Outlook.com Emails Missing from Inbox – How to Avoid This?
User Query: I started using Outlook.com recently and I’m not aware about the technicalities involved with it. People told me that the Outlook.com emails missing from inbox issue is quite common but I never took the time to backup these emails. Now, this has happened and I can’t find a few emails, can someone please help me with it?
Just like the above mentioned query, we have seen a ton of similar queries which ask for solutions to find their emails from the Inbox folder.
These can include old as well as recent emails received by a certain sender or subject. There could be many reasons for the Outlook.com email disappeared error like:
- Accidentally deleting emails from the mailbox and not realizing it until later.
- Not using the account for a long while can lead to this issue.
- Certain filters being set that make you unable to read a few days’ older emails.
- If your account has been hacked by someone, you might face this issue.
These are the main reasons for emails not showing in your inbox which can also be manually solved. Every cause has a solution to it. Let’s find out!
Solutions to Resolve Outlook.com Emails Missing from Inbox Issue
Here, you will find out different manual solutions that can lead to messages being disappeared from your mailbox.
It is suggested for you to have a backup of your data at all times to be safe.
Use the Outlook.com Email Backup Tool for a successful and reliable backup in a few simple steps:
Step 1 – Launch the tool and enter the login details for Outlook.com account.
Step 2 – Select the file format and enter the destination path.
Step 3 – Apply filters like Date and Category filters for selective export.
Step 4 – Hit Start to begin the procedure.
Method 1 – Outlook.com Email Disappeared Issue Solved by Checking Delete Items Folder
There is a possibility that you might have deleted your emails from the inbox without noticing which is why you can’t find them.
The deleted emails are stored in the Deleted Items Folder for a few days so that you can recover them if the need be.
If the data is not found in Deleted Items folder, it may have been removed but can still be recovered. In the Deleted Items folder, go to the Recover items deleted from this folder option and click on the Restore option.
Read More: Recover Permanently Deleted Outlook Items
If Outlook.com emails missing from inbox are still not visible, then the messages might have been removed permanently. Since the retention period for recovering the emails is 30 days, it is not possible to get them back after this time has passed.
Method 2 – Check the Filters
You might be filtering your message list which is why the email you are looking for is not appearing in the inbox. To change these filters, go to the Filter option and click on the Clear All button.
The filtering will change for all the folders and you shall find your disappeared emails in the inbox.
Method 3 – Outlook.com Emails Missing from Inbox Fixed Via Checking Junk Email Folder
At times, messages are marked as junk by mistake which is why some emails are stored in the Junk Email folder of the application.
You can go to the Junk Email Folder to see if the messages you are looking for are stored in the Junk folder.
Choose the Not Junk à Not Junk option if the message you want to see is moved incorrectly to this folder.
Note: If the 30 day’s period is crossed, the messages will automatically be removed from the Junk Folder and can’t be recovered after that.
Method 4 – Resolve Outlok.com Email Disappeared Issue by Going to the Archive Folder
Sometimes when users archive their messages, they don’t appear in the inbox. Find if these messages are stored in the Archive folder.
To move an email, choose the Move to option and select Inbox option.
This way the emails you want to view will start appearing in your inbox folder.
How Can this Issue Be Avoided?
Certain issues can be caused due to reasons that are not in a user’s hands and sometimes, end up losing them permanently.
However, by using the tool mentioned above for creating a backup of your data, Outlook.com emails missing from inbox can be accessed locally.
You will not have to worry about losing your emails or any risk of that sort for these messages will be saved on the local device and kept away from any such errors.
Get the tool for Mac OS machine using the following links:
To Summarize
In case you are facing the situation where your emails are also disappearing from the inbox, you might search for solutions to solve it. And since there are so many solutions, it is true that not every workaround is going to be helpful.
This is why it is better to always have a backup so that in situations like Outlook.com emails missing from inbox, you will not have to worry. The data can easily be accessed locally even if it is lost from the mailbox.
