Your emails can carry crucial information whether they are personal or professional. With respect to Microsoft Outlook, it can be said that a greater number of companies may be relying on it to store information in mails. The reliability may come to an end when the messages may go missing from the inbox. Emails disappearing from Outlook can be observed due to a number of reasons. Irrespective of what the actual reason is, having access to your mails anytime can be a key concern. The availability of several filters, folders, and tabs in your account can help resolve the problem. You can check the specific ones to find your messages.
Why have My Emails Disappeared from My Inbox on Outlook?
When you notice that your Outlook inbox emails have disappeared, a common reason may be that you have archived them. This can easily happen in just a few clicks. There may also be other reasons leading to their disappearance such as the ones shown here:
- You may have deleted your messages long ago. Not recalling the same, they may have been shifted to the folder containing Deleted Items.
- It can be usual for the software to mark certain emails as junk or spam.
- The settings of certain tabs or filters may be marking them as read as soon as the mails come to your inbox.
How to Access Disappeared Emails on Outlook?
One of the best ways to find disappeared emails in the MS software is by utilizing its Search tool. You can input a phrase associated with the messages to quickly seek them. You may also check the default folders such as Archive, Deleted Items, Junk, etc. For emails disappearing from Outlook 2013, 2016, or 2017, you can check the settings and change them so that they stay in the inbox itself or get stored in a particular location.
Fix 1: Using Search Tool
Going through the default folders may not help certain users to find all the emails that disappeared from Outlook. Assuming that they may be lost somewhere in the account, you can choose the Search tool for help. It has been featured by Microsoft for this specified purpose. It is easier to find the tool right through your inbox. You need to enter the words related to these emails in it. Then you can run the tool to start the search.
- In your inbox, look above your messages, specifically on the right.
- “Search Current Mailbox” should be noticed. Click on it.
- Try recalling phrases/words from the disappeared emails. Enter them in the tool.
- Then choose from the following options:
- “Unread Mail”
- “All Mail”
- “Mentioned Mail”
- You may find several other preferences. Please select them as per your requirements.
- Tap on “Arrange by”.
- Press the symbol for “Search”.
The tool will be activated and begin looking for the emails in your account. The ones carrying the phrases or words typed in the space should appear.
Fix 2: Check the Archive Folder
In Outlook, an Archive folder can be auto-made. Whether unknowingly or with intent, you may archive a mail. This is when the folder gets made. Later, even when you do not archive any mails, they may automatically move to the folder based on a time period. Thus, you may see emails disappearing from Outlook. You may visit this folder to access the disappeared ones.
- Open the site given below:
- “outlook.com”
- Sign in to your account on it.
- Tap on the “Folders” option. Its list should expand.
- Choose “Archive” from the list.
- In the folder, you can check the disappeared or missing mails.
Should you like to move these emails back to your inbox, then please select them. Then tap on the Move to option. Now, choose Inbox.
Fix 3: See Other in Focused Inbox
On this email platform, you can find an interesting feature, that of Focused Inbox. It divides your original inbox into 2 tabs. The former tab is called Focused while the next one is known as Other. The messages that are crucial get stored in the first tab. Thus, the other ones can be found in the second tab. Being concerned over emails disappearing from Outlook, you should visit Other to find them.
- Access the tab called “View” in “MS Outlook”.
- Choose the option of “Show Focused Inbox”.
- Next to “Focused”, you should see “Other”. Open this tab.
- Ensure whether or not the email which has disappeared from Outlook is present in the tab.
- On finding, select that email.
- Press “Move to”.
- Then click on “Move to Focused Inbox”.
Fix 4: Access Deleted Items Folder
In certain instances, a user may accidentally delete an email(). Not realizing the action, he or she may believe that the emails have disappeared from Outlook. Accessing the folder comprising the deleted items can be suggested. You can easily look for it in the Navigation area. Then you can restore the messages, that were mistakenly removed, to your inbox.
- Check the “Navigation” region on “Outlook”.
- Find “Deleted Items” here and open the folder.
- Go through the items in it to find the missing emails.
- Afterward, choose the emails and move them back to your Outlook inbox.
Fix 5: Inspect Spam Filter
With this Microsoft software, you can get the flexibility to add filters. Through them, you can automatically categorize your emails. Sometimes any messages that appear to be spam-like may get filtered. For this reason, when Outlook inbox emails have disappeared, you should check the folder associated with the said filter.
You can simply click on the Spam filter. It will direct you to its folder. Then you can unmark the emails that are not spam messages. Thus, they should start appearing in Outlook’s original folder.
Fix 6: Check Your Junk Emails
Several default folders can exist in your account. The Junk Email folder can be one of these. Outlook may categorize certain mails or messages to be spam or junk. Thus, it may shift your emails to this folder. On realizing that your Outlook emails are disappearing, you can check your account’s Navigation pane. Tap on Junk Mail and look at the messages placed here.
- Login to your email account on Outlook and check the top of it. This will be the “Navigation” area.
- Search for “Junk Email”. Click-open the folder.
- Find the email that you need and shift it to the main inbox.
Note: This folder can often collect spam messages. Therefore, in addition to all the emails that disappeared from the Outlook inbox, you may possibly find multiple items. Carefully check them to find what you are looking for.
Fix 7: Make Changes to Outlook 2007’s View Settings
The View settings may have been set to mark your emails as read as soon as they are received. Emails disappearing from Outlook 2007 may be an outcome of these settings. You can make changes to them by first heading to the View tab through the Menu. Later, you can check Custom View Organization where the changes can be done.
- Access Outlook 2007’s “Menu” bar.
- Shift to the “View” tab.
- Click on the option that mentions “Current View“.
- Next, you have to press “Messages“.
- Once again, execute Steps 2 and 3.
- Find “Define Views” and select it.
- Please move to “Custom View Organizer“.
- Choose an option under “View Name” and press “Reset“.
- Select “Apply View“.
Fix 8: Review Filter Tabs in Outlook 2010/2013/2016
Some settings can be found associated with the Filter option. They may be responsible for filtering your messages from the inbox. As a result of this, you may be unable to find some of them. The problem of the emails disappearing from Outlook 2013, 2010, or 2016 can be resolved by reviewing these tabs and changing the settings as needed.
- From the ribbon bar, go to “View”.
- Choose “Current View”.
- Now, head to “View Settings”.
- Tap on the option that says “Filter”.
- You should view 3 tabs below it, mainly:
- “Advanced”
- “Tasks”
- “More Choices”
Now, you can review the tabs. They may be categorizing certain types of messages. Hence, the messages may not be found when you look for them in the original location. You can change the settings of tabs to do the needful.
Endnote
Seeing your mails lost or unavailable should not put you to panic. The MS software has provided the users with several options to retrieve them when they are missing from the original location. These options were widely discussed here. After knowing them, you may no longer go through the hassle of lost information in these messages.