outlook.com folders on macbook pro new outlook for mac - not syncing

J Land 0 Reputation points
2026-09-08T14:03:55.2933333+00:00

I have some folders in my outlook account on my apple macbook pro new outlook for mac.

The folders have emails in them.

Those emails had been in "On My Computer" folders. I moved them to the outlook.com account folders. I did all this within the new outlook for mac app on my macbook pro.

A few of those emails - are showing on the web browser gui for outlook.com, but most are not there.

And one of the folders (on the mac) doesn't show any of the moved emails, only this message: Loading... This may take a few moments.

And one of the folders isn't even showing in the web browser gui for outlook.com.

I know syncing is working on sone level on the account since I am receiving new emails and have sent emails.

I've tried the following: Leaving New Outlook for mac open for over 2 days. Restarting New Outlook for Mac and clicking sync and leaving it open for over 2 days. I've gone back to legacy outlook, but then the "On My Computer" folders don't show up at all on the Mac. Nothing is working to fix this issue, yet.

Please help.

Thank you.

Outlook | MacOS | New Outlook for Mac | For home
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  1. Hendrix-V 18,510 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-09-09T03:45:06.7866667+00:00

    Hi J Land,

    Thank you for the additional details. Since the emails are visible in Outlook for Mac but not in Outlook.com on the web, it suggests the messages may still exist only within the local Outlook data on the Mac and have not fully synchronized to the server.

    Before making any account changes, I recommend creating a backup of the locally visible mail to avoid potential data loss.

    Please try the following checks:

    1, Export the local mailbox

    • In Outlook for Mac, go to File > Export.
    • Select Mail and save the export as an .olm file.
    • Confirm the export completes successfully.

    2, Test synchronization with a new folder

    • Create a new folder in Outlook.com webmail.
    • In Outlook for Mac, move a small number of missing emails into that folder.
    • Check whether those emails appear on the web after a few minutes.

    3, Re-add the account (after backup)

    • If the test folder still does not sync, remove and add the Outlook.com account again in Outlook for Mac.
    • Allow Outlook time to fully synchronize after re-adding the account.

    If the export completes successfully, you will have a copy of the messages that can be re-imported later if needed. This can help recover content that may not currently be reaching the server.

    I understand how concerning it can be when important emails appear in one location but not another. Taking a backup first will provide a safety net while you continue troubleshooting the sync issue. Please let us know whether the export succeeds and if newly moved test messages appear in Outlook.com, as that will help determine the next steps.

    Feel free to ask me by clicking "Add Comment" or "Add Answer" if you cannot add comment so your response will be visible. Thanks for your effort.

    Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.

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  2. J Land 0 Reputation points
    2026-09-08T14:16:26.23+00:00

    on the mac, not on the web. Need to fix the sync. Alternatively, if there is a local folder with all this data and i can export and then re-import it somehow, that might fix it. Regardless, the emails are (mostly) showing in the app on the mac, but not on the web.

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  3. AI answer

    2026-09-08T14:04:19.05+00:00

    The behavior matches a sync problem between local Outlook for Mac data and the Outlook.com mailbox, especially because:

    • some moved messages appear in Outlook.com on the web,
    • one folder stays on Loading... This may take a few moments,
    • one folder does not appear in Outlook.com on the web,
    • mail send/receive still works for new mail.

    Use this recovery path:

    1. Check Outlook.com in a browser first.
      • Verify which folders and messages exist there.
      • If a folder or message appears in the browser, it exists on the server.
      • If it exists only on the Mac, it has likely not finished syncing to the server.
    2. Check whether the missing content is still local-only.
      • In Outlook for Mac, On My Computer folders are stored only on the computer and are not synchronized with a mail server.
      • Moving mail from On My Computer to an Outlook.com folder should make it server-based, but the current symptoms indicate some items may still be stuck locally or in a broken sync state.
    3. If the affected folders are visible in webmail but not correct in Outlook for Mac, clear the cache for the affected folder.
      • In Outlook for Mac, make sure it is connected to the internet.
      • Ctrl-click or right-click the affected folder.
      • Select Properties.
      • On the General tab, select Empty Cache.
      • Let Outlook re-download the folder contents from the server.
      • Risk: emptying the cache can delete information that has not synchronized with the server, so do this only after confirming the folder or items exist in webmail.
    4. If the folder is missing only in Outlook for Mac, use the Move tool to locate it.
      • Select any email.
      • Select Move > Copy to Folder...
      • Search for the missing folder name.
      • If it appears, the result can show where the folder is currently nested.
    5. If the account was also opened in Legacy Outlook, check whether local folders are hidden there.
      • In Legacy Outlook for Mac: Outlook > Preferences > General.
      • Under Sidebar, clear Hide On My Computer folders.
      • This helps confirm whether the original local-only folders still exist on the Mac.
    6. If messages are missing after switching between New Outlook and webmail, remove and re-add the account in Outlook for Mac.
      • Go to Outlook > Settings > Accounts.
      • Remove the Outlook.com account.
      • Add it again and allow it to resync.
      • This is a standard recovery step for Outlook for Mac sync issues.
    7. If the missing folder exists in Outlook.com on the web but not on the Mac after re-adding the account, leave Outlook open until the folder list fully rebuilds.
      • A reported case showed Outlook for Mac appeared stuck because a large folder was still rebuilding after a network interruption.
    8. If the folder is missing in Outlook.com on the web as well, search for messages from that folder in Outlook.com.
      • For Outlook.com folder issues, items in missing folders may still be discoverable by search.

    The key distinction is:

    • Visible in Outlook.com on the web = server copy exists and Outlook for Mac can usually be repaired by cache refresh or re-adding the account.
    • Visible only on the Mac = the content may still be local-only or never fully synced from the Mac to Outlook.com.
    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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