Finding Missing Emails in Outlook

For UConn faculty, staff, and students with an Outlook account, there are a number of reasons why emails may be missing from your inbox. This article outlines common solutions for when you are unable to find an email.

Check the Junk Email Folder

Sometimes messages are mistakenly marked as junk by other email apps. Check your Junk email folder and see if the message is there. If the message has been moved incorrectly to this folder, select the message, and then select Not junk > Not junk.

  • If you are using the Outlook for iOS or Outlook for Android apps, go to the Junk Email folder, select the message, and select   > Move to Inbox.

  • If you are using a mobile browser, go to the Junk Email folder, select the message, and select   > Mark as not junk.

To avoid messages being moved to the Junk Email folder by another email app, use a Microsoft app such as Mail for Windows 10 or Outlook for Windows.

Messages are automatically removed from the Junk Email folder after 30 days and are not recoverable.

Check the Other Tab

If Focused Inbox is turned on for your account, the message might be in the Other tab. Select the Other tab and see if the message is there. If the message has been moved incorrectly to the Other tab, select the message and select Move to > Move to Focused inbox. 

If you are using the Outlook for iOS or Outlook for Android apps or a mobile browser, select the Other tab, select the message and select   > Move to Focused inbox.

Check the Deleted Items Folder

Make sure the missing message is not in your Deleted Items folder. If the message has been moved incorrectly to this folder, select the message, and then select Restore.

If you are using the Outlook for iOS or Outlook for Android apps or a mobile browser, go to the Deleted Items folder, select the message, and select   > Move to folder > Inbox.

If you do not see the message in the Deleted Items folder, the message might have been removed but is still recoverable. In Deleted Items, above the message list, select Recover items deleted from this folder. If you find the message, select it, and then select Restore. Messages removed from the deleted items folder are recoverable for 30 days.

You cannot recover messages removed the Deleted Items folder in Outlook for iOS or Outlook for Android apps or a mobile browser. To do this, please use a computer.

Check the Filter Menu

If you are filtering your message list, the message you are looking for might not appear. To change your filtering options, select Filter above the message list and select All. 

If you are using the Outlook for iOS or Outlook for Android apps or a mobile browser, the current filter selection appears above the message list. To clear the filter selection, select it above the message list.

Check Your Rules

You might have created an Inbox rule or a Sweep rule that is moving messages to another folder. Go to the Rules settings and check your rules. If you find a rule that is incorrectly moving messages out of your inbox, select the pencil icon  to edit the rule or the trash can icon to delete it.

Check the Archive folder

If you have archived a message, it will not appear in your inbox. Make sure the missing message is not in your Archive folder. If you want to move an archived message back to your inbox, select the message, and then select Move to > Inbox.

If you are using the Outlook for iOS or Outlook for Android apps or a mobile browser, go to the Archive folder, select the message, and select   > Move to folder > Inbox.

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