How to Unhide Emails in Outlook: A Comprehensive Guide

Microsoft Outlook is a widely used email client that allows users to manage their emails, contacts, and calendar events. There might be times when you find some of your emails hidden, either accidentally or due to some settings.

This guide provides detailed step-by-step instructions on how to unhide emails in Outlook. We will cover the latest desktop version of Microsoft Outlook, Outlook Online, and Outlook mobile app on Android and iOS.

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How to Unhide Emails in Outlook Desktop Version

Step 1: Launch Microsoft Outlook on your desktop.

Step 2: Navigate to the ‘View’ tab located at the top of the screen.

Step 3: Locate the ‘Current View’ group and click on the ‘View Settings’ button.

Step 4: In the ‘Advanced View Settings’ dialog box, click on the ‘Columns’ button.

Step 5: Scroll through the list of available columns and look for the ‘Hidden’ attribute.

Step 6: Select the ‘Hidden’ attribute and click on the ‘Add’ button to add it to the list of columns displayed in the inbox.

Step 7: Click ‘OK’ to confirm the changes and close the ‘Show Columns’ dialog box.

Step 8: Back in the ‘Advanced View Settings’ dialog box, click ‘OK’ to close it.

Now, you should see the ‘Hidden’ column in your inbox, which indicates whether an email is hidden or not.

To unhide an email, simply uncheck the checkbox next to the email you want to unhide. This should bring back the hidden emails in Outlook.

Unhiding Emails in Outlook Online:

If you want to know how to unhide emails in Outlook 365, you can follow the below steps:

Step 1: Open your favorite web browser and visit Outlook.com or your Office 365 email account.

Step 2: Log in to your Outlook account using your email address and password.

Step 3: Once you are logged in, click on the gear icon located in the top-right corner of the page to open the ‘Settings’ menu.

Step 4: In the ‘Settings’ menu, click on ‘View all Outlook settings’ at the bottom of the panel.

Step 5: In the ‘Settings’ dialog box, click on the ‘Mail’ tab and then select ‘Customize actions’ from the left-hand menu.

Step 6: Scroll down to the ‘Message list’ section and check the box next to ‘Show hidden items’.

Step 7: Click ‘Save’ at the top of the ‘Settings’ dialog box to apply the changes.

There you go, now you can see any hidden emails in your inbox. You can simply right-click on the email and choose ‘Unhide’ from the context menu to revert the settings.

How to Find Hidden emails in Outlook

You can also ‘Search Folder’ feature to find the hidden emails without playing around with the view settings in Outlook.

Follow the below steps:

• Go to the “Folder” tab and select “Search Folder.”
• Then, choose “New Search Folder” and click on “Mail” in the “Customize Search Folder” window.
• Next, click on “Criteria” and select “Advanced” to specify additional search conditions.
• Finally, name the search folder and click “OK” to display all the hidden emails.

Outlook Mobile App for Android and iOS:

1. Open the Outlook mobile app on your Android or iOS device.
2. If you haven’t already, log in to your Outlook account using your email address and password.
3. Tap the three horizontal lines (hamburger menu) located in the top-left corner of the app to open the ‘Navigation’ menu.
4. In the ‘Navigation’ menu, tap on the gear icon located at the bottom of the screen to open the ‘Settings’ menu.
5. Scroll down to the ‘Mail’ section and tap on ‘Message list’ to access the options.
6. Toggle on the ‘Show hidden items’ switch.

Troubleshooting Common Issues:

If you are still unable to unhide emails in Outlook, try the following troubleshooting tips:

1. Make sure you are using the latest version of Microsoft Outlook, as older versions may not have the same features or options. Update the software if necessary.
2. If using Outlook Online, try clearing your browser cache and cookies, as this can sometimes cause issues with displaying emails.
3. For the mobile app, ensure you have a stable internet connection, and try closing and relaunching the app.
4. Check your Outlook account settings to ensure that you have the correct permissions to view hidden emails. If necessary, contact your system administrator or IT department for assistance.

Reasons Why Emails Might Be Hidden:

There are several reasons why emails might be hidden in Outlook:

1. Automatic filtering: Outlook has built-in filtering options that help you manage your inbox by automatically hiding less important emails or those considered clutter.
2. Manual action: You or someone with access to your account may have accidentally or intentionally marked emails as hidden.
3. Rules: You may have set up custom rules in Outlook that automatically mark certain emails as hidden based on specific criteria, such as the sender’s address, subject, or keywords.
4. Add-ins: Some third-party add-ins may modify your inbox settings and cause emails to be hidden.

As an experienced Outlook user, I’m sure my above guide is useful for how to unhide emails in Outlook. By following this comprehensive guide, you should now know how to unhide emails in Microsoft Outlook’s desktop version, Outlook Online, and the mobile app for Android and iOS.