What to do if Outlook Junk Filter is Not Working?

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In this article you’ll find solutions to fix the Outlook Junk Filter in Outlook, various causes why this happens, and how to modify and make use of Outlook Junk Email Filter to the most. Excessive Outlook issues may be a sign of corruption, you can repair your Outlook file by downloading Remo Repair Outlook PST now!

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Recently, numerous Outlook users reported problems with their spam email filters, which resulted in junk emails bypassing the filters and appearing in users' inboxes. This issue was shared on social media by several affected users.

junk-filter-not-working

However, Microsoft Outlook claims that the issue has been resolved. In case you are still facing this issue and your inbox is full of junk mail. Don't worry this article has everything you need. Read this article to find out how to fix Outlook Junk Filter Not Working Issue.

Junk or Spam emails often cause inconvenience in Outlook Inboxes and might pose security threats. If you’re an Outlook user, you might actively use Junk Filter to avoid spam or phishing emails.

The Junk Filter in Outlook comes with built-in capabilities to evaluate each incoming email as possible spam based on several factors depending on the time when the email was sent and the content of the email. Junk Filter won’t stop the incoming spam emails but the spam emails are moved to the Junk Folder directly instead of showing up in Inbox.

If you improperly set up Junk Email Options in Outlook, emails don’t get properly filtered and you end up facing issues like legitimate emails incorrectly getting added to Junk Folder and spam emails ending up in the Inbox. This doesn’t mean that the Junk Filter is not working.

Although the Junk Filter might be working as designed, It’s just that the preferences are to be customized based on your needs. If you’re having trouble with refining emails, you can utilize the information below to fix Outlook Junk Filter and its settings.

There are many reasons why Junk Filter doesn’t filter emails effectively. You will have to verify the Junk Filter options and change them accordingly to enhance the filter capabilities.

The following sections will help you understand various Options and Lists relating to Junk Filter and personalize them as per your preferences.

How to Fix Outlook Junk Email Filter Not Working?

To fix Outlook Junk Filter, you need to understand the Junk Email Options first, since the problems with the filter arise when the Options are not set up properly. 

In general, there are three major changes you need do, to make the filter work accordingly with the filter preferences you want. Find the changes listed below:

Method 1: Check if the No Automatic Filtering is set up.

By default, the option will be set to No Automatic Filtering. However, If the filtering option is set as Low, you can still receive emails to the Inbox that are not evaluated as spam.

Junk Email Filter Options in Outlook

Make sure you have selected the High filtering option to make the filter work more efficiently. The Junk Email Filter is highly accurate when it is set on High. You can select any of the filter options as per your requirements.

Go to Junk Filter Options.

  • Open Outlook > Click on Home  > Click on Junk 
Open Outlook and Click on Home tab
  • In the Dropdown Select Junk E-mail Options.

Method 2: Try Adding Emails to the Safe Senders List

If the regular emails are being moved to Junk Folder. Try adding the emails and domains that you consider safe to the Safe Senders List. This will ensure that any emails from the entries in this list will reach your Inbox.

To add an email or domain to Safe Senders List. Follow the steps;

  • Click Home > Click Junk > Click Junk Email Options.
  • Click on Safe Senders List and click Add.

Then add names, email addresses, and domains that you trust.

Safe Senders List in Outlook Junk Email Filter

Method 3:  Check if your email is in the Blocked Senders List

Make sure that your email is not listed under the Blocked Senders List. If it is remove your email address and place it under Safe Senders List.

Blocked Senders List in Oultlook Junk Email FIlter

The above-mentioned modifications should make the filter work efficiently, however, to enhance the filter more accurately you can modify the filter using the information provided in this article below.

As you know that the spam emails are stored in Junk Folder, the spam emails remain in it for up to 30 days before they’re deleted forever, there is no chance to recover them past this window. 

If you have lost an important email from Junk Folder wrongly filtered as spam or deleted it accidentally, you will still have 5 days window to recover it using the auto-recovery process provided within Outlook. 

However, if you need to recover accidentally deleted important emails past this 5-day time frame, you need to recover them with the help of a recovery tool. Remo Repair Outlook PST tool is the one that will help you recover deleted emails from Junk Folder.

Although the Remo Repair Outlook PST tool is exclusively designed to repair corrupt PST files. It is also efficiently used for the safe recovery of all the Outlook items like emails (including attachments and subjects), contacts, notes, profile settings, etc.

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Source: Trustpilot

If you’re looking for a tool to recover deleted emails from Junk Folder this tool has got it all covered. Download Remo Repair Outlook PST now!

Overview of Outlook Junk Email Filter Options

You can enhance the level of protection from spam emails and improve the filtering capacities of the Outlook Junk Filter by choosing the Junk Email Options listed below.

No Automatic Filtering:

By choosing this option you can turn off Automatic Junk Filtering. Which is set by default when you turn on Junk Filter. But the spam emails from your Blocked Senders List will still be sent to the Junk Folder after evaluating the domains and addresses you listed under it.

no-automatic-filtering

Low: If you don’t receive lots of spam emails, then by choosing this option you can let  Outlook refine the most obvious Junk emails and save them in the Junk Email Folder.

High: If you receive many spam emails, then this option is the best to choose since the refining capacity is enhanced and most of the spam emails are caught.

Tip: Sometimes even regular emails may be sent into the Junk Folder. To keep track of the proper working of Junk Filter, we recommend you to keep checking your Junk Folder often.

Safe Lists Only:

This option is best for you if you don’t want any emails other than the people or domains in your Safe Recipients List. It is the most restrictive option only the people in your Safe Lists can send you emails.

Apart from these options there is a “Permanently Delete” check box that lets you directly delete the emails that are suspected as Junk rather than saving them on the Junk Email Folder.

Note: Refer to this complete informational guide to know and solve any kind of Outlook errors

Overview of Outlook Junk Filter Lists in Outlook?

While Junk Email Options check and refine incoming emails, Junk Email Lists lets you tell Outlook, what emails or domains to be considered as Junk/Spam.

You can add names, email addresses, and domains to these lists so that the Junk Filter doesn’t block emails from sources you trust or block the ones you don’t trust.

Outlook Junk Email FIlter

Safe Senders List: 

The names, emails, and domains in this List are never treated as Junk. You can add emails, domains, names to this list whom you consider to be safe and want to receive emails from. 

Note: The Safe Senders List limit is up to 1024.

  • To add an email or domain to Safe Senders List. Follow the steps
  • Click Home > Click Junk > Click on Safe Senders tab > click Add 
  • Then add names, email addresses, and domains that you trust.
Safe Senders List in Outlook Junk Email FIlter

Safe Recipients List:

Safe recipients are recipients that you don't want to block, mainly used for Organisations. By adding your email to this list (added by default), emails you send to the contacts or domain are never treated as junk. Add the names, emails, and domains here to avoid getting in Junk Folder.

  • To add names, emails, and domains: 
  • Click Home > Click Junk > Click Safe Recipients tab > Click Add.
Safe Recipients List in Outlook Junk Filter

Blocked Senders List:

This list comes in handy when you want to block certain emails from the domains and names you don’t trust by adding them to the Blocked Senders List. When the name or domain is added to this list, the emails will be moved directly to the Junk Email Folder.

Blocked Senders List in Oultlook

To make sure the spam filter/junk filter is working properly, keep track of all the options and lists and modify them according to your requirements. 

About the Author: Tony Landry

Tony Landry is a Web Content Editor at Remo Software. He loves to write, edit, and manage content for users trying to troubleshoot and fix problems on Windows, Outlook, storage drives, and Cloud storage networks. With an aptitude that transcends writing, Tony is recognized as a Microsoft Outlook, Word, and PowerPoint expert. His comprehensive solutions…