Emails getting caught in "Outbox"

R.W. Johnson 0 Reputation points
2026-11-12T22:17:43.7166667+00:00

In my mailbox suddenly an "outbox" listing has appeared (never saw it before) and it's grabbing my "sent" items and not letting me send them. What to do???

Outlook | Windows | Classic Outlook for Windows | For home
0 comments

2 answers

Sort by: Most helpful
Most helpful Newest Oldest
  1. EmilyS726 279.8K Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-11-12T22:49:06.8+00:00

    Hello

    There's currently a global outage affecting some Microsoft services, including Outlook, New/Classic Outlook app, OneDrive, Copilot and others. It is an issue on Microsoft's end. Service status can be monitored here https://status.cloud.microsoft/

    Or via Msft's X/Twitter page: https://x.com/MSFT365Status/status/2120938282204688468

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments

  2. AI answer

    2026-11-12T22:18:13.4+00:00

    In Outlook for Windows, the Outbox appears when messages are waiting to be sent. If messages are being caught there, use these checks in order:

    1. Make sure Outlook is online
      • Go to Send/Receive.
      • If Work Offline is highlighted, select it to turn it off.
      • Then select Send All.
    2. Check whether a stuck message has a large attachment
      • A large attachment is a common reason a message stays in the Outbox.
      • Go to Send/Receive > Work Offline.
      • Open Outbox.
      • Delete the stuck message, or drag it to Drafts, open it, and remove the attachment.
      • Turn Work Offline off again.
    3. Turn on automatic sending
      • If mail only leaves the Outbox after a manual send/receive, the Send immediately when connected setting may be off.
      • Go to File > Options > Advanced.
      • In Send and receive, enable Send immediately when connected.
      • Select OK.
    4. Check Sent Items after sending
      • Sent mail should appear in Sent Items after it is successfully sent.
      • If an item is still in Outbox, it has not been sent yet.
    5. If Sent Items seems missing or unusual
      • Expand the folder list and check Sent Items.
      • If mail is not appearing there, Outlook settings may need adjustment.

    If the message sends only when pressing F9 or manually using Send/Receive, step 3 is the key fix.

    References:

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

    Was this answer helpful?

Your answer

Answers can be marked as 'Accepted' by the question author and 'Recommended' by moderators, which helps users know the answer solved the author's problem.