Junk Mail in Outlook

Mary Soens Platner 20 Reputation points
2026-10-05T23:14:49.5566667+00:00

I no longer get emails in my Junk section in Outlook. I didn't change anything. I read that an auto-update may have eliminated those emails automatically. How do I get "Junk" back? Many thanks!

Outlook | Windows | Classic Outlook for Windows | For home
Answer accepted by question author
Vikki-T 11,450 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
2026-10-06T07:50:59.3033333+00:00

Hi Mary Soens Platner,

That would certainly be puzzling when the behavior changed without you modifying anything. Because the Junk Email folder is still present, it likely does not need to be restored.

Please check Home > Junk > Junk E-mail Options in classic Outlook. If No Automatic Filtering is selected, change it to Low and monitor whether suspected spam begins moving to Junk again. Microsoft explains the available settings here: Overview of the Junk Email Filter in classic Outlook.

Could you also confirm whether the messages that previously went to Junk are now appearing in your Inbox? That detail would help distinguish a filtering issue from messages no longer reaching the mailbox. Thank you so much for your understanding.   

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  1. AI answer

    2026-10-05T23:14:59.36+00:00

    If the Junk Email folder is still present but messages are no longer staying there, check these items first:

    1. In classic Outlook, open Home > Junk > Junk E-mail Options.
    2. On the Options tab, make sure Permanently delete suspected junk e-mail instead of moving it to the Junk E-mail folder is cleared.
      • If this option is enabled, junk messages can be permanently deleted instead of appearing in the Junk folder.
    3. If messages are being moved unexpectedly and a Samsung phone is connected to the mailbox, open the Samsung mail app and go to Settings > General Settings > Spam addresses.
      • Remove any addresses or domains that should not be there.
    4. If messages were deleted, check whether they can be recovered:
      • In Outlook, open Deleted Items or Junk Email and move the message back.
      • In Outlook on the web or Outlook.com, junk email is retained for 30 days before automatic deletion.

    If the Junk Email folder itself is missing or in the wrong location in classic Outlook, it can be restored by using MFCMAPI and then running Outlook.exe /ResetFolderNames.

    Warning: MFCMAPI changes mailbox folder properties directly. Use that method carefully.

    References:

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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