how to fix emails not showing up in inbox

Question

New emails aren't showing up in my inbox. I am receiving them, I just have to search for them.

Answer 1

If your emails are not showing up in your inbox in Outlook, but you can see them when you search, it may be due to issues with the Cached Exchange Mode. Here are some steps you can take to resolve this problem:

1. Start Outlook with the /cleanips switch:
   • Exit Outlook if it is running.
   • Start Outlook using the command: Outlook.exe /cleanips. This command helps to clear any issues with the incoming item processing pipeline.
   • Note: You need at least Office 2007 Service Pack 2 installed for Outlook 2007 to use this switch.
2. Clear Offline Items in your Inbox:
   • Start Outlook.
   • Right-click the Inbox folder and select Properties.
   • In the Inbox Properties dialog box, go to the General tab.
   • Click on Clear Offline Items and confirm the action.
   • After clearing, press Shift+F9 to force the resynchronization of your Inbox folder.

These steps should help in making your emails visible in the inbox again.

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References:

• Sometimes emails do not appear in Cached mode Inbox even if they were synchronized down from mailbox
• More information
• Items are missing from search results when Microsoft 365 users search their mailbox in Outlook on the web
• Search Mail and People in Outlook Web App
• Microsoft Community

Answer 2

Hi Carrissa Jordan, 

Welcome to Microsoft Q&A Forum! 

Have a good day and I hope you're doing well! 

Thank you for reaching out. I understand how disruptive it is when new emails are delivered but don’t appear in the Inbox unless you search. I reproduced this behavior in a test environment and identified a few common causes. Please try the steps below in order: 

1. Disable Focused Inbox 

• Purpose: Prevent messages from being routed to the “Other” tab and hidden from the main view. 
• How to: Settings (gear icon) > Mail > Focused Inbox > Off. 

• Then return to your Inbox and ensure the filter is set to All (not Unread/Flagged). Check both Focused/Other (if visible), refresh the view, and confirm whether new messages appear. 

2. Verify account sync (especially Outlook for Android/iOS) 

Go to Settings > Accounts > choose your email account > Reset account; or Remove account > Add again. 

• If you suspect a sync issue: Sync settings > Reset sync settings > Days of email to sync: select “No limit” (or at least 30 days) to ensure recent mail is fully downloaded. 

3. Review Rules in Outlook on the web 

• Settings (gear) > Mail > Rules. 
• Check for rules that might move messages, mark them as read, or redirect them. Temporarily disable or delete any suspicious rules and test again. 

If the issue persists after these steps, please let me know which account type you’re using (Microsoft 365/Exchange Online, Outlook.com, or Gmail/IMAP) so I can propose the most appropriate next troubleshooting actions. 

I hope this information is at least partially helpful. If you have any concerns or questions or if anything I wrote is unclear or I’ve misunderstood your scenario. Please feel free to reply at any time. Thank you for your cooperation and support. 

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