Outlook app won't load emails

Question

Outlook app won't load emails

Sarah Barrett 20

On the Outlook app on my phone I often can't open emails in folders. I open the folder and get a message saying it could take a few moments to load the messages, but nothing happens and the folder remains empty. Another issue is that frequently I receive a notification of an email but when I open my inbox it's not there. I have to use my laptop to view the message. It eventually appears some time later on the phone.

0 comments

Answer accepted by question author

0 additional answers

Your answer

Answer 1

Marcelo Mendoza 10,775 Independent Advisor

Hi Sarah,

Thank you for reaching out and sharing the issue you're experiencing with the Outlook mobile app. I understand how frustrating it must be when your emails don’t load properly or appear delayed especially when you're relying on your phone to stay connected.

It sounds like the app is having trouble syncing your folders and inbox in real time, which can happen due to a few common reasons such as background sync limitations, app cache issues or network restrictions. Outlook mobile typically syncs only recent emails (about 30 days or up to 1000 messages per folder) and older messages may not appear immediately. Additionally notifications may arrive before the app has fully synced the content causing a delay in visibility.

To help resolve this I recommend checking if Background App Refresh is enabled on your device, clearing the Outlook app cache and resetting your account within the app settings. If you're using an IMAP or POP account syncing limitations may apply and switching to an Exchange-based setup could improve performance. Also ensure your device is compliant with any organizational policies if managed through Intune or MDM.

Could you let me know what type of email account you're using (e.g., Outlook.com, Microsoft 365, or a third-party provider), and whether the issue occurs across all folders or just specific ones?

I hope this answer is helpful if you have further questions feel free to reply back

Regards,

Marcelo

Sarah Barrett 20 Reputation points

2025-11-06T23:37:40.55+00:00

Thank you, Marcelo. I can't find Background App Refresh within my phone settings, only Background Autostart. However, I have cleared the cache and that seems to have sorted the problem. So simple!
Sarah Barrett 20 Reputation points

2025-11-08T09:41:36.6933333+00:00

Update: Outlook is now giving me additional problems. I tried several times to move an email from the Inbox to a folder but it failed and I got the message, 'Outlook crashed repeatedly due to internal errors.' I found and installed an update for the app, deleted the cache again and restarted my phone. I was then able to move the email but once again couldn't immediately access emails in some of the folders. They did eventually appear but it's all a bit awkward to use. Is there a way to access Outlook without using the app?