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Fix Outlook Not Receiving Emails | Complete Troubleshooting Guide

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Jamie Kaler   Contribution
Rollins Duke
Rollins Duke  Approved By
Published On April 11th, 2025 • 5 min read

Email is a vital communication tool for personal and professional needs. And MS Outlook is one of the most used email clients. Therefore, it is frustrating when Outlook not Receiving Emails. We need a quick solution and need to know about the issues to fix the underlying cause. This guide will walk you through a comprehensive set of troubleshooting steps to help you identify and resolve the issue.

We have several troubleshooting methods when issues like Outlook not getting emails occur. This can be solved without the need for any additional support. We will delve into a wide range of solutions concerning the potential causes, from simple network connection issues to configuration errors.

Table of Content

How to Fix Outlook Not Receiving Emails?

There are multiple solutions to which we can fix the Outlook account not receiving the emails but can send them. You can check each of the solutions below. Go through each of the methods once.

1. Check Internet Connection

For any issue with an email client, the first and most straightforward step is to ensure the device has a stable internet connection. If the internet is interrupted, then Outlook cannot send or receive emails. Sometimes, the internet connection could also lead to issues like Outlook closing itself after openingTry browsing through other websites to confirm that the internet is working properly.

2. Check the Email Account Settings

Check the account settings to prevent Outlook from receiving emails. Follow these steps to check the setting:

  • Open Outlook, go to File>Account Settings> Settings.
  • Select the email account and click the Change button.
  • Verify that the incoming mail server (IMAP or POP3) is correctly set.

You can find the correct server settings on your email service provider’s website or in the support documentation.

3. Check the Junk or Spam Folder

Sometimes, the emails from Outlook can be mistakenly marked as spam or junk. You can check the folder with the below steps.

  • Open Outlook and go to the Junk Email Folder.
  • Search for the emails you must have received with the subject or keyword.
  • If you find the emails in the Junk folder, right-click and select Junk>Not Junk.

This will move the email to your inbox and improve Outlook’s future filtering.

4. Fix Outlook not receiving emails by Clearing Outbox and increasing mailbox storage

If the Mailbox is full, issues like Outlook not getting emails arise. You can use the steps below to free up the space.

  • Check for large attachments and remove or save them locally if required.
  • Delete unnecessary emails or migrate them to another email client.
  • Empty the deleted Items and the Junk Email Folders.

You can use the MacUncle tool to Delete Duplicates in Outlook Email Files.

5. Update the MS Outlook

Periodically, Outlook releases updates to fix bugs and improve performance. Ensure you have the latest version of Outlook.

  • Open Outlook and go to File>Outlook Account.
  • Click on the Update option and press Update Now.

Now, completing the installation update can solve many issues.

6. Disable Add-Ins

The Outlook Add-Ins help in better interacting with Outlook to complete the task efficiently.

  • Start the Outlook Application and go to File>Options>Add-ins.
  • At the bottom of the window, select Manage Add-ins.
  • You will be redirected to Outlook in the Web browser.
  • Now, Uncheck all add-ins and click OK.
  • Restart Outlook and check if you have received the emails.

If Outlook starts responding, re-enable the add-ins one by one to identify the problematic ones. This could resolve the Outlook Not Receiving Emails Issue.

7. Check the Email Rules

We set the Email rules to automatically move or delete the incoming emails as required. Check if any rules are set that are causing the issue of Outlook emails not being responding.

  • Start the Outlook application, go to File>Manage Rules and Alerts.
  • Review the email rules and ensure none of them are misconfigured.

You can disable or delete the rules that affect email reception.

Find out the solution to why my Outlook Rule Not Working.

8. Recreate the Outlook Profile if Outlook Not Receiving Emails

You can recreate the Outlook profile, which might resolve the issue. Follow these steps:

  • Open Control Panel and Go to Mail.
  • Click Show Profile and then the Add button.
  • Enter a name for the new profile and set up the email account.
  • Set this new profile as the default.

Restart Outlook and check if you have received the emails in the new profile.

9. Check the Antivirus and Firewall Setting

At times, the antivirus and firewall settings can block Outlook from getting emails or sending them. You can temporarily disable the antivirus and firewall if this works or not. If Outlook not responding is not yet resolved, go to the other solutions.

10. Contact the Outlook Email Service

After trying all the above troubleshooting steps, if the Outlook Emails not Receiving problem still exists, it might be on the server side. Onc,e contact the email service provider for assistance and check if there are any issues with the email account or the server settings.

Note: You can also fix Outlook Keeps disconnected from the Exchange Server if you are not receiving emails in the account.

Conclusion

Fix Outlook not Receiving Emails with the above-mentioned software. Follow the comprehensive guide to identify the issue and then resolve it in minutes. Go through each of the reasons one by one to carry out the procedure. However, regular maintenance can prevent any of this from happening in the first place. Ensuring that email communication remains smooth and uninterrupted.