Pinned emails are missing in Outlook

Dear Efstathios Lymperidis,

Thank you for reaching out to the Q&A Forum!

I understand you're still experiencing the issue with your pinned emails being absent from your Outlook account on both the web and mobile, and we definitely want to get that sorted for you. Let us focus on the most effective troubleshooting steps for this type of widespread sync issue.

Please try the following:

Step 1: Confirm Your View Settings (Web & Mobile) 

• Check Filters and Sorting: Sometimes, pinned emails might just be hidden by a filter or a specific sort order.
• On both the web version and the mobile app, navigate to your inbox.
  • Look for any options at the top of your email list related to "Sort by"
  • Ensure that you haven't accidentally selected a view that might be obscuring your pinned items. Try setting the sort order to a default to see if they simply appear further down the list.

 Step 2: Thorough Browser Cache & Cookie Reset (for Outlook on the Web)

This is a very common solution for display issues. Corrupted browser data can interfere with how Outlook loads and displays content.

*Disclaimer: Your browser automatically saves temporary internet files to help pages load faster. Clearing this cache will sometimes fix website issues. **Please back up all your personal files first, such as Favorites, to ensure you do not lose data.   ***

• Please clear all cookies and cached images/files in your web browser specifically for outlook.live.com. When given the option for a time range, please select "All time."
• After clearing, please open an Incognito or Private Browse window (this is important as it bypasses existing cache and extensions). Navigate to Outlook.com and log in. See if your pinned emails appear there. If they do, it strongly suggests a browser-related issue on your regular Browse session.

Step 3: Test the Pinning Functionality

Let's see if the pinning function itself is working.

• Attempt to find a previously pinned email using the search bar. If you can locate it, try to unpin it (if it still shows a pin icon) and then immediately re-pin it. Does it then appear at the top?
• Next, try pinning a brand-new, unpinned email that you can easily identify. Does this newly pinned email appear and stay at the top of your inbox correctly?
• If new pins work, but old ones don't, it might unfortunately indicate that the "pinned" status for your older emails was lost due to a sync disruption.

Step 4: Reinstall the Outlook Mobile Application

For issues affecting both web and mobile, a full refresh of the mobile app's connection can often resolve syncing problems.

• Please uninstall the Outlook app completely from your smartphone or tablet.
• Once uninstalled, reboot your device (turn it off and then back on).
• Then, reinstall the Outlook app from your device's official app store
• After installation, proceed to re-add your email account when prompted by the app.

Step 5: Check Microsoft Service Status

While less common for specific account features, it's always good to rule out a broader issue.

• Please visit the official Microsoft 365 Service Health page
• Look for any current advisories or incidents that might be affecting "Exchange Online" or "Outlook." If there's a reported issue, we'll need to await a resolution from Microsoft's side.

Step 6: Contact Microsoft's Direct Support

If you've gone through all these steps diligently and your pinned emails are still missing across both platforms, and you've confirmed no widespread service outages, the next crucial step is to engage Microsoft's direct support team. They have specific tools and diagnostic capabilities to investigate individual account syncing issues that are beyond our third-party scope.

• You can typically find the option to contact them by clicking the ? icon (Help icon) in the top right corner of Outlook.com. In the help pane that appears, search for "Contact Support," and you should find an option to chat with a support agent.
•  You can typically find them here aswell: Contact Us - Microsoft Support

I hope these steps provide some immediate relief and guidance. I recognize the importance of reliable email service, and I'm here to help you through these troubleshooting steps.

Please let me know how these suggestions work for you, or if you'd like assistance in navigating Microsoft's support channels.

Warm regards, 

Kal Duong | Microsoft Q&A Support Specialist

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