Why is “Junk” Grayed Out in Outlook 2016?

You may notice that the “Junk” option in Microsoft Outlook 2016 or 2013 is grayed out. When this is the case, you are not able to access the options to block email or access the Junk Email Options screen. The option is usually grayed out both on the Home tab and when you right-click on a message.

Solution 1 – Registry Fix

1. Hold the Windows Key and press “R” to bring up the Windows Run dialog.
2. Type “regedit“, then press “Enter“.
3. Navigate to the following location in the registry:
   • Current user
   • Software
   • Policies
   • Microsoft
   • Office
   • 15 (May be 14 in some cases)
   • Outlook
4. Open “disableAntispam” and change value to “0“

If this setting keeps getting reset and you are working in a company environment, contact your IT personnel.

Solution 2 – Plugin Conflict

Another reason that “Junk” may be grayed out, is a plugin may be interfering with the setting. This is often the case when security software is installed on the computer. You can check for and disable these plugins using these steps.

1. Press and hold the Windows key, then press the “R” key to bring up the run dialog.
2. Type “outlook /safe” without quotes, then select “OK“.
3. Select the name of your profile.
4. Select “File” > “Options” >  “Add-ins“.
5. Select the “Go…” button at the bottom of the window where it says “Manage COM Add-ins“.
6. Review the list for anything that you think may interfere with the Junk setting. Uncheck those items.

Solution 3 – Access Through Office 365 Interface

Another reason the Junk option might be because you are using Outlook in a corporate environment where the Junk email options are controlled from “The Cloud” via the Office 365 service. If this is the case, you won’t be able to access the Junk settings from the Junk selecting within Outlook. Instead, you will have to use the Office 365 interface by following these steps:

1. From Outlook, select “File“.
2. Next to the “Account Settings” setting, there will be a link you can select to access the link that will take you to the web interface.
3. Type the username and password for your account. This is usually the same as the password you use to login to your workstation.
4. Select the settings gear in the upper-right corner, then select “Options“.
5. Select “block or allow“.
6. The screen will be shown where you can select one of the following options:
   • Don’t move email to my Junk Email folder – With this option, no email messages will be filtered.
   • Automatically filter junk email – With this option, you can add email addresses or entire domains to the safe senders and recipients or blocked senders list.
7. Select “Save” when you’re done modifying the screen.