Problem with emails loading messages

Hi monica schiano

Thank you for reaching out to the Microsoft Q&A Forum. I understand how frustrating this is when "Downloading…" spinner for hours, especially when you can see new mail arriving.

Here are some steps that you could try:

1. Check the mailbox directly on Outlook on the web

This confirms whether the issue is app‑only.

• Sign in at https://outlook.live.com
• If emails open normally there, the mailbox is fine and the issue is isolated to the iOS app.

2. Update Outlook for iOS

• Make sure the app is fully up to date from the App Store.
• Also ensure iOS Mail or Outlook app has Background App Refresh enabled in your phone's Settings

3. Reset the mobile app

• Go to Outlook app on your phone
• Tap your profile icon (top-left) > Settings > Accounts > Choose your account
• Scroll down and select Reset Account
• Sign back in and test again

4. Remove and re-add the account

• In the same place, tap Remove account
• Close the app completely, then reopen Outlook.
• Tap Add account, and sign in again.

For more details, you can see Get in-app help for Outlook for iOS and Android - Microsoft Support

If the steps above don't work, please feel free to let me know how it goes so I’ll help you further. Thank you for your understanding and patience.

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The behavior described typically indicates a sync or loading issue in the Outlook client rather than a problem with the mail server itself.

Try these steps in order:

1. Confirm internet connectivity
   • Make sure the device has a stable internet connection by opening a few websites or another app that uses the internet.
2. Check Outlook.com service and account status
   • If using an Outlook.com address, verify that the mailbox is not full. If Microsoft cloud storage is full, new mail cannot be received or loaded correctly. Check mailbox storage using the guidance in “Can't send or receive email in Outlook.com.”
3. If using Outlook.com in a browser
   • If emails list appears but messages never finish loading, ad-blockers or browser add-ons can interfere:
     • Temporarily disable ad-blockers such as AdBlock or uBlock for Outlook.com.
     • If using Firefox, disable or remove add-ons that might block content.
     • Try another browser such as Microsoft Edge.
4. If using the Mail app on Windows 10
   • Open Mail.
   • Go to Manage Accounts > select the account > Change mailbox sync settings.
   • Under Download new content, select as items arrive.
   • Under Download email from, select any time so the app syncs all messages, not just recent ones.
5. If using Outlook for Mac or another client with POP/IMAP
   • Make sure the client is online (not in “Work Offline” mode).
   • Verify account credentials and server settings are correct in the account configuration.
   • If using IMAP and messages never download, the IMAP server must fully support the commands Outlook uses. If the server does not support required commands (such as UID SEARCH), messages will not download; in that case, contact the email provider to update or fix the IMAP server.

If, after these steps, messages still show only “downloading” for hours, test by signing in directly to the mailbox via web (for example, Outlook.com in a browser). If messages open normally there, the issue is with the app or device configuration, and removing/re-adding the account or reinstalling the app may be required.

References:

• Fixes or workarounds for recent issues on Outlook.com
• Where are my email messages or calendar events in Mail and Calendar for Windows 10?
• Can't send or receive email in Outlook.com
• I can't send or receive messages with Outlook for Mac
• Outlook 2013 or Outlook 2016 IMAP account can't download messages because of UID SEARCH command