Outlook app no longer working on android phone; email folders are all blank

Lindsey K 0 Reputation points
2026-09-09T18:42:10.59+00:00

My Hotmail account works normally at Outlook.com in a browser, but Outlook for Android stopped syncing today. I uninstalled/reinstalled Outlook and reset the account and sync settings. The account is recognized as Outlook.com and the correct address is shown, but the app displays a completely blank mailbox with no folders or error. Android background data is enabled. Microsoft account Recent Activity shows no sign-in from Outlook for Android

Outlook | Outlook for mobile | Outlook for Android | For home
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  1. AI answer

    2026-09-09T18:42:30.24+00:00

    Since Outlook.com works in a browser, the issue is likely with the Outlook for Android app or the device-side sync state.

    Try this in order:

    1. In Outlook for Android, go to Settings > select the affected account > Reset Account.
      • This refreshes the local account state.
    2. If the mailbox is still blank, remove and re-add the account:
      • In Settings, tap the affected account > Delete Account > Delete From This Device.
      • Add the account again as Outlook.com or Exchange if prompted.
      • Do not add it as IMAP or POP, because calendar and contacts will not sync correctly in that mode.
    3. Force close and reopen Outlook.
      • If Outlook is showing incomplete or incorrect data, a full close and reopen is recommended before testing again.
    4. Check whether the mailbox/device partnership is corrupted and remove it from Outlook.com:
      • In Outlook.com, go to Settings > General > Mobile devices.
      • Select the Android device and delete the device partnership.
      • Select Save.
      • Power the phone off completely, restart it, then sync the mailbox again.
    5. Check for Outlook.com service issues.
      • If Outlook.com is having an outage, mobile sync can stop even when setup looks correct.
    6. If the account was added anywhere on Android as IMAP instead of Exchange, remove that account and re-add it as Exchange.
      • Microsoft notes that IMAP/POP accounts do not sync calendar and contacts, and an incorrectly added account can cause sync problems.
    7. If another Microsoft app is installed and sign-in/sync is being blocked on Android, disable aggressive power management for Authenticator or Company Portal and open that app before Outlook.
      • On some Android devices, power-saving settings can prevent Outlook from adding or syncing a Microsoft 365 account correctly.
    8. If the mailbox remains blank after re-adding, open an in-app Outlook support ticket from the app and select Contact Support.
    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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  2. John Jefferson Doyon 86,980 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-09-09T19:18:16.5433333+00:00

    Hi, @Lindsey K

    Since the Hotmail account works normally at Outlook Web, the account and mailbox itself appear to be working. The issue seems limited to Outlook for Android.

    Since reinstalling and resetting the account did not help, try this:

    • Go to Android "Settings" > "Apps" > "Outlook" > "Storage"
    • Tap "Clear cache" and "Clear data"
    • Restart the phone
    • Open Outlook and add the Hotmail account again

    Also temporarily disable any VPN, ad blocker, or Private DNS, then test Outlook again. The fact that no Outlook for Android sign-in appears under Recent Activity may mean the app is not completing the Microsoft sign-in process.

    If the mailbox is still blank, to help narrow down the issue:

    1. What Android version and Outlook app version are you using?
    2. When you add the account, do you see the normal Microsoft sign-in page and does it complete without any message?
    3. If you add another Outlook.com/Hotmail account to the app, does that account load normally?

    Click "Add comment" to let me know.

    Thanks!

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  3. Techie 0 Reputation points
    2026-09-11T01:55:53.65+00:00

    @Lindsey K you aren't alone. I have the exact same issue and behavior and it started the same day as you. I already did all the usual things to fix Outlook app on Android. Ignore what people tell you to do here, it's not the real solution in my opinion, something in the cloud or on the app has to get fixed. Interestingly, I get notifications on my phone that I got emails but I cant see the emails. Some emails did sync today, but not all of them (I can see all the emails in my browser). And if I search on keyboards in the app, I can see some emails that arrived today but I can't open them. It's like they are downloaded but the app can't show them to me.

    Looks like this person has the same problem, also this month: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/5991702/new-outlook-for-android-does-not-show-any-emails

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