailbox, the sender’s mail system or your organization’s filtering service may have rejected or quarantined it before Outlook could place it in a folder. Ask the sender for a delivery failure notice, if one was generated, and share it with your email administrator.

The sender reappears on the list. Make sure you selected the correct mailbox and that the change was saved. If you removed the entry in a desktop app, check the same account in Outlook on the web after syncing. A work account may also have centrally managed policies. If the entry returns or you cannot edit it, ask the administrator whether your organization controls the setting.

You cannot find Junk email in Settings. In new Outlook or the web version, open Settings and use the search field to look for “Junk email” or “blocked senders.” Make sure you are in Mail settings, not Calendar or General settings. In classic Windows Outlook, use the Home ribbon’s Junk menu instead. On Mac, search Settings for “Junk,” since labels and locations can differ between releases.

New mail still goes to Junk after unblocking. Confirm that the sender or its domain is no longer blocked, then mark a legitimate message as not junk or move it to Inbox. Check for a rule that moves mail based on the sender, subject, or another condition. If only messages with particular links or attachments are affected, filtering may be responding to the message content rather than the sender block.

The sender says they sent a test, but nothing arrives. Check that they used the exact address you unblocked and that they did not receive a bounce message. Search all folders and ask them to send a new test after the change. If no message appears and there is no bounce, contact your organization’s administrator or email provider; unblocking in Outlook cannot override every server-side restriction.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does unblocking a sender restore emails they sent earlier?
No. It removes the block for future handling but does not automatically recover deleted mail or move existing mail from Junk. Search your folders and restore or move any message you find.

Will the sender know that I unblocked them?
Outlook does not normally send a notification when you remove someone from the blocked-senders list. The sender may only notice if a later message is delivered instead of rejected or filtered.

Should I unblock the sender or add them to Safe Senders?
Remove them from Blocked Senders first. If legitimate messages continue to be classified as junk, adding the address to Safe Senders may help, but it is not required simply to remove a block. Only trust an address you have verified.

Can I unblock someone in the Outlook mobile app?
Mobile controls vary by app version and account type. You can usually handle an existing message from its Junk folder by moving it or marking it not junk. To inspect and edit the blocked list reliably, use Outlook on the web or desktop settings for that mailbox.

Why does the sender still not reach my Inbox after I unblock them?
A rule, junk filtering, a quarantine, another block entry, or a delivery problem can still prevent delivery. Check the blocked list, search all folders, inspect rules, and ask the sender or your administrator to investigate server-side filtering if no message appears.

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