I’m Not Receiving Emails: Causes and Solutions

Monday morning, 9 a.m., at the coffee machine.
“Hi colleague! Did you get my email about our team meeting being moved to today at 9:30 instead of tomorrow morning?” asks a coworker enthusiastically.
You look at her, stunned. She raises her eyebrows. You rush back to your desk to check your emails: nothing.

What happened? Why aren’t you receiving emails? There are several reasons why messages might not reach your inbox. Let’s take a look at them—and, more importantly, how to fix the issue!

Why am I not receiving emails in my inbox?

Before looking at the specific features of different email clients, here is an overview of the most common reasons why emails do not arrive, along with their solutions:

• A full inbox or saturated storage space → empty your different email folders (sent, received, junk, etc.) as well as large files stored in the cloud.
• A synchronization error → check your Wi-Fi or mobile data connection, and possibly adjust MX records or POP/IMAP settings.
• Incorrectly configured filters or sorting rules → disable or adjust rules that prevent emails from reaching your main inbox (e.g., blocked senders).
• A server outage → check for technical issues and contact your provider if needed.
• A blocked or deactivated account → reset the account or update the password.
• An expired domain name (for business emails with custom domains) → renew or replace the domain name.

Let’s now take a closer look at the specific reasons that can prevent emails from reaching you, depending on your email software.

👉 Note: For each platform, we highlight the most common causes. This is not an exhaustive list!

On the Outlook/Hotmail mobile or desktop app, the main causes of missing emails are:

1. A full inbox: you’ve reached your storage limit.
2. The email was sent to your Junk Email folder.
3. A rule prevents the email from reaching your primary inbox (blocked sender, move to folder, etc.).
4. Your Microsoft account is locked (e.g., for security reasons).

If you use Gmail, the reasons your emails might not reach your inbox include:

1. Emails redirected to Promotions or Social tabs.
2. Emails redirected to Spam or All Mail.
3. Google Drive/Gmail storage is full (both share the same quota).
4. A custom filter redirects your messages or blocks certain senders.

Common causes for not receiving emails on Yahoo Mail include:

1. The message was redirected to Spam or Trash.
2. An active filter sends the message to another folder (e.g., Archives or a custom folder).
3. Your Yahoo account is temporarily blocked (e.g., due to suspicious activity).
4. Your storage is at maximum capacity.

If you're using iCloud Mail, you may not receive emails because:

1. The message was redirected to Junk by iCloud’s spam filter.
2. Your iCloud storage is full (mail shares space with other files).
3. The sender’s domain is temporarily filtered by Apple for security reasons.
4. There is an issue with your Apple ID (e.g., password update required or account locked).

Why am I no longer receiving emails on my phone?

If emails aren’t arriving on your smartphone, the cause may be device-specific. Even our super-advanced phones have weaknesses!

Your iPhone may fail to receive emails due to:

1. The email account is not connected in Settings.
2. Fetch/Push data retrieval is disabled.
3. Cellular data is turned off.
4. The account password is incorrect.

If you use Android, the issue may come from:

1. Sync being disabled in Settings.
2. A full email app cache.
3. Missing permissions for the email app.
4. An outdated email app.

How can I start receiving emails again?

Now that we’ve identified the main issues, here is a checklist of actions to resolve the problem, depending on your email service and your device.
If nothing works, contact your email provider.

On different email services

1. Empty your inbox, sent items, trash, and junk folders.
2. Check the Junk Email folder.
3. Review your rules (Settings > Mail > Rules) and disable any that could block emails.
4. Log in to your Microsoft account to ensure it isn’t locked; reset your password if necessary.

1. Check Spam, Promotions, and All Mail.
2. Delete unnecessary emails or large files in Drive to free storage.
3. Review filters (Settings > Filters and Blocked Addresses).
4. Check your MX records and IMAP configuration. Ask your IT department for help if needed.

1. Check the Trash folder.
2. Make sure no active filters redirect your messages (Settings > More Settings > Filters).
3. Ensure your account is not blocked; reset your password if necessary.
4. Remove senders from your Blocked Addresses list if needed.

1. Check the Junk folder.
2. Free up space by deleting old messages or files.
3. Review rules on iCloud.com (Settings > Rules) and disable any that redirect or block emails.
4. Verify your account status and check whether a password/security update is required.

On different devices

1. Check Mail app settings (incoming/outgoing servers, password, etc.).
2. Delete and recreate the email account if needed.
3. Check the Wi-Fi connection.

1. Log in to the webmail version to see if the issue is software-related.
2. Update your email client.
3. Check your antivirus or firewall (they might block server access).

1. Go to Settings > Mail > Accounts and confirm the account is connected.
2. Go to Settings > Mail > Accounts > Fetch New Data → enable Push or schedule a Fetch frequency.
3. Enable cellular data in Settings > Cellular and ensure Mail has access.
4. Re-enter your password if “Incorrect password” or another error appears.

1. Settings > Accounts → ensure Auto-sync is enabled; manually sync if needed.
2. Settings > Apps > (email app) > Storage → Clear cache and Clear data.
3. Settings > Apps > (email app) > Permissions → enable Network, Storage, and Notifications.
4. Update the app.

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Now you know why your emails are no longer reaching you and the steps you can take to fix the issue on your various devices. You'll never miss another piece of information again! A valuable time saver...

Speaking of saving time, remember to design your Outlook email templates in advance.