You're waiting for an important email, the sender says it was sent, but nothing shows up in Outlook. Or you can send emails but not receive them. In most cases the email isn't lost: it's sitting in another folder, blocked by a rule, or Outlook simply isn't syncing.
Work through these fixes in order. They apply to Outlook for Windows (classic and new Outlook), Outlook on the web, Outlook.com and Microsoft 365 work accounts.
First, check Outlook on the web
Sign in at outlook.office.com (work or school account) or outlook.live.com (Outlook.com, Hotmail, Live). If the email is there, the problem is your Outlook app, so jump to fixes 6 to 9. If it's missing on the web too, the cause is in your mailbox or on the sender's side, so start with fix 1.
1. Check Junk, Other and every folder
- Junk Email: if you find the message there, right-click it and choose Mark as not junk (or Not junk) so future emails arrive in your Inbox.
- Focused / Other: with the Focused Inbox on, less important mail goes to the Other tab. Move the email to Focused and choose "Always move" to train it.
- Search all folders: search for the sender's address and set the search scope to All folders or All mailboxes. Rules can quietly move mail into folders you rarely open.
- Archive and Deleted Items: check these too, especially on phones where a swipe can archive mail.
2. Look for rules and forwarding (and check for compromise)
In Outlook on the web, go to Settings > Mail > Rules, and also open Forwarding. Delete any rule you don't recognize, especially rules that move mail to RSS Feeds, Archive or Deleted Items, or forward it to an outside address.
Warning: unknown forwarding or "delete" rules are a classic sign of a hacked mailbox. Attackers add them so you don't see replies or security alerts. If you find one, change your password immediately, review your sign-in methods at mysignins.microsoft.com, and tell your IT team. Our article on how attackers bypass MFA on Microsoft 365 explains how accounts get taken over.
3. Check blocked senders and safe senders
Go to Settings > Mail > Junk email and remove the sender from Blocked senders and domains if they're listed. Add important senders to Safe senders. In classic Outlook, this is under Home > Junk > Junk E-mail Options.
4. Make sure your mailbox isn't full
A full mailbox stops accepting new mail, and senders get a "mailbox full" bounce. Check storage in Settings > General > Storage (Outlook on the web) or File > Tools > Mailbox Cleanup (classic Outlook). Empty Deleted Items and Junk, and delete large old attachments. Outlook.com storage is shared with your OneDrive, so a full OneDrive can also block email.
5. Ask the sender for the bounce message
If the sender got an error (an "NDR" or bounce), its code tells you exactly what's wrong: a typo in your address, a full mailbox, or a block by your organization's spam filter. In a company, IT can run a message trace in the Exchange admin center to see whether the email reached the mailbox, went to quarantine or was rejected.
6. Turn off Work Offline and send/receive manually
In classic Outlook, open the Send / Receive tab. If Work Offline is highlighted, click it to turn it off, then click Send/Receive All Folders (or press F9). Check the status bar at the bottom: it should say "Connected" or "Connected to: Microsoft Exchange", not "Disconnected" or "Need password".
7. Remove view filters and check sorting
A filter such as "Unread" or "Flagged" hides other mail. Click Filter and choose All. Also sort the Inbox by Date (newest on top); sorting by From or Size can push new mail out of sight.
8. Switch between new and classic Outlook
New Outlook for Windows and classic Outlook sync differently. If one isn't receiving mail, use the New Outlook toggle at the top right to switch and compare. If new mail appears in one but not the other, the problem is that app's cache or profile.
9. Repair the account or create a new profile (classic Outlook)
- Go to File > Account Settings > Account Settings, select your account and click Repair (shown for some account types).
- If that doesn't help, close Outlook and open Control Panel > Mail (Microsoft Outlook) > Show Profiles. Click Add, create a new profile, sign in, and set it as the default.
- Large mailboxes take time to download in Cached Exchange Mode. Leave Outlook open until the status bar says "All folders are up to date".
Also install the latest updates with File > Office Account > Update Options > Update Now, and run the Microsoft Support and Recovery Assistant if problems continue.
10. Check Microsoft service health
Sometimes the problem is on Microsoft's side. Work accounts: admins can check Service health in the Microsoft 365 admin center. Outlook.com users can check the Microsoft service status page. If there's an incident, wait for the fix; queued emails usually arrive once service is restored.
Outlook receives on the phone but not on the PC (or the other way)
- On the phone, make sure background data and battery optimization aren't blocking the Outlook app.
- On the PC, check that your password isn't expired. Classic Outlook may keep asking for a password in the background without showing a clear error.
- If your PC can't connect at all, see our fixes for when Wi-Fi works on your phone but not on your laptop.
FAQ
Why can I send emails but not receive them in Outlook?
The most common causes are a full mailbox, a rule moving mail, the Focused Inbox's Other tab, a blocked sender, or Outlook being disconnected while sending through another route. Check Outlook on the web first to narrow it down.
Where do quarantined emails go in Microsoft 365?
Emails flagged as spam, phishing or malware can be held in quarantine. You may get a quarantine notification email. Admins and, depending on policy, users can review them in the Microsoft Defender portal's quarantine page.
Will creating a new Outlook profile delete my emails?
No, not for Microsoft 365, Exchange or Outlook.com accounts, because the email is stored on the server. The new profile downloads it again. Back up any local PST files before removing an old profile.
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