Email folders empty

In this scenario Gmail still has the mail, but Outlook’s local view of the Gmail folders is empty. This is typically an IMAP folder-visibility or sync issue between Gmail and Outlook.

Use these steps to fix it:

1. Verify Gmail folders are exposed over IMAP
   1. In a browser, sign in to Gmail.
   2. Select the gear icon > See all settings.
   3. Go to the Labels tab.
   4. For the folders you expect to see in Outlook (Inbox, Sent Mail, Trash, All Mail, and any custom labels), make sure Show in IMAP is checked.
      • Outlook needs these folders visible over IMAP to sync their contents.
2. Ensure required system folders are enabled for Outlook Outlook (including Outlook for Android/iOS and other clients) requires that Gmail’s system folders be enabled over IMAP:
   • All Mail
   • Drafts
   • Sent Mail
   • Spam
   • Trash In Gmail settings > Labels, confirm each of these has Show in IMAP enabled.
3. Refresh Outlook after changing Gmail settings After adjusting Gmail’s IMAP folder visibility:
   • Close and reopen Outlook for Windows, or use Send/Receive All Folders.
   • It can take up to 15 minutes for Outlook to resync and repopulate the folders.
4. If folders still appear but are empty
   • Confirm that the messages are actually in the corresponding Gmail label (for example, Sent Mail vs All Mail) and that the same label is set to Show in IMAP.
   • If only some folders are affected, toggle Show in IMAP off and back on for those labels in Gmail, wait a few minutes, then refresh Outlook again.

If, after these steps, Outlook still shows empty folders while Gmail has mail, remove and re-add the Gmail account in Outlook (IMAP) after confirming the IMAP label settings above.

References:

• Fix problems connecting your Google account to the Microsoft Cloud
• How to show or hide folders for IMAP in Google Settings
• How do I enable the All Mail, Drafts, Sent Mail, Spam, and Trash folders in Gmail or G Suite IMAP?