How to fix Hotmail Spam Filter Not Working?

Junk e-mail messages are a waste and often termed Spam. You need not keep this Spam in your inbox. Instead, use the Junk E-mail Filter in Outlook. The Hotmail spam filter helps locate junk messages and moves the messages to the Junk E-mail folder. But, at times, the issue arises, i.e., Hotmail Spam Filter Not Working. Well, what to do in such a scenario?

In this guide, we shall discuss what a Hotmail Spam Filter is, why Hotmail Spam is not responding, and how to change the level of Hotmail protection to get rid of the issue. So, without any further delay, let's begin!

Why is Hotmail Spam Filter Not Working?

If your Hotmail is set to no automatic spam filtering, the issue of the Hotmail Spam Filter not Working arises. Consider changing the protection setting to High, which will catch the Spam better.

Some of the other reasons why the Hotmail junk filter is not functioning properly include the following –

Wrong filter settings - Make sure the settings for Hotmail's junk filter are correctly configured. If not, the rightful emails might get sent to the junk folder, or junk emails might get stored in your inbox.
Huge Volume of Emails - Hotmail's junk filter might need to be fixed for users who receive and store a large volume of emails every day. The inbox gets overwhelmed and cannot maintain speed with the volume of incoming messages. Try to delete your junk folder so that only legitimate emails are stored.
Insufficient Data Storage - Hotmail's junk filter works best when the filter is trained; hence, if you have space lacking, the issue of the Spam Filter Not Working arises. Remember, Hotmail uses machine learning algorithms for catching spam emails. And if there's not enough data to properly filter your emails, try to train the filter by marking emails as "not junk" or "junk."
Un-formatted Email - Emails that are adequately formatted are the ones that function best. An unformatted email might not filter junk emails properly because then it's not able to classify whether or not the email is Spam.
Technical Issues - At times, technical glitch creates problems with Hotmail's junk filter system. Technical faults give rise to server issues or software bugs.\

How To Fix Hotmail Spam Filter Not Working?

Now that you have encountered problems with the Hotmail Junk Filter not functioning correctly, you must take the necessary steps to resolve the issue. The best method to do so is to change the level of Hotmail protection in the Junk Email Filter.

Steps To Change the Level of Junk Email Protection

The default setting of Junk Email Filter protection is fixed to the ‘No Automatic Filtration level. You can make the filter more aggressive to catch more junk messages.

Step 1: Click Home followed by navigating to the 'Delete group'

Step 2: Go to the 'Junk' option and find 'Junk E-mail Options.'

Step 3: In the junk e-mail option, you must select the protection level you require. There are a total of 4 levels, as follows –

No Automatic Filtering: Here, the automatic Junk Email Filter gets filtered. However, the messages remain and get filtered through domain names and email addresses in the user's Blocked Senders List.
Low: Users who want to filter junk messages can opt for this option.
High: With the high level of protection, users will get rid of receiving lots of junk messages. Remember, this level will not restrict messages from senders on your safe lists.
Safe Lists Only: The last and the most restrictive option is called Safe Lists Only. Here, messages sent on behalf of someone not on the Safe Senders List or your Safe Recipients List will get classified as junk.

Other Methods to Fix Hotmail Spam Filter Not Working

Train Junk Filter - If your Hotmail has stored enough Spam, which counts genuine emails also, this is an error. You can fix this error by training the junk file. Just label emails as "not junk" or "junk" as necessary. This simple method will let the Hotmail Spam Filter familiarize itself with your preferences.
Clear Junk Folder - An overloaded junk folder will likely trouble the optimal functioning of the junk filter. You can clear the junk folder and examine the folder all over again to check if the filter is operating optimally or not.
Disable Third-party Email Filters - If you are using any third-party email filters, disable the usage. Disabling these applications temporarily will eliminate the issue with Hotmail's junk filter not working.

Overview of Hotmail

Hotmail was introduced in 1997, and it's a free email service. Sabeer Bhatia and Jack Smith are the owners of Hotmail. This web-based email service helps users send and receive emails from anywhere globally. Other Hotmail features include spam filtering, deleting junk emails, virus scanning, and connecting to other email accounts.

Now, users over Hotmail often face an issue of Hotmail Spam Filter 'not working.' In such as case, one can change the level of junk email protection. Users can even try to delete junk emails to eliminate minor issues automatically.

How to delete all suspected junk messages?

Follow the given steps to delete junk emails hassle-free.

Go to e-mail, click Home.
Navigate to Junk E-mail Options.
Tab 'check the Permanently delete suspected junk email' option.

Conclusion

So, by now, you must have learned how to fix the Hotmail Junk Email Filter issue. By simply following this guide, you can detect spam emails easily.

Must Check - FAQs

1. What to do if Hotmail does not filter Spam?

You have to verify that your address is on the Safe Sender or Safe Recipient list. If this is not the case, change it to 'safe recipient/sender.'

2. Can an updated browser help to resolve Hotmail Spam Filter Not working?

Yes, updating your browser will be helpful. Access Hotmail through a web browser and upgrade the browser to the latest version. It's because the older versions of browsers are not compatible with Hotmail.