Microsoft Outlook is a widely used email application among individuals and business professionals. It offers a broad range of features that makes it one of the best email clients. However, there are some common issues that users face while using it in their day-to-day tasks. One such issue is Outlook Inbox not showing all emails.

Thus, in this article, we will be discussing the reasons due to which users encounter Microsoft Outlook inbox not showing all emails error message. After that, we will share the solutions using which users can get rid of the error message.

Most Common Reasons for Outlook Inbox Not Showing All Emails

There might be “n” number of reasons due to which a lot of users face the aforementioned error message. We have explained the most common reasons for the trouble in the following section:

  • Outlook Mailbox Not Synchronized – Sometimes the users do not update their Outlook mailbox and don’t get the updated emails.
  • Focused / Other Tab in Inbox – You get two Focused and Other tabs in desktop Outlook when you configure it with Microsoft 365, Exchange or Outlook.com account.
  • Auto Archive Settings – There is an Auto Archive option in Microsoft Outlook that archives and moves all the older emails into some different folder. As a result, Outlook will not show all emails in the Inbox folder.
  • Folder View Setting in Outlook – There might be chances that you have applied some filter or changed the view mode of your mailbox. So, you are not able to see all the emails at one place.
  • Lacking Internet Connectivity – If you are not connected to the internet, then Outlook will not synchronize all emails into Outlook. So, make sure your machine is connected to the Internet.
  • Outlook PST File Health Issues – PST files are prone to corruption that results in improper Outlook functioning. Thus, ensure that your PST file is in a healthy state.

After discussing the most common reasons behind the issue, let us now discuss the solutions to fix the issue.

Outlook Inbox Not Showing All Emails – A Detailed Guide to Fix It

1. Use Send / Receive Option

If you feel that your Outlook inbox is not completely synchronized, then you can use the Send / Receive option offered in Microsoft Outlook. This feature helps users to ensure that all the emails and other mailbox items are synchronized with the mail server. It is very simple to use and you can use this functionality by executing the following steps:

  • Click on the Send / Receive button present on the top menu bar of Outlook.
  • Following that, click on the Send / Receive All Folders option and wait until that process is completed.
  • Once it is done, check the Inbox for the emails that it is not showing.

If you are still facing the issue, then you can jump to the next solution.

2. Focused and Other Tab in Outlook

The Windows Outlook displays Focused and Other tab when configured with Microsoft 365, Outlook.com and Exchange. The Focused tab consists of the most important emails while all the other emails go into the Other tab.

There might be a possibility that the emails that you are looking for are in the Other tab. By default, Outlook will show the emails in the Focused tab.

Important Note: Please make sure to check the emails in the Junk folder as well.

3. Default View Settings of Inbox

There are very high chances that you are facing Outlook Inbox not showing all emails due to the Outlook View settings. Here, you need to check and confirm that the view settings are completely fine and haven’t applied any filters. You can simply do this by following the below-mentioned steps:

  • Open Outlook ribbon and switch to the View tab.
  • There you will see a Current View option where you have to click on the Customize Current View option.
  • Navigate to the Filter option and click on Clear All Filters option.
  • Finally, go back to the Outlook inbox and click on the Send / Receive button.

4. Check Auto Archive Settings in Outlook

Another reason why your Outlook is not showing all emails in Inbox might be due to the AutoArchive settings. This option will permit you to move your emails into some separate folder so that they do not clutter your mailbox or any specific folder. Make sure that you haven’t enabled this feature as it will not show old emails in the Inbox folder. You can disable it with the help of following steps:

  • Open Microsoft Outlook and right click on the Inbox folder.
  • Following that, navigate to the Properties section. It will open a new window.

  • In this window, select the “Do not archive items in this folder” radio button.

  • After that, click on the OK button.

5. Fix Outlook Data File Corruption Issues

Many times, the users are not able to see all emails in Outlook Inbox due to the corruption issues in the data file. The PST or OST file that they are using gets corrupted and results in various issues. One such issue is Outlook Inbox not showing all emails.

Thus, to overcome this complication, users are required to fix the corrupted Outlook data file that they are using. Fortunately, Microsoft provides a free repair utility i.e. ScanPST.exe (Inbox Repair Tool). You can use this utility for free and get rid of the corruption issues completely free of cost.

The steps to run the utility are mentioned below:

  • Close Microsoft Outlook and navigate to the location where ScanPST is stored.
  • Following that, start the tool and browse the PST file that you want to repair.
  • After locating the file, click on the Start button.

  • Once the process completes, save the repaired items into a new PST file.

Finally, you can import / open the new PST file into Outlook and check if you have got all the emails in Inbox.

However, there are some drawbacks associated with the ScanPST.exe that you also need to consider. The following section contains few of them below:

  • You might need to run the repair various times to completely repair the PST file and get rid of corruption.
  • The tool does not fix each and every problem that it detects.
  • There are scenarios when this tool cannot repair severe corruption levels.
  • Many users face issues while recovering large sized PST files.

Final Words

Outlook Inbox not showing all emails is one of the most common issues that the Outlook users face. While analyzing the problems faced by the users, we have discussed various possible reasons and their respective solutions to get rid of the issue. You can read the entire article and try the solution that fits in your case.

By Mark Weins

After completing my graduation in Computer Science, I entered the technical world to explore my passion for technicalities. After working for over 7 years in this industry now, I have received over 10 awards as a tech expert.