How to Recover a Deleted Email in Outlook

An email deleted on reflex, then instant regret: it has happened to everyone. In most cases you can recover a deleted email in Outlook in a few clicks, even once it has left the bin. Here is how.

1. Look in the Deleted Items folder

That is the first reflex when you want to recover a deleted email. In the folder list, open Deleted Items (or "Trash"). Find the message, right-click it and choose Move > Other Folder to put it back in your inbox.

2. Use "Recover Deleted Items"

If the message has left Deleted Items, it may still sit in the recoverable items folder, which the server keeps for a limited time:

1. Select the Deleted Items folder.
2. Click Recover Deleted Items (in the Folder menu of classic Outlook, or at the top of the list in new Outlook).
3. Tick the messages you want back, then confirm the recovery.

Restored items come back to the Deleted Items folder, from which you can move them.

3. Watch the retention period

Your administrator sets how long a message stays recoverable, often somewhere between 14 and 30 days. Past that point, recovery is no longer guaranteed. So act quickly.

4. Recovering a deleted folder

Did you delete a whole folder? If it is still in Deleted Items, simply drag it back to its place in the folder list to restore it with all of its messages.

Frequently asked questions

Can you recover a permanently deleted email?

As long as the server retention period has not run out, the "Recover Deleted Items" option will often bring it back. Beyond that, only an administrator with backups or a retention policy can sometimes help.

Does this method work on every account?

Recovery from recoverable items applies mainly to Microsoft 365, Exchange and Outlook.com accounts. IMAP and POP accounts follow the rules of their own provider.

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