CAN'T RECEIVE NEW EMAILS

Question

Hello, I have not be receiving new emails for the past few days on my macbook but i can access on my phone. What could the problem be and how do i solve it? Thank you!

Answer 1

Hi @norsiah othman 

Thanks for reaching out to the Microsoft Q&A forum.     

To better understand your situation and offer accurate guidance, may I clarify the following details? 

1. What type of account are you using? Is it Exchange, IMAP, or POP? 
2. When you mentioned that you can access on your phone, could you confirm whether the new emails are actually arriving there, and whether you are using the native Mail app or the Outlook mobile app? 
3. Could you check whether the emails also arrive in the web email/Outlook on the web and in Legacy Outlook for Mac? 

In the meantime, you can try some general troubleshooting steps: 

• Remove and re-add the account 
• Uninstall Outlook for Mac, then reinstall it using the updater.pkg from the Update history for Office for Mac - Office release notes | Microsoft Learn 

If I’ve misunderstood any part of your situation, or if you have further questions or updates, please don’t hesitate to reply. 

Thank you for your time, and I look forward to hearing from you soon. 

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Answer 2

On a Mac, this usually means Outlook is either offline, not connected properly to the server, or misconfigured, while mail still works on the phone.

Try these steps in Outlook for Mac:

1. Confirm Outlook is online

• On the Outlook menu, make sure Work Offline is not checked.

2. Check Internet and server connection

• Verify the Mac has Internet access (open a website in a browser).
• If this is an Exchange or Microsoft 365 work/school account, try signing in to Outlook on the web.
  • If mail appears there but not on the Mac, the issue is with Outlook for Mac, not the mailbox.

3. Verify the account status in Outlook for Mac
4. Go to Tools > Accounts.
5. Select the affected account in the left pane.
6. If the account is an Exchange account and the indicator icon is orange, Outlook is not connected to the server.
   • Contact the Exchange or Microsoft 365 admin to confirm the server is online and the account is active.
7. Fix common POP/IMAP configuration issues (if not using Exchange) In Tools > Accounts, select the account and verify:

• Email address, username, and password are correct.
• Outgoing server and other server settings match what the email provider requires.
  If messages send but do not arrive, also confirm the incoming server and port with the provider.
• If the provider recently changed ports (for example, POP from 993 to 995), update the port accordingly.

5. Check for firewall or proxy issues

• If using a work network or ISP with strict security, the firewall or proxy may block mail connections.
  • Ask the network administrator or ISP if mail ports/servers are being blocked.
  • If they provide an alternative SMTP or mail server, update it under Tools > Accounts.
• If the network requires a proxy, configure it in macOS System Settings as provided by the network administrator.

6. Repair possible Exchange sync corruption (Exchange accounts only) If this is an Exchange account and only the Mac is missing recent mail:
7. Ensure the Mac is online and connected to Exchange.
8. In the Outlook navigation pane, Ctrl+click or right‑click the affected Exchange folder (for example, Inbox) and select Properties.
9. On the General tab, choose Empty Cache.
   • This clears the local cache and forces Outlook to re-download items from the server.
   • Caution: Any items not yet synced to the server (including some contact certificates) will be lost, so ensure data is backed up first.

If mail continues to arrive on the phone and on Outlook on the web but not on the Mac after these steps, remove and re-add the account in Tools > Accounts, then let Outlook resync from the server.

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References:

• I can't send or receive messages in Outlook for Mac
• I'm not receiving email or other items in my Exchange account in Outlook for Mac
• I can't send or receive messages with Outlook for Mac
• Why am I not able to receive emails which I used to on my outlook mac. I can send emails without any issues. - Microsoft Q&A