Emails in my inbox prior to Sunday 11th October have disappeared.

Mum Robinson 0 Reputation points
2026-10-13T15:23:20.3166667+00:00

When checking my emails in my inbox on Sunday, I can’t find previous emails. Can they be recovered?

Outlook | Web | Outlook.com | Email
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Answer accepted by question author
Kai-H 28,525 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
2026-10-14T11:14:58.46+00:00

Hi, Mum Robinson

I’m sorry this happened. First, determine whether the messages are missing from the mailbox itself or only from the Outlook app, as this changes the available recovery options.

Here are some suggestions you can try:

Sign in directly at Outlook.com in a browser. Search for a known sender or subject, then change the search location to All folders. If the emails appear online, remove and re-add the account in the Outlook app to rebuild its synchronization.

Check Settings > Mail > Forwarding and IMAP. If POP is enabled, an older computer, phone, or mail program may have downloaded and removed messages from the server. Check those devices for local copies before changing anything.

If classic Outlook was previously used, select File > Open & Export > Open Outlook Data File and look for an existing archive or backup .pst file. Older messages may still be stored there.

If the emails are also absent from the web mailbox, use Help > Help > Still need help? to contact Outlook.com support. The forum cannot inspect or restore server-side mailbox data.

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  1. AI answer

    2026-10-13T15:23:35.35+00:00

    Yes, they can often be recovered if they were moved rather than permanently removed.

    Try these checks in Outlook.com, in this order:

    1. Check Deleted Items
      • If the missing messages are there, select them and choose Restore.
      • If they are not there, open Deleted Items and select Recover items deleted from this folder.
      • Messages removed from Deleted Items are recoverable for 30 days.
    2. Check Archive
      • If the emails were archived, they will not appear in Inbox.
      • Open Archive, select the message, then choose Move to > Inbox.
    3. Check Junk Email
      • Sometimes messages are incorrectly marked as junk.
      • If found there, select the message and choose Report > Not junk.
      • Messages in Junk Email are automatically removed after 30 days and are not recoverable after that.
    4. Check Focused Inbox / Other
      • If Focused Inbox is enabled, older messages may be under the Other tab.
      • If found there, select the message and choose Move to > Move to Focused inbox.
    5. Check the Filter setting
      • Above the message list, select Filter and set it to All so older messages are not hidden by a filter.
    6. Check Rules
      • A rule or Sweep rule may have moved messages out of Inbox.
      • On a computer, go to Rules settings and review any rule that moves or deletes mail.
    7. If unauthorized access is suspected
      • Review the account’s Recent activity page to see sign-ins from the last 30 days.

    If the messages do not appear in Deleted Items, Recover items deleted from this folder, Archive, Junk Email, or Other, then recovery is unlikely from Outlook.com.

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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