Why are my emails going to junk, and how to mark them as not junk
Email filters sometimes put genuine messages in Junk (also called Spam) by mistake. You can teach your email to trust the right senders. Take care, though, as most junk mail really is unwanted or unsafe.
Menu names vary between providers and versions.
First, check before you trust
Before moving a message, ask yourself:
- Do I know this sender?
- Was I expecting this message?
- Does it ask for money, passwords or urgent action?
If you are unsure, do not click links or open attachments. Leave it in Junk.
In Outlook
- Open your Junk Email folder.
- Click the message once.
- Look for Not Junk (or Report and then Not Junk) on the toolbar.
- Choose to move it back to your inbox.
In Gmail
- Open Spam from the menu on the left (you may need to click More).
- Open the message.
- Click Report not spam.
On a phone
In most mail apps, open the message, tap the three dots or the folder icon, and choose to move it to the Inbox. Some apps also offer Not Spam.
Making it stick
Marking a message as not junk helps, and you can also add the sender to your contacts or a safe senders list. In Outlook, look for Junk then Junk E-mail Options then Safe Senders. Only add people and companies you genuinely know.
Check your Junk folder now and then
Look in it once a week for things like invoices or booking confirmations. Junk folders are usually emptied automatically after a period, so do not leave anything important there.
Do not delete in a hurry
Before emptying Junk, glance down the list in case a real message is hiding there. Emptying it cannot be undone.
When to get more help
Contact us if lots of genuine messages from your own organisation keep going to Junk, if you are being flooded with spam, or if you think someone is sending messages pretending to be you.