IMAP email stops sending to Outlook App

Question

Hello,

I recently started working for a company that uses IMAP for their linked outlook emails. Please forgive me as I don't actually know the lingo, I just know that it says that on my app information.

However, everyday at the same time my app on my PC and on my iPhone both stop receiving and notifying me of incoming emails. I do not have any notifications turned off, I do not have do not disturb(s) turned on, and I simply can't figure out what is going on. I can close and reopen the app on my iPhone and it will download all incoming emails. My PC app will not. I close it, reopen it, force end it, reopen it and nothing. They just simply stop coming in on the PC via the app. I can access them and receive them as normal on webmail.com (but I dislike that more than I do using the outlook app.)

We are a small company and do not have IT support, this was originally set up by a wed designer. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

Answer 1

Dear AS,

Good day, and please do not worry about the terminology at all, your description was very clear, and there is plenty to work with here. From what you have described, the fact that both your PC and iPhone stop receiving at roughly the same time each day, while new messages still arrive normally in Outlook on the web, suggests this is a synchronization or mail server issue rather than a notification setting. The fact that Outlook on the web continues working confirms the emails are reaching your mailbox without any problem, so nothing is being lost.

As a forum moderator, I genuinely wish I could directly inspect your mail account and Outlook configuration to diagnose and fix this for you. Unfortunately, my role here is limited to providing general guidance and steps you can try from your side. Before changing or removing anything, could you please share a few more details?

1. What time does it stop each day, roughly?
2. Does sending also stop, or only receiving?
3. Who hosts the company email? Please do not post your full email address publicly, but the hosting provider or the part after the @ would be helpful.
4. Are you using Classic Outlook or New Outlook on the PC? You can usually tell by whether there is a "New Outlook" toggle in the top-right corner.
5. Do you see any error message, or does it simply stop quietly?
6. Do your colleagues experience the same thing, or is it just you?

The consistent timing is the most useful clue here. It often points to something scheduled on the mail server's side, such as a security policy, a connection limit, a session timeout, a backup process, or a password or token expiry at the hosting provider.

When the next failure occurs:

1. Confirm that the missing message is visible in Outlook on the web
2. In Outlook on the PC, press F9 to force a sync
3. Look at the bottom of the window for the status of your mailbox.
4. Does Outlook then update, or does it show any error message?

I hope this helps as a starting point. Once I have a clearer picture, I can give you more targeted guidance or point you toward the right support channel. Please let me know what you find, and if you have any questions in the meantime, feel free to share them in the comments so I can continue to support you. Thank you for your patience and understanding. I'm looking forward to your reply.

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