Share via

Forwarding issue

Chris Luinge 0 Reputation points
2026-04-17T07:19:34.9566667+00:00

Hi, I have set my Hotmail to forward all mails to my Protonmail-account. For some mails this goes well, but some senders that email my on my Hotmail get a mail with the message 'Your message couldn't be delivered because the recipient's email system wasn't able to confirm that your message came from a trusted location.'

I have contacted Proton about this, but they say it's caused by the Hotmail SPF whitelist. They say because Hotmail sends emails through servers that are not included in Hotmail's own SPF whitelist, they get rejected by platforms like Protonmail. I currently had to turn-off the forwarding because of this. Could this problem be fixed so I can forward my emails to Proton without senders getting the message above?

Thanks in advance!

Outlook | Web | Outlook.com | Settings
0 comments

1 answer

Sort by: Most helpful
Most helpful Newest Oldest
  1. Victor1-V 7,730 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-04-17T13:38:47.9033333+00:00

    Hi Chris Luinge,

    I understand how disruptive this is - forwarding works for some senders, but others receive a bounce about the message not coming from a “trusted location.”

    In cases, this happens because automatic forwarding can break email authentication checks. When Outlook.com forwards a message to Proton, Proton may re-check SPF/DKIM/DMARC, and SPF can fail after forwarding because the forwarding server is different from the original sender’s sending servers. Proton also notes that SPF can fail during forwarding scenarios. That’s why the behavior can vary depending on how each sender’s domain is configured. Reference: https://proton.me/support/anti-spoofing-custom-domain

    If your goal is mainly to move mail to Proton (without relying on forwarding), the reliable approach is to import/sync messages into Proton using Proton’s Easy Switch:

    • Sign in to Proton Mail (mail.proton.me).
    • Go to Settings > All settings > Import via Easy Switch.
    • Choose Outlook (or IMAP/Outlook option) and start the import.

    Reference: https://proton.me/support/easy-switch-emails

    Third-party website disclaimer: Any Proton links or instructions are provided for convenience only. Watch out for ads on the site that may advertise products frequently classified as a PUP (Potentially Unwanted Products). Thoroughly research any product advertised on the site before you decide to download and install it. Microsoft provides no assurances and/or warranties, implied or otherwise, and is not responsible for the information you receive from the third-party linked sites or any support related to technology.    

    Please note that this is a user-to-user forum, so contributors can’t access or change mail provider authentication systems. If you want Microsoft Support to review your Outlook.com forwarding setup, you can contact them via chat:

    1. Visit the Microsoft Support contact page: Contact - Microsoft Support  
    2. In the search bar provided on the page, type "Outlook issue" and press Enter.  
    3. Click on the "Get Help" button that appears.  
    4. Scroll down the page until you see and click on the "Contact Support" option.  
    5. When prompted to select your product or service, choose "Other Products".  
    6. For the category, choose "Outlook".  
    7. Look for and click on "Chat with a support agent in your web browser".  
    8. Confirm your personal email when prompted - this is the email Microsoft will use to communicate with you during and after the support session.  
    9. Explain your situation clearly: Be concise but provide all the relevant details.    

    Hope this clarifies what’s happening and gives you a workable path forward.

    0 comments

Your answer

Answers can be marked as 'Accepted' by the question author and 'Recommended' by moderators, which helps users know the answer solved the author's problem.