Disappearing in box emails

Question

Why are my outlook In box emails disappearing within minutes on my iMAC and iPhone ? They are not going to my delete folder or Spam/Junk folder?

This has started only recently.. Is it due to something in the NEW Outlook

Answer 1

Hi Darice Hawkins,

I understand that the AI's suggested checks were already tried, but the emails are still disappearing from both the iMac and iPhone. Since the same behavior appears on multiple devices, the next key point is to confirm whether the messages also disappear when the mailbox is opened in a web browser.

Please note that this is a user-to-user forum, so contributors cannot access or repair your mailbox directly, but can help narrow down whether this is mailbox-side or app-side.

If this is an Outlook.com, Hotmail, Live, or MSN account, could you please sign in to your email account from a browser and check whether the same messages disappear there as well? If the emails remain visible on the web but disappear only in Outlook for Mac or iPhone, the issue is more likely related to app sync or the local account setup. If the emails also disappear on the web, it would be best to contact Microsoft Support for an account-side review.

For reference, Microsoft Support also recommends reviewing recent account activity when emails are missing from an Outlook.com Inbox, especially if mailbox changes were not expected: Email is missing from your Outlook.com inbox.

If needed, you may contact Microsoft Support via live chat through this way:

1. Visit the Microsoft Support contact page: Contact - Microsoft Support  
2. In the search bar provided on the page, type "Outlook issue" and press Enter.  
3. Click on the "Get Help" button that appears.  
4. Scroll down the page until you see and click on the "Contact Support" option.  
5. When prompted to select your product or service, choose "Other Products".  
6. For the category, choose "Outlook".  
7. Look for and click on "Chat with a support agent in your web browser".  
8. Confirm your personal email when prompted - this is the email Microsoft will use to communicate with you during and after the support session.  
9. Explain your situation clearly: Be concise but provide all the relevant details. 

I hope this helps confirm whether the issue is coming from the mailbox side or the Outlook apps.

Answer 2

Most likely the messages are not deleted but hidden by a view/filter or by filtering in Outlook.com/your mail provider, and this behavior is then synced to both iMac and iPhone.

On the Mac (New Outlook or Classic):

1. Open Outlook.
2. Go to the Inbox where items disappear.
3. Check for filters in the view:
   • For Outlook 2010 and later-style views: select View tab → View Settings → Filter.
   • Review the Tasks, More Choices, and Advanced tabs and clear any conditions (date, read/unread, sender, importance, size, keywords) that might hide messages.
4. Apply the changes and see if the “missing” emails reappear.

If the account is Outlook.com/Exchange-based, also check online:

1. Sign in to Outlook.com in a browser.
2. In the Inbox, select Filter above the message list and set it to All so no filter hides recent mail.
3. Check Rules (Inbox or Sweep rules) and delete or edit any rule that moves messages out of Inbox unexpectedly.
4. Check Archive and Junk Email folders in case a rule or junk processing is moving items there.

Because both iMac and iPhone show the same disappearance, the change is almost certainly happening on the server (rules, junk processing, or a filtered view) rather than only in the New Outlook client.

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References:

• Items disappear or are not visible in an Outlook folder
• Email is missing from your Outlook.com inbox