I can't send or receive emails using my microsoft account

Question

I can't send or receive emails using my microsoft account

Mark 5

My microsoft account appears to have stopped working. Although I can sign in and view my account I am unable to send or receive emails. I've worked through the help advice such as checking storage and changing my password but these have not been successful. Other email accounts on the same device still work normally

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3 answers

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Answer 1

GsN5034 - IA 76,465 Independent Advisor

Hello,

Is the affected email address for a personal Microsoft account (e.g., ending in @outlook.com, @hotmail.com, @gmail.com that you created for services like Skype or Xbox) or a work/school account provided by an organization (e.g., ******@company.com)?
What is the exact error message the sender receives when they try to send emails to your address?

Try sending a test email from one of your accounts to the affected email account. If you receive any bounce back error message, please share the complete error message here.

Mark 5 Reputation points

2026-09-10T10:40:36.2533333+00:00

it's for a personal email microsoft account and the sender does not recieve an error message. Strangely, I am still able to recieve emails from corporate accounts such as Apple, O2 and micrsoft such as yours
Mark 5 Reputation points

2026-09-10T10:43:52.2433333+00:00

It's my personal email account and ending in @outlook.com. The sender does not receive any error message. Strangely I can receive emails from corporate companies such as Apple, O2 and Microsoft
GsN5034 - IA 76,465 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-09-10T11:37:27.3766667+00:00

Hello,

Could you please check your Junk or SPAM email folders to see if all of your incoming emails are ending up there?

And try sending a test email from one of your accounts to the affected email account. See if you receive that email.

Also, check the Blocked Senders list in Outlook.com Web email settings.

https://outlook.live.com/mail/0/options/mail/junkEmail

Select Mail > Junk email settings > Blocked Senders and domains.

If you see the email address you want to receive emails from in the blocked senders list, delete it there.
Mark 5 Reputation points

2026-09-10T12:33:04.1+00:00

Junk folders are empty and blocked senders are not the issue. However, I sent a test email from my alternative email account to my main email account, and that worked ok.
GsN5034 - IA 76,465 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-09-10T15:04:36.3033333+00:00

Hello,

Then it appears that there are no issues with your email address itself.

May I know if you are you having trouble receiving emails from a particular sender?

If so, please try adding the sender’s email address to your Safe Senders List here:

https://outlook.live.com/mail/0/options/mail/junkEmail

So the emails from this sender will be directly delivered to your inbox folder.
Mark 5 Reputation points

2026-09-10T16:00:46.04+00:00

I was having problems receiving my wife's email but having added her to safe senders that problem has been resolved, however before doing that I checked to see if she was in my blocked senders and she wasn't.

I'm aware of one other persons emails who I've not received but again, they are not on the blocked senders list. The difficulty is I don't know who I'm not receiving emails from because I don't understand why this has happened.
GsN5034 - IA 76,465 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-09-10T16:07:46.4066667+00:00

Have you also added the other sender’s email address to your Safe Senders List?

Your incoming email service appears to be working correctly, as you are receiving emails from other senders and from another Microsoft account of yours.

If you are not receiving emails from a particular sender, the issue could also be on their end. for example, their message may not have been rejected or filtered before reaching your mailbox.

If possible, ask the sender to confirm that they sent the email and whether they received any delivery failure or bounce-back message.
Mark 5 Reputation points

2026-09-10T18:55:32.2+00:00

ok, will do. thank you for your help
GsN5034 - IA 76,465 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-09-11T04:03:24.66+00:00

Hi,

If all is resolved, feel free to rate this thread. Otherwise, please let me know if there's anything else I can help you with.
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Mark 5 Reputation points

2026-09-11T10:56:47.84+00:00

I noticed last night that both my wife and I were on an email distribution list but i didn't receive it. However, I have received some emails this morning. The difficulty is I don't know how many I'm not receiving. On Monday evening I accepted an update from Microsoft but that may just have been a coincidence. Is there anything else I can check?
GsN5034 - IA 76,465 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-09-11T15:34:29.46+00:00

Hi,

Could you please confirm whether your wife received the email that you did not receive?

Here's what you can check additionally -

See if you have any automatic rules created.

https://outlook.live.com/mail/0/options/mail/rules

Delete the email rules and click Save.

Then, check the email sweep rules -

https://outlook.live.com/mail/0/options/mail/sweep

Also, check the Junk email settings and ensure 'Incoming mail handling' is set to Standard instead of Strict. And uncheck the security options.
Mark 5 Reputation points

2026-09-11T16:57:50.83+00:00

Yes, my wife did receive the email. I've check all the email rules and they look ok

Answer 2

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Answer 3

Inability to send or receive emails in Microsoft/Outlook.com while still being able to sign in is usually caused by full storage, temporary server outages, or incorrect sync settings.

To fix Microsoft email sending and receiving issues when storage and password resets haven't worked, try these targeted steps:

Check Service Status: Visit the official Microsoft Service Health page (health.outlook.com) to ensure there isn't an ongoing server outage affecting Outlook.com.

Review Account Sync & Re-authenticate: Remove and re-add the affected account from your email client, or try accessing it directly via an Incognito/Private browser window at Outlook.live.com.

Check Focused Inbox & Rules: Verify that incoming mail isn't being automatically routed to the Junk folder, archived via hidden Inbox Rules, or blocked by forwarding settings in Settings > Mail.

Clear Browser Cache / App Data: Clear your web browser's cache and cookies or reset the Outlook app data to clear any corrupted sync tokens.

Verify Modern Authentication (OAuth): Ensure your email client supports modern authentication protocols, as legacy basic authentication support has been retired for Microsoft accounts.