I haven't used Outlook for a while. Why are my messages taking a long ...
If you've been inactive for more than 10 days, Outlook stops syncing the mailbox until your next session for performance reasons. It may take a moment to sync, so you may briefly see your messages from 10 days ago as the app is syncing.
Applies To:
Outlook for iOS
Fixes or workarounds for recent issues in classic Outlook for Windows ...
How do I open Outlook with the /profiles switch? What are fixes for new Outlook for Windows? Make a fixes or workarounds reference card for me. Last updated: November 2026 For issues that are not covered on this page, we have multiple tools to help you automatically diagnose and fix a range of classic Outlook problems.
Applies To:
Outlook for Microsoft 365, Outlook 2024, Outlook 2021, Outlook 2019, Outlook 2016
Change the font or font size in the message list | Microsoft Support
Change the font size in your new Outlook message list From the menu, select View > View settings. Select Mail > Layout. Under Text size and spacing, select desired text size (Small, Medium, or Large). Select Save to apply the changes. Temporarily enlarge an email in the Reading Pane in new Outlook In the Reading Pane, you can also make the contents of an email larger so it’s easier to read ...
Applies To:
Outlook for Microsoft 365, Outlook 2024, Outlook 2021, Outlook 2019, Outlook 2016, New Outlook for Windows
Troubleshooting Outlook search issues | Microsoft Support
In new Outlook, when searching for older results, you can use filters to narrow your search criteria. If new Outlook finds too many results, older items may not be displayed. You can adjust the default scope to Current Folder by going into Settings. Online Archives are searched, and results are included automatically.
Applies To:
Outlook for Microsoft 365, Outlook for Microsoft 365 for Mac, Outlook 2024, Outlook 2021, Outlook 2019, Outlook 2016, New Outlook for Windows
Reduce the size of your mailbox and Outlook Data Files (.pst and .ost)
The more email you send and receive, the larger your Outlook mailbox can grow. Large mailboxes can take longer to open and search, and many email providers, including Microsoft 365, limit the maximum size of your mailbox.
Applies To:
Outlook for Microsoft 365, Outlook 2024, Outlook 2021
Storage limits in Outlook.com | Microsoft Support
You get 15 GB of free Outlook.com email storage which is separate from your Microsoft cloud storage. You have 5 GB of free cloud storage with your Microsoft account shared across your files and photos in OneDrive, attachments in Outlook.com and your Microsoft 365 apps. Microsoft 365 subscribers get 100 GB of space. I get a "Quota Exceeded" or "Mailbox full" message To check how much mailbox ...
Applies To:
Outlook.com
Fixes or workarounds for recent issues in Outlook for Mac
Note Starting July 13, 2026, Microsoft 365 subscribers on macOS, iPhone, and iPad, and those with non-subscription software, including Office 2021 or Office 2019 on macOS might notice that Office apps (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, or OneNote) can open and print files, but cannot edit, save, or create new files – called “reduced functionality mode”. For more information, go to Update ...
Applies To:
Outlook for Microsoft 365 for Mac, Outlook 2024 for Mac, Outlook 2021 for Mac
Fix search issues by rebuilding your Instant Search catalog
The catalog is similar to an index for a reference book, but instead of manually searching for the term in the book's index, you're search for it electronically by entering the term in a Outlook search box. You simply need to make sure you've set the indexing options to begin. What data is indexed in Outlook?
Applies To:
Outlook for Microsoft 365, Outlook 2024, Outlook 2021
Manage email storage with In-Place/Online Archive mailboxes
An Outlook In-Place Archive, or Online Archive, mailbox can store older email messages where they won't occupy space in your primary mailbox. This specialized mailbox appears alongside your other mailbox folders in Outlook.
Prefer tighter spacing | Microsoft Support
Recent Outlook User Experience updates include more generous spacing and padding for a cleaner, more modern look, and to make the message list easier to scan. If you prefer tighter spacing in your message list, task list, and around the To, Cc, Bcc, and Subject lines when composing a new email message, do the following: If you're using the Simplified Ribbon, select View > Use Tighter Spacing ...
Applies To:
Outlook for Microsoft 365