Sources checked: 12 October 2026.
A missing message may be hidden in a different folder, moved by a rule or deleted. Start in the Outlook.com website on a computer, using the full Hotmail address for the mailbox you want to check. Recovering every missing message is not always possible; availability depends on where the message went and whether it still exists.
Find messages before attempting recovery
- Confirm the account. Check the signed-in address, particularly if you use several Microsoft accounts. Search for a known sender or distinctive subject rather than assuming an empty inbox means the mail has been erased.
- Remove view restrictions. Set the message-list filter to All. If Focused Inbox is enabled, look in Other as well as Focused.
- Open Archive and Junk Email. Move a wanted archived message to Inbox. For legitimate mail in Junk, use the available Not junk command.
- Review message-moving rules. On a computer, open Outlook.com’s Rules settings. Inspect rules and Sweep actions that move incoming messages; correct an unintended rule after identifying what it does.
These checks follow Microsoft’s missing-email guidance. Searching first avoids changing settings for a message that is already present elsewhere.
Restore deleted messages
- Open Deleted Items and select any messages you recognize. Use Move to return them to Inbox or another normal folder.
- If they are absent, choose Recover items deleted from this folder at the top of Deleted Items.
- Select the recoverable messages and choose Restore. Use a PC or Mac; Microsoft says this recovery area is unavailable in a mobile browser.
Microsoft’s deleted-item recovery guide states that Outlook.com automatically deletes mail from Deleted Items after 30 days, and items removed from that folder are recoverable for 30 days. These are retention limits, not a promise that a particular email can be restored. Check promptly and keep important mail in normal folders, not Junk or Deleted Items.
If messages keep disappearing
Unexpected rules or unfamiliar activity deserve a security check. Open your Microsoft account directly and review recent sign-ins and recovery information, using Microsoft’s account-protection guidance. Never give a supposed recovery agent your password or verification code.
If a message is no longer available through the recovery controls, ask its sender for another copy or check a backup you already own. A password reset does not recreate permanently deleted email.
Independent information: Number Customer Care is not affiliated with Microsoft. We cannot access your account, reset your password or provide Microsoft customer support.