Users have an issue with Outlook i.e. Outlook not showing older emails which is very common. Suppose the user is new from 1 month to 12 months. This is the problem with newer versions. However, there are several reasons for the same and different solutions to solve this problem. Every way given in the article is verified and tested. In addition, you can apply these methods to Office 365, Outlook 365, Outlook 2019, 2016, etc.
Moreover, understanding the numerous factors that can contribute to this issue is essential for managing and accessing emails in Outlook 365 effectively.
To regain access firstly you need to know about the reasons why old emails are not visible in Outlook 365. Before that, you need to check whether it is available in your inbox or not by making use of the Search functionality
You can make use of the search bar present in Outlook to find the email you are looking for. Also, you can search by sender, recipient, or keyword. Additionally, Make an advanced search by clicking the magnifying glass icon next to the search bar.
Reasons Why Old Emails are Not Visible in Outlook 365
There are an ample number of reasons why Outlook not showing older emails. To understand them let’s go through with them one by one.
- View Configuration Limitation – You can configure your Outlook according to the needs of the organization. Maybe the reason for Outlook not showing older emails is that the configuration of Outlook can be done due to this only specific people can access.
- By Applying the Search Filter – You can view the old email by using the search feature but not by clicking the inbox folder. You need to check if your mail is not visible in the mailbox first you need to click on the View option where You can choose to view “All Mail” or adjust the date range. Double-check the search bar to ensure no filters are applied to a filter that excludes older emails.
- Synchronization Issues – You need to check whether you are using emails online mode or offline and then you need to check whether the data is synchronization correctly or not. Mostly try to use the online mode. Maybe your sync settings and view settings are not configured correctly.
- Limitations with the Storage – In many cases, it is common that the storage is low and the subscription is high. Make sure you purchase the plan according to the requirements of your organization. Otherwise, you need to upgrade your plan.
Additional Reasons
- Unexpected Archiving or Deletion of Email – There is a possibility that why old emails are not visible in Outlook 365 is that your mail is not present in the mailbox. It may be accidentally archived or deleted maybe by you or any other person using the common mailbox. Therefore, you need to check the archive or delete item folder present within your mailbox. However, you can restore them to your inbox.
- Fault in Server-Side – It may rarely happen that the server-side causes the problem and the emails are not loading while you are searching. In this scenario, you can check the Microsoft 365 Service Status page.
- Internet Connectivity – It is also one of the reasons that’s why old emails are not visible in Outlook 365
Note: Recovery of deleted emails depends on your plan. In general, If the mail is deleted it will move to the deleted item folder which can be restored in between 30 days.
After going through the reasons why old emails are not visible in Outlook 365 moving to the solution of the problem to fix them.
How to Fix Outlook Not Showing Older Emails?
There are different methods used to solve the problem i.e. Microsoft Outlook Not Showing Older Emails. Let’s brief them step by step and find out the way suitable for your use.
Method 1# Change the Default View Configuration
This method is used by every second user since it is easy to use and comes in one of the recommended methods. In this method, you need to configure the view settings to fix the Outlook App not showing old emails. You can reset it to default view settings.
You need to follow the steps listed below for the same.
Step 1. Go to the Outlook 365 and Click on View
Step 2. Select View Settings to open the “Advanced View Settings” window.
Step 3. Select the “Reset Current View” option.
Step 4. Save the changes by clicking on the “OK” button.
Using these steps you can reset the default view settings.
Method 2# Verify the Cache Exchange Mode
The Cache Exchange mode is used to determine how long you can retain your email message. It is present in the Exchange server. If you are not able to find your old mail you can check the Exchange cache mode.
The steps listed below are necessary for this
Step 1. Login to Outlook and Click on the File option.
Step 2. Go to “Account Settings” and select your Exchange or Microsoft 365 account.
Step 3. Click on the Change.
Step 4. In “Offline Settings” check for Use Cached Exchange Mode.
Step 5. Click “Next” and complete the configuration then exit Outlook and restart it.
Note If the Exchange cache mode is activated, a copy of the emails is saved to your computer. The window client retains the emails for one year.
Method 3# Modify the Retention Policies
A retention policy is a set of rules used to specify how long the emails should be retained. When the user wants to archive emails the retention policies are used. If the user doesn’t want to delete any email they use different holds present in this policy.
Steps to modify the retention policies.
Step 1. Log in to the Exchange admin center using your Microsoft credentials.
Step 2. Go to the compliance management and select retention policies from there.
Step 3. Click on the “Add +” button.
Step 4. A new retention policy window appears, “type a name”
Step 5. Click “Add+” under Retention tags and Select a new policy.
Step 6. Click on the OK button.
Step 7. A new window appears then click on the Save button.
To assign the policy you make to your account you need to follow the steps mentioned below.
Step 1. Click on Recipients and select the Mailboxes.
Step 2. Open the User Mailbox account window.
Step 3. Click on the Mailbox features.
Step 4. Select the policy you created and then Click on the Save button.
Moving to the next method to fix the issue of why old emails are not visible in Outlook 365
Method 4# Locate Older Mail within the New Search Folder
Some of the emails are grouped in old emails i.e. unable to search in the send and receive menu. This is why old emails are not visible in Outlook 365
If you want to fix it follow the steps given.
Step 1. Open Outlook and Click on the Folder menu.
Step 2. Click on the New Search Folder & Scroll to the “Organizing Mail” option.
Step 3. After that, Select “Old mail” & Click on the “Choose” option.
Step 4. Select the “time”, here you can choose the filter accordingly.
Step 5. Click on the Office 365 account for the old email and click on OK.
A new folder is created named “Older than 3 Months” in Search Folder where you can find your old email.
Method 5# Decrease Large PST Files
The size of the PST file is large about 50GB or exceeds Outlook not showing older emails. To fix this issue, you need to delete large unuseful files & decrease large PST files from your Outlook. You need to follow the steps written below.
Step 1. Delete the unnecessary data files from the deleted item folder.
Step 2. Go to the Account settings window & open it.
Step 3. Click on “Data Files” and select the account containing large PST files.
Step 4. Click on the “Settings” option and select Compact Now.
Step 5. Click on apply and then OK.
It will start to decrease large PST files from your Outlook.
Method 6# Check Older Emails on Outlook Web
In general, if you are an Outlook web user, there is a high chance to find your email which is not visible in Outlook. Maybe your mail is present in the archive, deleted,
Follow these steps to check your emails over different folders.
Step 1. Login to Outlook web with your Office 365 credential IDs.
Step 2. Go to the Archive, Deleted, and Junk Email folders one by one and check them.
Step 3. If your old mail is present there Right-click on it & Move it to Inbox.
If these above-mentioned methods are not working well, make use of the last method mentioned below.
Method 7# Use Any Automated Tool to Export.
If you can store your data because of reasons i.e. old emails are not visible in Outlook 365 in your local storage. Therefore, you need to export your data. Let’s understand it in brief.
In case of backup, archiving transferring email data analysis, and legal compliance you need to export your email data from Outlook. It’s hard to export data without any automated tool Since Microsoft does not provide an exporting tool within it. One of the professional software is SysTools Office 365 Export Tool.
The top features of the tool are mentioned over here.
- To export important data first, it provides a date and category filter.
- An Export Report is generated by this tool and it can be saved in CSV File Format.
- Various O365 subscription plans are compatible with this tool.
- Consolidates information from Office 365 into PST, EML, MSG, MBOX, or PDF file formats.
- Suitable for use with the latest versions of Microsoft Windows OS.
Wrapping Up
The topic of Outlook not showing older emails has been resolved in this information blog. Beginning with the introduction of the subject and proceeding to explain why old emails are not visible in Outlook 365. After that, we will discuss the various methods to resolve this issue. However, one way to simplify the work is by using professional software.
Moreover, you can easily fix your Outlook problem as far as you know the reasons for same. Just follow the method based on your requirements & situation that arises at that time.