How do I see all email history from Legacy Outlook on Outlook for Mac Version 16.98.1

TC 20 Reputation points
2025-07-29T00:39:38.5566667+00:00

I keep all my email history on my MacBook Air M3 using legacy Outlook for Mac because I often have to refer back several years in email searches. When I move over to Outlook only emails going back about 12 months appear so I have to return to Legacy Outlook. How can I have all my emails available all the time on the "new" version of Outlook?

When I search on this support section I keep getting the instructions below, but they are wrong for my version of Outlook for Mac (version 16.98.1). The problems are in BOLD CAPS next to each point:

  1. Open Outlook for Mac.
  2. Click on the "Outlook" menu at the top of the screen.
  3. Select "Preferences" from the drop-down menu. NO "PREFERENCES" OPTION. ONLY "SETTINGS". SELECTING THAT...
  4. Click on the "Accounts" icon. THIS WORKS
  5. Select the email account that you're having issues with. THIS WORKS
  6. Click on the "Advanced" tab. NO "ADVANCED" TAB ... ONLY "MANAGE" TAB. SELECTING THAT ONLY GIVES "REMOVE ACCOUNT" OR "RESET ACCOUNT" AS OPTIONS.
  7. Under "Sync," check the "Download email from" option and select "All." NO OPTION TO "SYNC"
  8. Click "OK" to save the changes.

This is the same for all my email Accounts and they are a gmail account, an IMAP account, a Microsoft 365 account, and an Outlook.com account.

Please help before Legacy Outlook is shut down forever.

Microsoft 365 and Office | Other
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Answer accepted by question author
Diane Poremsky 8,265 Reputation points Independent Advisor
2025-07-29T03:39:11.2033333+00:00

Who is your email account with? If you are using an IMAP account, don't add it as a Microsoft cloud sync account. Add it as imap. After entering your address and outlook finds it, click the link to connect directly to the IMAP server.

All of the mail should sync is you connect directly to the mail server but the Microsoft cloud won't store all of your mail, especially if your mailbox is huge.

If you use an Outlook.com or Microsoft 365 account, all mail will sync but only if you keep scrolling.

Microsoft changed Preferences to Settings a few months ago. The account settings changed and the options are limited in new Outlook for mac. But there is not an option to control syncing. That option is in the classic Windows version.

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