Outlook problems · All versions
Outlook can send but not receive emails
If Outlook can send but not receive emails, the problem is on the incoming side or a filter is hiding your mail — sending uses a different server, so it working tells you the outgoing side is fine. Check the incoming server name and port, make sure Work Offline is off, look in Junk and the Other/Focused inbox, confirm no rule is moving mail away, and check the mailbox isn't full. Then press F9. Here's how — or we'll fix it remotely in minutes. Rated 4.9 on Google.
- ● All Outlook versions
- ● Windows & Android
- ● Incoming-side fix
Plain English
Why sending works but receiving doesn't
Email uses two separate connections: an outgoing one (SMTP) to send and a completely different incoming one (IMAP or POP) to receive. So when Outlook can send but not receive, you already know two useful things: your internet and your outgoing server are fine, and the fault is either on the incoming connection or a filter is quietly moving new mail out of your Inbox before you see it.
People describe this the same way in a few forms — "Outlook won't receive emails", "I can send but nothing comes in", "emails not showing in my inbox" — but the checklist is identical. Work through it in order and you'll usually find the culprit in the first two or three steps. This applies to every version: classic Outlook on Windows (2016–2021, Microsoft 365), new Outlook, and the Outlook app on Android.
// NEED THIS FIXED RIGHT NOW?
Skip the DIY — call 01202 775566 and we can be looking at your screen within minutes. You watch everything we do, and most problems on this page are fixed in one short remote session. (Mon–Fri, 9am–5pm.)
Quick wins
The five-minute checklist
Start with the fast, no-risk checks — one of these fixes the majority of "not receiving" cases.
- Is Work Offline on? On the Send / Receive tab, look at the Work Offline button. If it's highlighted, Outlook is deliberately not connecting — click it to go back online. Also check the status bar at the bottom reads Connected, not Working Offline or Disconnected.
- Force a receive. Press F9 (Send/Receive All Folders). If mail suddenly arrives, it was just a stalled sync.
- Check Junk / Spam. New mail may be landing there. If it is, right-click a message and choose Junk > Never Block Sender.
- Check the Other inbox. If Focused Inbox is on, real mail can hide under the Other tab. Click Other, or turn the feature off via the View tab > Show Focused Inbox.
- Is the mailbox full? A mailbox at its storage limit stops accepting new mail. Check your webmail quota, empty Deleted Items and large Sent attachments, or ask your provider to increase the limit.
If mail is now arriving, you're done. If not, the incoming server settings or a hidden rule is to blame — keep going.
Deeper checks
Incoming server, ports and stray rules
If the quick wins didn't do it, the incoming connection or a filter is the problem.
Check the incoming server name and port. Go to File > Account Settings > Account Settings, double-click your account, and confirm the Incoming mail server name is correct (e.g. imap.gmail.com or your host's server). Then click More Settings > Advanced and check the secure incoming port: IMAP 993 with SSL/TLS, or POP 995 with SSL/TLS. A wrong incoming port lets sending carry on working while receiving silently fails — exactly your symptom.
Look for a rule stealing your mail. A rule set up long ago (or one that got corrupted) can move incoming messages straight to another folder, or even delete them, before you ever see the Inbox. Go to File > Manage Rules & Alerts and review the list — disable anything that moves or deletes incoming mail while you test. As a last resort you can start Outlook with rules stripped out by running outlook.exe /cleanclientrules from the Windows search box, which clears only the client-side rules. Avoid the blunter outlook.exe /cleanrules unless you're sure — it permanently deletes every rule (client and server) across all mailboxes in that Outlook profile, including any delegated ones, and a restart won't bring them back, so note your rules down first.
Confirm it's not just this folder. Make sure you're viewing the Inbox and that the view isn't filtered — the words Filter Applied in the status bar mean some messages are hidden; click it to clear. Finally, check the same account in webmail in a browser: if new mail is arriving there but not in Outlook, the fault is Outlook's settings; if it's missing in webmail too, the problem is at the mail server or with the sender.
FAMILY-RUN SINCE 1995 · ★ 4.9 ON GOOGLE · 200+ COMPUTERS UNDER OUR CARE · NO FIX, NO FEE · SAME-DAY REMOTE SUPPORT
// GOOD QUESTIONS
Frequently asked
Why can Outlook send emails but not receive them?
Because sending and receiving use different servers. Sending goes out over SMTP, receiving comes in over IMAP or POP — so sending working proves your outgoing side is fine and points the fault at the incoming connection or a filter hiding your mail. Check the incoming server and port, Work Offline, Junk, the Focused/Other inbox, and any rules.
What's the first thing to check when Outlook won't receive mail?
Whether Work Offline is switched on. On the Send / Receive tab, if the Work Offline button is highlighted, Outlook isn't connecting — click it to go back online, then press F9 to force a send/receive. Also confirm the status bar shows Connected rather than Working Offline or Disconnected.
What incoming port should Outlook use to receive email?
For a secure incoming connection use IMAP port 993 with SSL/TLS, or POP port 995 with SSL/TLS. Check under File > Account Settings > your account > More Settings > Advanced. A wrong incoming port lets sending keep working while receiving quietly fails, which is exactly this symptom.
Could a rule be stopping emails reaching my Inbox?
Yes. A rule can move incoming mail to another folder or delete it before you see it. Go to File > Manage Rules & Alerts and disable anything that moves or deletes incoming messages, then test. To rule out a corrupted rule you can start Outlook with outlook.exe /cleanclientrules, which clears client-side rules; avoid the broader /cleanrules unless necessary, as it permanently deletes every rule across all mailboxes in the profile, so note them down first.
Does a full mailbox stop Outlook receiving email?
Yes. Once a mailbox hits its storage limit the server refuses new mail, so nothing arrives in Outlook. Check your quota in webmail, empty Deleted Items and clear large attachments from Sent Items, or ask your email provider to increase the limit.
How do I know if it's Outlook or the mail server, and can 365 Techies help?
Sign in to the same account through webmail in a browser. If new mail is arriving there but not in Outlook, the problem is Outlook's settings — server name, port, a rule or a filter. If mail is missing in webmail too, the issue is at the mail server or with the sender. Either way, call 01202 775566 and we'll connect with Splashtop — we phone first, you watch every click, and access ends when we're done — to check your incoming server, ports, rules and mailbox and get mail flowing, usually in minutes.
Mail still not arriving?
Call 01202 775566 and we'll check your incoming server, filters and mailbox remotely — we phone first, you watch, and access ends the moment we're done. Usually sorted in minutes.
01202 775566 · help@365techies.co.uk · MON–FRI 9AM–5PM