Email · Repair guide

How to fix Gmail not receiving emails

9 fixes, easiest first3 min readUpdated November 2026

Quick fix

Search for the missing email using Mail & Spam & Trash, then check the Promotions and Updates tabs and your Spam folder. If it isn't anywhere, review Filters and Blocked Addresses and Forwarding in Gmail settings, and make sure your Google storage isn't full.

What it means

When Gmail seems to stop receiving email, the messages have often arrived but been sorted somewhere else: the Spam folder, the Promotions or Updates tab, or a folder a filter moved them to. Other causes are a blocked sender, forwarding to another address, a full Google storage quota, or the Gmail app not syncing.

Common causes

  • The email landed in Spam or in the Promotions, Social or Updates tab
  • A filter is skipping the Inbox, archiving or deleting the message
  • The sender's address is on your Blocked Addresses list
  • Forwarding is sending mail to another address
  • Your Google storage is full, so new mail bounces back to the sender
  • Another mail app connected to Gmail is deleting or archiving messages
  • The Gmail app on your phone has stopped syncing

How to fix it

Work down the list. Each fix is safe to try before moving on to the next.

01Search all of Gmail, including Spam and TrashEasy

  1. Open Gmail on a computer.
  2. In the search bar, select Show search options.
  3. Next to Search, change All Mail to Mail & Spam & Trash.
  4. Enter what you remember, such as the sender's address or a word from the subject, and select Search.
  5. Leave fields blank if you are not sure; a broad search finds more.

Why it helps: This one search looks in every folder, so it quickly shows whether the email reached your account at all.

02Check the Promotions, Social and Updates tabsEasy

  1. At the top of your inbox, select each tab, such as Promotions, Social and Updates, and look for the email.
  2. On a computer, drag the email onto the Primary tab to move it. Gmail learns from this and sorts future mail from that sender better.
  3. To change which tabs you see, select Settings (gear icon). Under Inbox type, choose Default, then select Customize.

Why it helps: Gmail often sorts newsletters, receipts and sign-up emails into tabs other than Primary, which looks like mail never arrived.

03Check Spam and mark wanted mail as not spamEasy

  1. On a computer, open Spam in the left menu (you may need to select More first).
  2. Tick the box next to a wanted email and select Not spam.
  3. Add the sender to your Google Contacts so their future mail doesn't go to Spam.
  4. Act soon: Gmail deletes messages in Spam after 30 days.

Why it helps: Marking a message as not spam moves it to your inbox and teaches Gmail to let that sender through.

04Review your filters and blocked addressesEasy

  1. On a computer, select Settings (gear icon) > See all settings.
  2. Open the Filters and Blocked Addresses tab.
  3. Look for filters that say Delete it or Skip Inbox. Select Edit to change one or Delete to remove it.
  4. In the same tab, check the blocked addresses list and unblock anyone you want mail from.

Why it helps: A filter or block you set up long ago can quietly archive, delete or block the mail you are waiting for.

05Check forwarding settingsEasy

  1. On a computer, select Settings (gear icon) > See all settings.
  2. Open the Forwarding and POP/IMAP tab (called Forwarding in some accounts).
  3. If forwarding is on, choose keep Gmail's copy in the Inbox so mail also stays in Gmail, then select Save Changes.
  4. If mail is being forwarded to an address you don't recognize, select Disable forwarding and save. Someone else may have had access, so change your password and check your account's security.

Why it helps: Forwarding can send your mail elsewhere and, depending on the setting, archive or delete Gmail's copy.

06Make sure your Google storage isn't fullEasy

  1. Open your Google One storage page to see how much space you have used.
  2. Gmail, Google Drive and Google Photos all share the same storage.
  3. If it is full, delete emails with large attachments and empty Trash and Spam.
  4. Once you have space, ask senders to send again; messages sent while storage was full were returned to them.

Why it helps: When your storage is full, Gmail can't receive new email.

07If you use Gmail in another mail app, check it isn't removing mailMedium

  1. Remember that deleting a message in another app connected to Gmail, such as Apple Mail or Outlook, deletes it from Gmail too.
  2. If the app uses POP, go to Gmail Settings > See all settings and open the Forwarding and POP/IMAP tab. If it shows Delete Gmail's copy or Archive Gmail's copy, choose keep Gmail's copy in the Inbox, then Save Changes.
  3. In that app's own settings, look for options that delete or archive messages automatically and turn them off.
  4. In your Google Account, open Third-party apps & services and remove any app you don't recognize.

Why it helps: Another app can download and remove messages before you see them in Gmail.

08If mail shows on a computer but not in the Gmail app, sync the appEasy

  1. Open the Gmail app and swipe down from the top of the inbox. Syncing can take up to 15 minutes.
  2. Update the Gmail app and restart the phone.
  3. Android: in Gmail, tap Menu > Settings, choose your account and make sure Sync Gmail is ticked.
  4. iPhone: open Settings > General > Background App Refresh and turn it on for Gmail.

Why it helps: If the app has stopped syncing, mail arrives in your account but doesn't appear on the phone.

09Ask the sender to check the address and any bounce messageEasy

  1. Ask the sender to confirm they typed your full Gmail address exactly right.
  2. Ask whether they got a "Delivery Status Notification (Failure)" or similar bounce message; its wording explains the reason.
  3. Have them send a new test email and wait a few minutes.
  4. If their messages still don't arrive and nothing is in Spam or filters, they can ask their own email provider whether it is having trouble sending to Gmail.

Why it helps: Some problems are on the sender's side, and the bounce message usually names the exact cause.

Check it's fixed

  • A test email from another account arrives in your inbox within a few minutes.
  • Emails from the sender you were missing now arrive in the Primary tab.
  • Your Google storage shows free space.

When to get help

If mail still doesn't arrive and nothing is in Spam, tabs, filters, blocked addresses or forwarding, ask the sender for the bounce message and check the Gmail Help Community. For a work or school Gmail account, contact your administrator.

Questions

Why am I not receiving emails from one sender in Gmail?

Look in Spam and the Promotions tab, then check Filters and Blocked Addresses for that address. Adding the sender to your contacts helps keep their mail out of Spam.

Why am I not getting verification or reset code emails?

These often land in Spam or the Updates tab. Search with Mail & Spam & Trash, then ask the site to send the code again.

What happens to emails sent to me while my storage was full?

They are returned to the sender and don't arrive later. Free up space, then ask people to send them again.

Could forwarding mean my Gmail was hacked?

If mail is being forwarded to an address you didn't set up, someone may have had access. Turn off forwarding, change your password and follow Google's steps to secure your account.

Related fixes

How to fix Gmail not working or not loadingCheck the Google Workspace Status Dashboard for a Gmail outage. If Gmail is up, open it in a private (incognito) window or another browser; How to stop emails going to spamFor mail you receive, open Spam or Junk, select the good email and choose Not spam (Gmail, Yahoo), It's not junk (Outlook.com) or move How to fix email not sendingMake sure you are online, then open the Outbox, check the recipient's address and tap Send again. If it still fails, try sending from yWhat to do if you forgot your email passwordGo to your provider's sign-in page and select the forgot-password link, then follow the steps to get a code on your recovery phone or eHow to fix Outlook not receiving emailsCheck whether the missing mail appears in Outlook on the web, then look in the Other tab, Junk Email and your rules. In classic Outlook, mak

Still stuck?

Paste the exact message to find the closest fix, or search it on Google, Microsoft, Apple, Reddit and YouTube.

Sources