Hotmail email issue

Check Microsoft’s service-health page first because it currently reports Microsoft 365 service degradation; although this does not confirm that personal Hotmail accounts are affected, it could explain Outlook remaining on “Checking for emails.” ^1^

1. Separate a service problem from an account or app problem

1. Open the service-health page above and look for an Outlook-related incident.
2. Sign in to your Hotmail mailbox directly through Outlook.com in a browser.
3. Send a test message to the Hotmail address from another email account.

Interpret the result:

• Messages are also missing in Outlook.com: continue with the storage and mailbox checks below.
• Messages appear on Outlook.com but not in your mail app: the mailbox is working and the issue is with that app’s synchronization.
• Outlook.com itself will not load or keeps checking: monitor service health and retry later. Microsoft directs users experiencing Outlook.com access problems to its service-status page. ^2^

2. Check storage

In Outlook.com, open Settings → General → Storage and check both mailbox and Microsoft cloud storage.

If Microsoft cloud storage is full, Hotmail cannot send or receive messages. Messages sent while it was full are returned to their senders and cannot subsequently be recovered. Delete unneeded large messages or attachments, empty Deleted Items, and then sign out and back in. ^3^

3. If Outlook.com opens but new mail is not visible

Check the following in the web mailbox:

• Focused/Other: select the Other tab.
• Junk Email: move valid messages back using Mark as not junk.
• Sorting: select Filter → Sort → Date.
• Rules: open Settings → Mail → Rules and look for rules moving or deleting mail.
• Forwarding: open Settings → Mail → Forwarding and check whether messages are being redirected.

These are Microsoft’s documented checks for mail that does not appear in an Outlook.com inbox. ^3^

If the password was recently changed or Microsoft detected unusual sign-in activity, the account may also be temporarily blocked. Complete the account verification presented during sign-in before testing mail again.

4. If only an installed mail app is stuck

Because reconnecting the internet did not change the behavior, avoid repeating that step.

• If the account works in Outlook.com, close the mail app completely and reopen it.
• For a non-Microsoft mail app, confirm it supports modern authentication and IMAP. Microsoft notes that older authentication methods can prevent Hotmail/Outlook.com synchronization. ^3^
• If this is classic Outlook for Windows, run the appropriate Classic Outlook troubleshooter. Those troubleshooters do not apply to new Outlook for Windows. ^4^

Do not remove the account from the app unless browser sign-in works, because valid browser access is needed to add it again.

5. Escalate if webmail also remains stuck

In Outlook.com, select Help, describe the send/receive problem, complete the suggested troubleshooting, and then scroll to Still need help? → Yes to contact Outlook.com support. ^3^

References

1. Service Health Status - Microsoft
2. Fixes or workarounds for recent issues on Outlook.com | Microsoft Support
3. Can't send or receive email in Outlook.com | Microsoft Support
4. Issues sending and receiving email | Microsoft Support