Email storage full

RachelB 0 Reputation points
2026-09-11T23:05:51.53+00:00

I purchased an additional 1 TB of cloud storage and deleted years' worth of old emails, but it still says I have used 98% of my email storage. Please help!

Outlook | Web | Outlook.com | Email
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  1. EmilyS726 264.9K Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-09-12T02:33:38.96+00:00

    Hello,

    Has it been 48 hours yet since you purchased the subscription? If not, it can take up to 48 hours for the changes to be reflected in your account?

    If it has been more than 48 hours, you would need to contact Microsoft billing support.

    To get help, open the "Get Help" app on your computer (just search for it in the Start menu). or go to https://support.microsoft.com/contactus, Type "Billing" and press Enter. On the next screen, click "Contact support" at the bottom of the page, then choose "Microsoft 365" > "Manage my subscription". You’ll then see the option to chat with a Microsoft support agent who has access to your account to help review the issue.

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  2. AI answer

    2026-09-11T23:06:06.5933333+00:00

    Additional cloud storage does not increase Outlook.com email storage beyond the mailbox limit. For consumer Outlook.com accounts, mailbox storage is capped at 100 GB, and if email storage is full, more cloud storage will not reduce the mailbox percentage.

    What to do next:

    1. In Outlook on the web, open Settings > Account > Storage.
      • This shows which folders are using the most mailbox space.
      • Use the cleanup options there to permanently delete items, including older items.
    2. Empty Deleted Items.
      • Messages in Deleted Items still count toward the mailbox quota until that folder is emptied.
    3. Permanently delete large or old messages.
      • In Outlook, deleting normally moves mail to Deleted Items.
      • To permanently delete selected messages immediately, use Shift+Del.
      • This is destructive and the messages cannot be recovered from Deleted Items afterward.
    4. Wait for the quota to refresh.
      • After deleting mail or changing storage, the updated usage can take up to 48 hours to appear.
      • Similar reports indicate the lock or full-status can take 24 to 48 hours to clear.
    5. If the mailbox still shows 98% after 48 hours, check the account storage page and refresh it.
      • If purchased storage still does not appear correctly after 24 hours, try unlinking and relinking OneDrive.

    Key point:

    • Cloud storage covers OneDrive files, Outlook.com attachments and inline images, Teams personal attachments, and similar items.
    • Mailbox storage covers emails, contacts, calendar items, and deleted messages.
    • Buying extra file storage helps with cloud storage, but consumer mailbox storage remains capped at 100 GB.
    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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