Why is outlook.com auto deleting my emails?

Question

Why is outlook.com auto deleting my emails?

Tom 20

This just started yesterday, but outlook.com (web access) is automatically deleting emails randomly. Rules have not been built as these are from regular senders. I just noticed it beginning Thursday 4/23. Advice? Is it a known Microsoft issue being worked on?

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Answer 1

Hi Tom,

Thank you for reporting this. I understand how worrying it can be to see emails disappear unexpectedly.

To answer your question, I’m not currently aware of any official Microsoft reports confirming a widespread auto‑deletion issue. In most cases, this behavior is caused by Outlook’s built‑in mail management features rather than a service outage.

I recommend checking the following common causes:

Focused / Other Inbox Messages may not be deleted, but instead sorted into the Other tab. Please check both Focused and Other to confirm where the emails are landing.
Sweep Rules: Go to Settings > Mail > Sweep and review any existing rules (these can sometimes be created unintentionally).
Connected Account Forwarding If another email account is connected to Outlook, it may be set to delete messages after forwarding. Check Settings > Mail > Sync email and review any connected accounts.
POP Access from Another App If another mail app is accessing your mailbox using POP3, it may download and remove emails from the server. You can review this under Settings > Mail > Forwarding and IMAP. Scroll down to the "POP and IMAP" section. Look for the option that says "Let devices and apps use POP." If it is turned on, switch it to OFF and click Save.
Account Security Activity If none of the above apply, it’s important to rule out unauthorized access. Please review your recent sign‑in activity at https://account.microsoft.com/security If you notice anything suspicious, I recommend change your password immediately and enable two‑step verification if it’s not already on.

Please try these steps and let me know what you find. If the issue continues, feel free to reply with any additional details and I’ll be happy to assist further.

Best regards,

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Tom 20 Reputation points

2026-04-25T15:03:40.96+00:00

I checked all the rules, sweeps, etc. when this issue occurred and they're fine. So far, it's been ok for the past 24 hours. So maybe it was just an overnight glitch somewhere but it appears to be back to normal....emails flowing to Inbox as expected. As odd as it sounds, I wish I could just disable the Junk mail folder. I know it'd create more Inbox items but at least I wouldn't risk missing any email again.
Chloe-L 13,710 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-04-26T00:05:56.8533333+00:00

Hi Tom,

Thanks for the update. I’m glad to hear things have been stable over the past 24 hours and that emails are now flowing into your Inbox as expected.

I completely understand your concern about missing important messages again. Unfortunately, the Junk Email folder can’t be fully disabled in Outlook, as it’s part of Microsoft’s built‑in spam protection. That said, there are a couple of safer ways to reduce the risk:

Add important senders or domains to Safe Senders so their messages always go directly to the Inbox.

Periodically review the Junk folder (even briefly) while things remain stable, just as an extra precaution.

If the issue resurfaces, keeping a note of the time and affected senders can help determine whether it’s filtering‑related or another service‑side hiccup.

Hopefully this really was just a short‑lived glitch, but if anything changes again, feel free to come back and update the thread — I’ll be happy to help you take the next steps.

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