Why am I not receiving emails?

1. Work out which emails are missing

Ask someone you know to send a short test email with a clear subject, such as “Email test today”. Ask them to type your address carefully rather than choosing an old saved contact. If you have another email account, you can also send a test from there.

Check whether the problem affects every device. If a message arrives on your phone but not your computer, that points towards a problem with the computer’s email app rather than delivery to your account.

Give the test a little time. Some messages are delayed rather than lost, so repeated requests can leave you with a confusing pile of replies.

2. Search beyond your main inbox

Search for the sender’s address or a distinctive word from the subject. Choose a search that includes all mail folders, if your app offers one. An email can arrive safely but be moved out of sight.

Check the folders and views below. Names vary between email services, so yours may look slightly different.

If you find a genuine message in junk, mark it as “Not junk” or “Not spam”. Adding the sender to your contacts may help, but it does not guarantee delivery. Only do this for senders you recognise.

• Junk or Spam: messages filtered out of your inbox.
• Deleted Items, Bin or Trash: messages removed accidentally or by a rule.
• Archive: messages kept outside the inbox.
• Other inbox tabs or categories, such as Other or Promotions.
• Inbox filters: switch off views that show only unread or flagged messages.

3. Check your email in a web browser

Webmail means opening your email provider’s service in a browser, rather than using an app such as Outlook or Apple Mail. Use your usual saved bookmark or type the provider’s known website address yourself. Avoid signing in through an unexpected email or text.

If the missing messages appear in webmail, your account is receiving them. The problem is more likely to be the app or its connection. If they are missing from webmail too, focus on storage, filtering and delivery checks.

If you cannot sign in, use the provider’s official account recovery process. Never share your password or a one-time sign-in code with someone offering to help.

4. Check whether your account storage is full

A full mailbox can prevent new messages from arriving. Open your account’s storage settings and look for a warning. Some providers share storage between email, online files and photos, so a small-looking inbox does not always mean you have room.

Start by reviewing large messages and attachments you no longer need. Save anything important somewhere safe before deleting it. Deleted mail may still count towards your allowance until you empty the deleted folder. Permanent deletion can be difficult or impossible to undo.

Freeing space does not guarantee that earlier messages will arrive afterwards. Once your account has room and receives a fresh test email, ask the sender to resend anything missing.

5. Refresh the app and check its connection

Open an ordinary webpage to check that your device is online. Then refresh your inbox or use “Send/Receive”, if available. Close and reopen the email app. Restarting the device is also worth trying.

Look for “Work offline”, “Disconnected”, “Account error” or a request to sign in again. If you recently changed your email password, the app may need you to sign in again through its normal account settings.

On a phone, check that mail synchronisation is enabled. This is the setting that lets the app check for new messages. Battery-saving or background-data restrictions can delay automatic checks. If mail appears when you open the app, but no alert appears, check notification settings too.

6. Review rules, blocked senders and forwarding

Email rules are instructions that automatically move, delete or forward certain messages. Check your account settings for rules or filters, especially if emails from one person or organisation keep disappearing. Also review your blocked senders list.

Check automatic forwarding. Messages could be going to another address, with or without a copy remaining in your inbox. Review these settings in webmail as well as your app, because account-level rules can run even when your computer is off.

If you find forwarding or rules you did not create, remove them and review your account security. Change your password through the provider’s official settings and enable two-step verification, which adds an extra check when signing in.

7. Ask the sender about delivery errors

If other mail arrives normally, ask the affected sender whether they received a delivery failure message, sometimes called a bounce-back. Its wording may explain that the address is wrong, your mailbox is full or delivery was rejected.

Ask them to check the exact address used. For a missing attachment, try a short message without the file. This helps separate a general delivery problem from an attachment restriction.

If several people cannot reach you and your checks show nothing obvious, look for service information from your email provider. A provider fault may need their attention rather than changes to your device. Keep any error wording to share with support.

8. Know when to stop changing settings

Avoid removing your email account from the app as a first step. Some setups keep messages only on that device. Removing the account could make those messages inaccessible unless they have been saved safely.

Leave incoming server settings alone unless you have current instructions from your provider. These settings tell the app where and how to collect mail. Guessing can create another problem.

A technician can help if sign-in errors persist, you are unsure where messages are stored, or you cannot safely reconnect the account. Bring the error wording, when the problem started and the results of your webmail test. Those details make diagnosis easier.