Email is missing from your outlook com inbox

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Note: If you haven't signed in to your Outlook.com mailbox at least once in a one-year period, Microsoft will close your Outlook.com mailbox and all email will be deleted. You must sign in to your Microsoft account at least once in a two-year period to keep your Microsoft account and associated services active. If you don't sign in during this time, we'll assume your Microsoft account is inactive and will close it for you. To learn more, see the Microsoft Services Agreement.

Check the Junk Email folder

Sometimes messages are mistakenly marked as junk by other email apps. Check your Junk Email folder and see if the message is there. If the message has been moved incorrectly to this folder, select the message and then select Not junk > Not junk.

If you're using the Outlook for iOS or Outlook for Android apps, go to the Junk Email folder, select the message and select   > Move to Inbox.

If you're using a mobile browser, go the Junk Email folder, select the message and select   > Mark as not junk.

To avoid messages being moved to the Junk Email folder by another email app, use a Microsoft app such as Mail for Windows 10 or Outlook for Windows.

Note: Messages are automatically removed from the Junk Email folder after 30 days and aren't recoverable.

Check the Other tab

If Focused Inbox is turned on for your account, the message might be in the Other tab. Select the Other tab and see if the message is there. If the message has been moved incorrectly to the Other tab, select the message and select Move to > Move to Focused inbox. 

If you're using the Outlook for iOS or Outlook for Android apps or a mobile browser, select the Other tab, select the message and select   > Move to Focused inbox.

Check the Deleted Items folder

Make sure the missing message isn't in your Deleted Items folder. If the message has been moved incorrectly to this folder, select the message and then select Restore.

If you're using the Outlook for iOS or Outlook for Android apps or a mobile browser, go to the Deleted Items folder, select the message and select   > Move to folder > Inbox.

If you don't see the message in the Deleted Items folder, the message might have been removed but is still recoverable. In Deleted Items, above the message list, select Recover items deleted from this folder. If you find the message, select it and then select Restore.

Notes: 

• Messages removed from the Deleted Items folder are recoverable for 30 days.

• You can't recover messages removed the Deleted Items folder in Outlook for iOS or Outlook for Android apps or a mobile browser. To do this, please use a computer.

• Messages deleted from a child's account can't be recovered.

Check the Filter menu

If you're filtering your message list, the message you're looking for might not appear. To change your filtering options, select Filter above the message list and select All. 

If you're using the Outlook for iOS or Outlook for Android apps or a mobile browser, the current filter selection appears above the message list. To clear the filter selection, select it above the message list.

Check your rules

You might have created an Inbox rule or a Sweep rule that's that's moving messages to another folder. Go to Rules settings and check your rules. If you find a rule that's incorrectly moving messages out of your inbox, select   to edit the rule or   to delete it.

Note: You must use a computer to view and edit your rules.

Check the Archive folder

If you've archived a message, it won't appear in your inbox. Make sure the missing message isn't in your Archive folder. If you want to move an archived message back to your inbox, select the message and then select Move to > Inbox.

If you're using the Outlook for iOS or Outlook for Android apps or a mobile browser, go to the Archive folder, select the message and select   > Move to folder > Inbox.

See Also

Restore deleted email messages in Outlook.com

Use inbox rules in Outlook.com

Organize your inbox with Archive, Sweep, and other tools in Outlook.com