FX.co ★ Microsoft Says Gmail Blocks Outlook Email As Spam; Provides Temporary Fix

A number of Microsoft Outlook users have recently experienced difficulties with their legitimate emails being blocked due to Google's new bulk sender authentication requirements for Gmail. This has resulted in Outlook users' emails being marked as spam when sent to Gmail users, disrupting their communication.

Microsoft acknowledged this issue, particularly affecting users with Outlook.com country domains who are attempting to send emails to Gmail accounts. The company subsequently announced the problem via the outlook.com support page to keep its users informed.

Subsequently, the users affected by this issue reported receipt of follow-up emails from Gmail, stating that their messages were considered suspicious and were thus blocked from reaching the intended recipient.

While Microsoft continues to probe the situation, they have recommended a short-term solution: adding an Outlook.com alias to their accounts and using it for sending emails to Gmail addresses. An Outlook alias refers to a supplementary email address linked to the main Outlook.com account. It uses the same inbox, contact list, and account preferences as the primary email.

Although Microsoft didn't disclose any comprehensive information regarding the cause of this issue, they advised the affected users to utilize the suggested solution until a permanent fix is found.

Google has recently adopted stricter spam thresholds and authentication prerequisites for bulk senders, as outlined in its new guidelines. These changes, enforced from June onwards, aim to boost defenses against spam, phishing attacks, and malware, and provide its users with a secure email experience. Google will now block emails from bulk senders who fail to meet these strict requirements to mitigate risks of spam, phishing, and malware, from reaching user inboxes.