Outlook and Gmail not syncing sub folders

Question

Outlook and Gmail not syncing sub folders

April Cook 0

The new Outlook email and the Outlook Classic are very different. I went back to Classic, and now my Gmail emails will not sync my Sub Folders. I have lost everything. I have reached out to Tech support requesting a phone call and or chat and am getting no response. I am frustrated with Ai support and or getting no support at all when I need it, like NOW, i need help NOW.

Locked Question. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

Robert Schey 10 Reputation points

2026-09-15T04:47:37.8433333+00:00

This problem is definitly still happening on IMAP and GMail.

See the image below showing a recreate that I did today

Any thoughts out there?
Hornblower409 15,070 Reputation points

2026-09-16T05:08:15.7766667+00:00

@Robert Schey said

This problem is definitly still happening on IMAP and GMail.

I understand that you have the same or similar issue to the one discussed in this thread. But you will probably not get any help by adding to an older post.

I would suggest that you start a new thread using the "Ask a question" button at the top of this page to create a new Question and include the details for your specific problem and what steps you have already tried to fix it.

This provides much higher visibility to your issue than adding on to an existing post, which is only seen by people who are already following this question.

(You can put the link for this page in your new Question for reference)

4 answers

Robert Schey 10 Reputation points

2026-09-15T04:47:37.8433333+00:00

This problem is definitly still happening on IMAP and GMail.

See the image below showing a recreate that I did today

Any thoughts out there?
Hornblower409 15,070 Reputation points

2026-09-16T05:08:15.7766667+00:00

@Robert Schey said

This problem is definitly still happening on IMAP and GMail.

I understand that you have the same or similar issue to the one discussed in this thread. But you will probably not get any help by adding to an older post.

I would suggest that you start a new thread using the "Ask a question" button at the top of this page to create a new Question and include the details for your specific problem and what steps you have already tried to fix it.

This provides much higher visibility to your issue than adding on to an existing post, which is only seen by people who are already following this question.

(You can put the link for this page in your new Question for reference)

Answer 1

@April Cook said

now my Gmail emails will not sync my Sub Folders

If the answers from John DeV and Q&A Assist (ensure that all of your subfolders are set "Show In IMAP" in GMail web, and that your have "Subscribed" to them in Outlook Classic) don't work for you there is another possible workaround - Setting a GMail Root Folder.

[External Non-Microsoft Site] https://robert365.com/article/gmailroot

I only suggest you try this after trying the suggested solutions. Since adding a GMail Root folder is usually for fixing a different problem (where your GMail subfolders don't appear in the right place in Outlook). But if you've tried everything else ...

Answer 2

I noticed you reported my answer that the issue was not resolved, and I want to make sure I answered your question completely and accurately.

Open Gmail on a web browser > Settings > Labels

For each affected label (subfolder), ensure:

Show in label list (optional)

Show in IMAP (required)

If this isn’t enabled, Outlook will never see those folders, no matter how many times you re-add the account.

Answer 3

Hi, good day!

There was a known issue where Gmail accounts stopped syncing with Classic Outlook beginning February 26, 2026. Microsoft addressed this on March 20, 2026, through a service-side fix. If your situation aligns with this, you might want to try the workaround outlined in the Microsoft Support article.

https://support.microsoft.com/office/users-get-errors-0x800ccc0e-0x800ccc0f-synchronizing-gmail-and-yahoo-accounts-in-classic-outlook-e5a7b684-7c5c-4848-ab2d-d48291451f67

I look forward to your update and am happy to continue working with you until the issue is resolved. If you find the answer helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and consider upvoting it. Otherwise, please keep me posted by clicking "Add comment" below instead of selecting Yes or No.

Answer 4

Classic Outlook and the new Outlook use different account types and sync behavior, so switching back can affect how Gmail folders appear.

For classic Outlook, verify these points to restore folder sync:

Confirm the correct account type
- In classic Outlook, go to File > Account Settings > Account Settings… > Email.
- Make sure the Gmail account is set up as IMAP, not as Exchange or Microsoft 365.
- If the account type is wrong, remove the Gmail account from this list and re-add it as IMAP.
Re-add the Gmail account from classic Outlook (not Control Panel)
- In classic Outlook, go to File > Add Account.
- Enter the Gmail address and password and let Outlook auto-configure it.
- This uses the modern setup flow that is more compatible with Google’s current security and should correctly sync messages and folders.
Check that classic Outlook is syncing all folders
- After the IMAP account is added, expand the Gmail account in the folder list.
- Right-click the Gmail root folder (often labeled with the Gmail address) and choose IMAP Folders.
- Select Query, then select the folders that should sync and choose Subscribe.
- Run Send/Receive All Folders and verify that subfolders and their contents appear.
If classic Outlook isn’t syncing existing folders/messages
- Double-check that the Gmail account is not added as the wrong type (for example, as Outlook.com or Microsoft 365). A Gmail address must use the Gmail/IMAP type for full folder sync.

If subfolders and messages still do not appear after confirming IMAP setup and folder subscriptions, contact support again and provide the exact account type shown in Account Settings and whether the folders are visible but empty or missing entirely.

References:

Troubleshoot Outlook email setup