How to Recover a Deleted Item or Folder in Outlook

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How to Recover a Deleted Item or Folder in Outlook Desktop

If you have not cleared it from your deleted items or trash folder, you can recover it.

Method 1: From Deleted Items Folder

Step 1: Open theMicrosoft Outlookapp on your Windows or Mac.

Step 2: On the left pane, click onDelete Items.

Step 3: Look for the deleted email or folder you want to restore. Right-click on the item and chooseMovefrom the menu > selectOther Folder.

Step 4: In the Move Items window, select thefolderto which you want to move the email or event and pressOK.

You have successfully retrieved the deleted folder in Outlook. If you cannot follow the above steps or cannot locate the deleted items folder, you must check the Trash folder instead.

Method 2: From Trash Folder

Note: We couldn’t produce images for the steps below. However, the steps are simple to follow.

Step 1: Open theMicrosoft Outlookapp on your Windows or Mac computer.

Step 2: On the left pane, click theTrash folder.

Step 3: Look for the deleted email or folder you have accidentally deleted and want to recover. Right-click on the item, and from the menu, chooseMoveand selectOther Folder.

Step 4: In the Move Items window, select thefolderto which you want to move the email or event and pressOK.

There you go. You successfully retrieved the deleted folder in Microsoft Outlook. If you have deleted a folder or item from the deleted items folder, the next place to look is the recoverable items folder.

Also Read:How to fix ‘your organization’s policies are preventing’ error in Outlook

How to Recover Items That Aren’t in Your Deleted Items Folder

If you have a Microsoft 365 or Exchange Server account, there’s a good chance that your deleted items are still on the server and can be recovered.

Step 1: Open theMicrosoft Outlookapp on your Windows or Mac.

Step 2: On the left pane, click onDelete Items.

Step 3: Click theHometab > chooseRecover Deleted Items from Server.

If you don’t see the Recover Deleted Items from Server option on the menu, it is likely hidden in the Classic Ribbon layout. To make it visible, click on thechevron (arrow) iconat the bottom right > selectClassic Ribbonfrom the drop-down menu.

Step 4: Select theitemsyou want to recover from the list in the Recover Deleted Items window. ChooseRestore Selected Items> clickOK.

There you go. You have recovered permanently deleted items in Outlook. This was when you were using the Microsoft app on your Windows or Mac. What if you are on Outlook Web and want to recover a deleted item or folder? Continue reading.

Also Read:Best ways to fix Outlook error 500 ‘something went wrong.’

How to Recover a Deleted Item or Folder in Outlook Web

Step 1: OpenOutlookin your preferred browser on your Windows or Mac.

Step 2: From the side pane, click onDeleted Items.

Step 3: Scroll through the items (emails or events), right-click on the folder you wish to recover from the drop-down menu, chooseMove, and select the destination to restore and recover your deleted folders.

The item under Deleted Items will be recovered and restored.

Also Read:How to find what folder an email is in Outlook

How to Recover a Deleted Item in Outlook Mobile App

Step 1: Launch theMicrosoft Outlookapp on your Android or iPhone. Tap on the top left corner of theOutlook logo.

Step 2: From the side pane, chooseDeleted. Now, long-press on the email or event from the list of deleted items and tap on thethree-dot icon.

Step 3: TapRestoreconversation from the menu.

This will restore the selected items from the Deleted Items folder to their original location.

FAQs

The default retention period for items in the Recoverable Items folder is 14 days, after which they are permanently deleted.

After 14 days, items are permanently deleted and cannot be recovered.

While there isn’t a strict limit, the recoverable items folder may have a size limit. It’s advisable to move recovered items to a regular folder.

Outlook may automatically archive deleted items if configured to do so. Check the archive folder or settings for automatic archiving.

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Last updated on 19 August, 2024

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