To refresh Outlook, pull down on Inbox on mobile, press F9 in classic Outlook, or select Mail > View > Sync for a Microsoft-hosted mailbox in new Outlook for Windows. On Mac, select Tools > Sync and let synchronization finish.
The short version
- Windows: New Outlook uses View > Sync, while classic Outlook uses Send/Receive All Folders.
- Phones and tablets: Pull downward on the inbox message list and release to refresh.
- Third-party accounts: New Outlook does not offer the same manual Sync capability for Gmail, Yahoo, iCloud, and other POP or IMAP accounts.
- Persistent delays: Check your connection, background permissions, and account sign-in before resetting Outlook.
| Where to refresh | What to do | Scope |
|---|---|---|
| New Outlook for Windows | Mail > View > Sync, or F9 | Manual sync for Microsoft-hosted mailboxes |
| Classic Outlook across accounts | Send / Receive > Send/Receive All Folders, or F9 | Accounts and groups included in send/receive |
| Classic Outlook current folder | Select the folder and press Shift + F9 | Full items in the selected folder |
| Classic Outlook single account | Send / Receive > Send/Receive Groups, point to the account, then select Inbox | The chosen account |
| Outlook on iPhone, iPad, or Android | Pull downward on the inbox message list and release | Manual refresh while the app is open |
| Outlook for Mac | Tools > Sync | Account synchronization |
| Outlook.com or Outlook on the web | Mail > View > Sync | Mail sync within the open page |
| Outlook browser tab in Edge | Ctrl + R on Windows or Command + R on Mac | Reloads the webpage |
Refresh Outlook on Windows
In new Outlook, select Mail in the navigation bar, then select View > Sync. You can also press F9. Watch the synchronization status beneath the message list to see its progress.
Microsoft says Gmail, Yahoo, iCloud, and generic POP or IMAP accounts do not have the same manual Sync capability in new Outlook. Pressing F9 does not guarantee an immediate check of those providers. If a third-party mailbox stays behind, check your connection and account sign-in before resetting it.
In classic Outlook for Microsoft 365 or Outlook 2024, select Send / Receive > Send/Receive All Folders to send pending messages and check incoming mail. Press F9 or Ctrl + M for the keyboard alternative. Account and group exclusions still affect what this includes.
To refresh only the selected folder, press Shift + F9 to retrieve full items, including headers, message contents, and attachments. For one account, select Send / Receive > Send/Receive Groups, point to that account, then select Inbox.
Refresh Outlook on your phone or tablet
Open Outlook on your iPhone, iPad, or Android device and go to Inbox. Pull downward on the message list, then release and wait for new messages to appear. On Android, these steps apply to the full Outlook app.
Manual refresh and background downloading are separate operations. If messages arrive when you pull down but Outlook falls behind when you leave the app, check the background settings below. When messages arrive normally but alerts do not, fix Outlook email notification settings instead of repeatedly refreshing.
Sync Outlook on Mac or in a browser
On Mac, select Tools > Sync and allow synchronization to finish. In Outlook for Microsoft 365 or Outlook 2024 for Mac, you can also press Control + Command + K to send messages from Outbox and receive incoming mail. For a Google account, you can also select Sync on the ribbon.
In Outlook.com or Microsoft 365 Outlook on the web, select Mail > View > Sync. Alternatively, press F9 while Outlook has keyboard focus.
If the page itself is stuck, use your browser's reload button. In Microsoft Edge on Windows, press Ctrl + R or F5; on Mac, press Command + R. These shortcuts reload the browser tab and are not universal refresh shortcuts for the Outlook desktop app.
Set automatic send and receive in classic Outlook
To schedule regular mail checks, select Send/Receive > Send/Receive Groups > Define Send/Receive Groups, or press Ctrl + Alt + S. Select All Accounts or the group you want to adjust.
Check Schedule an automatic send/receive every and enter the interval in the adjacent minutes field. To synchronize when closing Outlook too, check Perform an automatic send/receive when exiting. Select Close when finished.
If one account is consistently skipped, return to Define Send/Receive Groups, select the group, then select Edit. Select the affected account and check Include the selected account in this group. Review its available sending, receiving, folder, and download options, which depend on the account type.
In new Outlook, Settings > General > Offline controls which items are saved locally. It does not set an automatic refresh interval. New Outlook automatically updates its saved items after you reconnect to the internet.
Fix delayed background sync on mobile
On iPhone or iPad, open the device's Settings > General > Background App Refresh > Background App Refresh. Select Wi-Fi or Wi-Fi & Cellular Data, then enable Outlook in the app list. After force-closing Outlook, reopen it so background checking can resume.
Also open Settings > Apps > Outlook and enable Background App Refresh. Open Notifications and enable Allow Notifications. Microsoft says background email downloading also requires mail notifications within Outlook, so open Settings in the Outlook app and enable mail notifications for the account.
On Android, open Settings > Apps > Outlook > Mobile data and allow background data. On Pixel and Samsung devices with these battery menus, select Settings > Apps > Outlook > Battery > Unrestricted. Manufacturer menus vary; on Xiaomi, select Settings > Apps > Manage apps > Outlook > Battery saver > No restrictions.
Data-saving settings can also interrupt background checks. On iPhone, Low Data Mode disables Background App Refresh; for Wi-Fi, open Settings > Wi-Fi, tap the connected network's Info button, and turn off Low Data Mode. On Pixel, open Settings > Network & internet > Data Saver > Unrestricted data, then turn on Outlook.
Fix connection and sign in problems
Check that your device is connected to the internet before repeating a manual sync. In classic Outlook, select Send / Receive > Work Offline if the button is highlighted. The highlight should disappear, along with the Working Offline status; if necessary, repeat the toggle until Outlook reconnects.
A recent password change can leave Outlook unable to sign in. In new Outlook, select the email account name, select Continue, then enter the updated password and finish signing in. If you need to change your Outlook account password, complete that change first, then respond to Outlook's sign-in request.
Restart an unresponsive new Outlook by right-clicking Start, opening Task Manager, selecting Microsoft Outlook, and selecting End task. Confirm the app has closed, then reopen it. On Mac, press Command + Q to quit Outlook, then launch it again.
On Android, open Settings > Apps > Outlook and select Force stop, then reopen Outlook. On iPhone or iPad, open the app switcher, swipe Outlook's preview upward, and reopen the app. Restart the device if the app problem persists.
Find missing messages and fix blocked delivery
Before resetting Outlook, open the same mailbox in a browser and check whether it receives incoming mail. If webmail also fails, address the account or service problem first. Refreshing the app cannot retrieve messages that never reached the server or overcome an outage.
In Outlook.com, check Other and Junk Email, and remove message-list filters. Right-click a wrongly classified message and select Mark as not junk. To restore chronological order, select Filter > Sort > Date.
Review forwarding and inbox rules when messages keep appearing somewhere unexpected. If you want to deliberately route incoming mail into folders, you can create an Outlook email rule. On mobile, tap Inbox to open the side panel, then open Settings > Mail and turn off Focused Inbox to show messages together.
A full Outlook.com mailbox or full Microsoft cloud storage can stop delivery. Open Settings > Account > Storage in Outlook.com, review the folder breakdown, and free sufficient space. Check Microsoft cloud storage too; messages rejected while storage was full must be resent by their senders.
Update or reset Outlook when sync stays stuck
Install available updates before moving to account resets. On mobile, search for Microsoft Outlook in Google Play Store or App Store and select Update; Open means the store is not offering an update. For new Outlook, open Microsoft Store, select Check for Updates, and install available Outlook updates.
In classic Outlook, select File > Office Account > Update Options > Update Now. If necessary, select Enable Updates first. If your organization manages Office updates, ask your administrator to deliver the update.
For a Microsoft-installed Mac version, select Help > Check for Updates > Update. For a Mac App Store installation, open the store's Updates page and select Update beside Outlook or Update All.
To reset a mobile account, open Outlook's Settings, open Accounts, select the affected email account, then select Reset Account. If your settings layout lists accounts directly under Settings, select the account there. On Android, you can also open the device's Settings > Apps > Outlook > Storage and select Clear cache, which Microsoft says keeps your data.
Before resetting a Mac account, preserve any information that has not synchronized with the server, because the reset deletes it. Connect the Mac to the server, then select Tools > Accounts, select the account, and choose Manage > Reset Account. Allow Outlook to resynchronize the account.
In classic Outlook, open File > Account Settings > Account Settings > Email. Select the account, then select Repair, complete the wizard, and restart Outlook. The repair option's availability depends on your account configuration.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you send pending Outlook messages without checking for new mail?
In classic Outlook for Windows, select Send All to send messages waiting in Outbox without checking incoming mail. On Mac, press Shift + Command + K to send outgoing messages only.
How do you refresh missing IMAP folders in classic Outlook?
Right-click the account's top folder, select IMAP Folders > Query, select the missing folder, then select Subscribe. For a newly created server folder, first right-click the account's top folder and select Update Folder List, then repeat Query and Subscribe. Microsoft notes that you can't perform these steps if your top-level IMAP folder's name starts with a number (0-9).
Why does Outlook on iPhone update only on Wi-Fi?
Outlook may not have permission to use cellular data. Open Settings > Cellular, enable Cellular Data, then enable Outlook in the app list. Depending on your region or device, that section can be named Mobile Data or Cellular Data.
Can Outlook.com still refresh a connected Gmail or Yahoo inbox?
Microsoft has removed third-party connected-account synchronization from Outlook.com. Add the mailbox directly to a supported Outlook desktop or mobile app, or configure forwarding at the original email provider.
Why won't Outlook Lite refresh on Android?
Microsoft ended Outlook Lite's mailbox functionality on May 25, 2026. Install and configure the full Outlook mobile app instead.
Can a browser extension stop Outlook.com from loading?
A content-blocking extension can interfere with mailbox loading. Try another supported browser, then disable or remove the problematic extension and reload Outlook.com.