Recovering deleted emails in Outlook is pretty straightforward — and there’s still hope even if the email isn’t in the Deleted Items folder! Let’s break this down step-by-step.
1. Recover from the Deleted Items Folder (Outlook Desktop & Web)
* Go to Deleted Items :
- Outlook Desktop: Open Outlook → Go to the Folder Pane → Select Deleted Items (or Trash).
- Outlook on the Web: Go to Outlook.com → Open the Deleted Items folder.
* Find Your Email :
- Browse or search for the deleted email.
- Right-click the email → Select Move → Inbox (or another folder).
What if it’s no longer in Deleted Items?
2. Recover from the Recoverable Items Folder (Outlook Desktop & Web)
When you empty the Deleted Items folder (or hard-delete an email with Shift + Delete), Outlook moves it to a hidden folder called Recoverable Items.
Outlook Desktop (Windows/Mac) :
* Go to Deleted Items :
- Open Deleted Items.
- Click the Folder tab on the ribbon.
- Select Recover Deleted Items.
* Find and Recover :
- A window will show recently deleted items.
- Select the item(s) → Click Restore Selected Items.
- The email will return to your Deleted Items folder.
Outlook on the Web :
* Go to Deleted Items :
- Open Deleted Items.
- At the top, click Recover items recently deleted from this folder.
* Find and Recover :
- Select the items you want to recover.
- Click Restore, and the emails go back to your Inbox or the original folder.
3. If Emails Are Permanently Deleted (Exchange Accounts Only) :
- If you’re using an Exchange account (e.g., Office 365, Outlook.com, corporate email), your administrator may have email retention policies in place.
- Contact your IT admin — they may be able to recover items beyond the visible retention period using eDiscovery or Microsoft Purview Compliance Center.
4. Use a Local Backup (.PST File) :
- If you’ve backed up your Outlook data as a .PST file, you can restore the email by:
- File → Open & Export → Open Outlook Data File (.pst).
- Browse for your backup file and find the missing email.
