Not receiving emails to my inbox

Amanda Unser 0 Reputation points
2026-09-22T18:58:05.6766667+00:00

I'm not getting any emails in my inbox I still have junk mail coming in.

Outlook | Web | Outlook.com | Settings
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  1. AI answer

    2026-09-22T18:58:20.1+00:00

    If junk mail is still arriving but normal mail is not, the mailbox is still receiving messages, so the issue is usually filtering, sorting, forwarding, or rules rather than Outlook installation.

    Try these checks in Outlook.com:

    1. Check the Other tab. If Focused Inbox is enabled, messages may be going to Other instead of Inbox.
    2. Check the Junk Email folder. If a message is there by mistake, select it and choose Report > Not junk.
    3. Check message sorting. Select Filter > Sort > Date to make sure messages are not appearing out of order.
    4. Check for forwarding. If email forwarding is enabled, messages may be sent elsewhere instead of staying in the inbox.
    5. Check email rules. Rules can move or hide messages before they appear in the inbox.
    6. If a specific sender’s messages are missing, ask that sender whether they received a non-delivery report.
    7. If using a third-party mail app connected to Outlook.com, IMAP or POP can sometimes cause issues with the connected app. Disabling IMAP and POP and then testing again is a documented step.

    If messages are being permanently removed as junk in Outlook desktop, check whether Permanently delete suspected junk e-mail instead of moving it to the Junk E-mail folder is enabled:

    • In Outlook 2010 and later: Home > Junk > Junk E-mail Options
    • On the Options tab, clear Permanently delete suspected junk e-mail instead of moving it to the Junk E-mail folder

    If none of the checks above help, use Outlook.com support from the Help menu and continue to Still need help? to contact support.

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

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  2. Kai-H 28,235 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-09-23T10:22:29.1133333+00:00

    Hi, Amanda Unser

    Since junk mail still arrives, the address is active. The next things to check are mailbox capacity, account security, and whether the problem exists only in the Outlook app.

    Here are some suggestions you can try:

    Sign in at Outlook.com, then open Settings > General > Storage. If either mailbox or Microsoft cloud storage is full, new messages can be rejected. Empty Deleted Items, then delete a few large messages and attachments. Messages sent while storage was full are normally returned to the sender and cannot be delivered afterward. Check Outlook.com sending and receiving problems

    Search All folders for a recent sender’s address. Also manually check Deleted Items and Archive, as this confirms whether mail is arriving but being moved somewhere unexpected.

    Send a test message to yourself from a different email service. If it appears on Outlook.com but not in the app, remove and re-add the account in that app, or create a new Outlook profile.

    Review the account’s Recent activity and change the password if anything is unfamiliar. An account restriction or unusual sign-in activity can affect mail service.

    Thank you for your patience in reading, I hope this information has been helpful to you. 

    If the answer is helpful, please click "Yes" and kindly upvote it. If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment."    

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