Why is my outlook for mac keep removing my emails automatically?

Hi Brent,

Thank you for reaching out. My name is Furkaan, a user just like you. I’d be happy to help you with your concerns. Let’s look at some alternative ways to diagnose why emails disappear:

Check the Deleted Items folder: Even if you don’t mention any inbox reset option, you can still access the Deleted Items folder. This is the first place to look for emails that may have been automatically deleted. If you find important emails there, you can recover them.

Check Outlook rules (if applicable): Although the Manage Rules feature may not be easily accessible, it's still possible that a rule caused the deletion.

Go to Outlook menu > Preferences. Look for a section related to Rules or Mailboxes. (The exact naming might have changed) See if there are any existing rules set up. If there are, carefully review them for any that might be deleting emails automatically. If you find a suspicious rule, you can disable it. Search for Specific Emails: While advanced search features might be limited, you can still try searching for specific emails by sender, recipient, or keywords in the subject line. This might help you determine the timeframe when emails started disappearing.

I hope I can find a satisfactory solution to your problem. If you have any additional questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Best Regards, Furkaan

Hi,

Thanks for your respond.

Unfortunately, all those functions you mentioned is not in outlook for mac 365.

there's no reset when i click inbox, there's no system preferences or spotlight.

I have no add on installed as well.

Any microsoft expert proficient in mac can help on this?

Hi Brent,

Thank you for reaching out. My name is Furkaan, a user just like you. I’d be happy to help you with your concerns. You are right, "Properties" does not work for folders in Outlook for Mac 365. This feature seems to be missing compared to older versions.

Here are some troubleshooting steps modified based on new information:

Reset view:

Your inbox view may be corrupted. Try resetting it to default settings. In Outlook, right-click the inbox header and select Reset View. This should reset the sorting and filtering functionality applied to your inbox. Offline search vs. online search:

By default, you can only see emails that have been downloaded to your device. Try searching for lost emails: In the search bar, enter the keyword or sender name of the lost email. Click the drop-down menu next to the search bar and make sure "All Mailboxes" (not just "Inbox") is selected. Also, check the "Search offline content" box to see if emails are hidden in your downloaded data. Rebuild the Spotlight index (for local search): In rare cases, the Spotlight index (which facilitates searches) may malfunction. Rebuilding helps Outlook find your email. Go to System Preferences > Spotlight > Privacy. Click on the "+" button and add your Outlook data folder. This will exclude it from the Spotlight index. Close System Preferences. Open Terminal (Applications > Utilities > Terminal). Type the following command and press Enter: sudo mdutil -E / (note spelling errors and spaces). Enter your password when prompted. This command rebuilds the Spotlight index. Depending on the amount of your data, it may take some time. Once done, go back to System Preferences > Spotlight > Privacy and remove the Outlook data folder from the exclusion list. Outlook for Mac safe mode:

Try starting Outlook in Safe Mode to see if add-ins are causing the problem. When you start Outlook, hold down the Option key. This will disable the add-on.

I hope I can find a satisfactory solution to your problem. If you have any additional questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Best Regards, Furkaan

If your email is displayed in safe mode, there may be a conflict with the add-in.

Hi Furkaan,

outlook for mac 365 when right-click on Inbox, there's no "Properties" selection.

If it's autoArchive, i should have been able to view the mails in my archive folder. There's nothing in the archive folder.

There's no rules in the rules section.

Sync: i have checked, the emails are still in the server. It's just disapearred in my outlook.

Hi Brent,

Thank you for reaching out. My name is Furkaan, a user just like you. I’d be happy to help you with your concerns. There are a couple of reasons why Outlook for Mac might be deleting your emails even though you haven't set auto-delete. Let's check them out:

AutoArchive: This is a common culprit. AutoArchive automatically moves older emails to a different folder on a schedule you set. Even though you say you haven't set auto-delete, it's possible AutoArchive is enabled. Here's how to check and disable AutoArchive:

Open Outlook and right-click on your Inbox. Select "Properties" and then the "AutoArchive" tab. If it's enabled, uncheck the "Archive old items" box and click "OK." Message Rules: It's possible a rule is set to move or delete emails based on certain criteria. Here's how to check for message rules:

Go to Tools > Rules (might be under the File menu depending on your Outlook version). Review the list of rules and disable any that might be deleting your emails. Sync Issue: In some cases, a syncing issue with the email server can cause emails to disappear from Outlook. This might be specific to your email provider.

I hope I can find a satisfactory solution to your problem. If you have any additional questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Best Regards, Furkaan