NOT RECEIVING EMAIL

Sign in to Outlook.com in a browser first, check storage and account status, then inspect rules and forwarding that may be preventing incoming messages.

1. Check storage and account status

1. In Outlook.com, open Settings → General → Storage.
2. Confirm that both mailbox and Microsoft cloud storage have available space.
   • If storage is full, delete unneeded messages—especially messages with large attachments—and empty Deleted Items.
   • Mail sent while storage was full is rejected to the sender and cannot be recovered later.^1^
3. If Outlook.com reports unusual sign-in activity or says the account is temporarily blocked, complete the displayed account-unblocking process. If the password was recently changed, update the saved password in any Outlook apps or devices using this mailbox.^1^

2. Find messages being hidden or redirected

In Outlook.com:

1. Check Other, Junk Email, Deleted Items, Archive, and any custom folders.
2. Select Filter → Sort → Date so the newest messages appear correctly.
3. Open Settings → Mail → Rules. Disable any rule that moves or deletes incoming mail.
4. Open Settings → Mail → Forwarding. Disable forwarding unless it is intentional.
5. Open Settings → Mail → Junk email and review blocked senders. If a legitimate message is in Junk, right-click it and select Mark as not junk.^1^

3. Run a delivery test

Send a new message to the affected address from a different email provider or account.

• If it arrives on Outlook.com but not in an Outlook app, the issue is with that app’s synchronization or account configuration.
• If it appears in another folder, correct the applicable rule, forwarding, blocked-sender, or filtering setting.
• If it appears nowhere, ask the sender whether they received a non-delivery report. Save the complete report because its error text helps identify why delivery failed.
• If only one sender is affected, the sender may need to investigate through Outlook.com Sender Support.^1^

4. Check for a service incident

Microsoft currently reports a broader Microsoft 365 service degradation, but the available status information does not confirm a separate consumer Outlook.com incoming-mail outage. Check the live status before changing more settings.^2^

The Outlook.com known-issues page also directs users to service health for access problems and lists product-specific incidents and workarounds.^3^

5. Contact Outlook.com support if the test still fails

If storage is available and the test message never appears:

1. In Outlook.com, select Help (?) on the menu bar.
2. Enter cannot receive emails.
3. Scroll to Still need help? and select Yes.
4. Choose the browser chat option if offered.
5. Provide:
   • The approximate date incoming mail stopped.
   • Whether all senders or only particular senders are affected.
   • The delivery test time and sender domain.
   • Any non-delivery error text.

Do not post complete email addresses or other account details publicly. Outlook.com support can investigate mailbox delivery records that community forum contributors cannot access.^4^

References

1. Can't send or receive email in Outlook.com | Microsoft Support
2. Service Health Status - Microsoft
3. Fixes or workarounds for recent issues on Outlook.com | Microsoft Support
4. I'm not receiving any emails on outlook - Microsoft Q&A