outlook not sending or receiving emails

Gregory Fonseca 0 Reputation points
2026-09-07T13:48:22.5633333+00:00

outlook is not sending or receiving emails. i have tried to rest the account and still does not send or receive emails on my mac book pro.

Outlook | MacOS | Legacy Outlook for Mac | For home

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  1. AI answer

    2026-09-07T13:48:50.36+00:00

    Try these steps in order on Outlook for Mac:

    1. Check internet and Outlook online status.
      • Open a web browser and confirm websites load.
      • In Outlook, open the Outlook menu and make sure Work Offline is not checked.
    2. Check whether mailbox storage is full.
      • If Microsoft cloud storage is full, Outlook cannot send or receive email.
    3. Verify the account connection.
      • Go to Tools > Accounts.
      • Select the account in the left pane.
      • If the connection indicator is orange, Outlook is not connecting properly.
      • If the account worked before, try signing in through Outlook on the web to confirm whether the mailbox is reachable.
    4. Recheck account credentials and server settings.
      • In Tools > Accounts, confirm the email address, user name, and password are correct.
      • If this is a POP or IMAP account, the provider may require special settings such as SSL, custom ports, or a different outgoing SMTP server.
    5. If this is a POP or IMAP account, turn on SMTP authentication.
      • Go to Tools > Accounts.
      • Select the account.
      • Under Outgoing server, select More Options.
      • Choose the authentication type and enter credentials if required.
    6. If sending fails on some networks only, check for firewall or SMTP blocking.
      • Some ISPs or networks block the outgoing mail server.
      • In Tools > Accounts, select the account and update the Outgoing server if the provider gives an alternative SMTP server.
    7. If this is an Exchange account and mail is not syncing, empty the Outlook cache for the affected folder.
      • Warning: this deletes any information not synchronized with the Exchange server, including contacts' mail certificates. Back up Outlook data first if needed.
      • Make sure the Mac is connected to the Exchange server.
      • In the navigation pane, Ctrl+click or right-click the Exchange folder.
      • Select Properties > General > Empty Cache.
      • Outlook will re-download the items from the Exchange server.
    8. If the message is stuck because of large attachments:
      • Open the Drafts folder.
      • Remove some attachments and send again, or delete the message from Drafts and then permanently delete it from Trash.
    9. If the account uses a proxy-required network, set the mail proxy in macOS System Preferences.

    If the issue started with a specific provider account such as @shaw.ca or rogers, there is a known Outlook for Mac issue under investigation affecting send/receive for those domains.


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