How To Fix Gmail Not Receiving Emails

Gmail is reliable and free to use, contributing to its widespread adoption by many Internet users. However, there are times when people don’t get their email messages, leading to panic or confusion. There’s no need to worry because the email client might be the culprit.

Below are some common reasons why some Gmail users don’t receive emails, or more accurately, where they end up in the inbox. Sometimes, it’s Gmail’s problem, but there are circumstances where other factors are to blame. Read on for all the details.

Why Gmail is Not Receiving Emails

Most of the time, you did receive the email you were waiting for, but the email client likely placed it somewhere else. Gmail may divide emails into categories such as Updates and Forums, and you’ll have to click on them to find specific emails. You can also check the Social and Promotions categories. Gmail may have sent your message there.

However, there are other reasons why you didn’t get something.

Top Reasons for Not Receiving Gmails

1. Sent to the Spam Folder

Gmail has several security features to protect users from spam, scam mail, and more. However, there are times when it accidentally sends legitimate emails to the “Spam” folder. This location is where suspicious messages end up, but they’re not deleted yet.

Emails in the Spam folder remain there for 30 days, and you need to mark them as safe to access their contents. If you wait too long, you might not know Gmail has already deleted them. Checking your Spam folder often is an excellent way to spot missing emails. Here’s how:

1. Open “Gmail” on your browser.
   
2. Look to your left, scroll down, then select the “Spam” folder. You may have to click “More” in the top section to get the folder.
   
3. Check if a crucial email is in there.
   
4. Click to open it.
   
5. Select “Report Not Spam.”
   
6. The message should automatically return to the “Inbox” or wherever it originated. Selecting the “All Mail” folder is the easiest way to find it.

Some newsletter services or entities will ask that you safelist their email addresses so this phenomenon doesn’t happen. You can also set up filters to allow messages from a specific sender to arrive correctly.

2. No More Storage Space

Google accounts enjoy 15GB of free storage, but if you frequently receive large files or save lots of data on Google Drive, this storage space gets occupied rapidly. The only way to let new emails arrive is to upgrade your Google account or delete files from Gmail, Google Drive, or Google Photos. All three apps use storage space in Drive.

On Gmail, you can delete messages this way:

1. Open any email.
   
2. Click on the “triple dots” on the right.
   
3. Select “Delete This Message.”
   
4. To Delete multiple messages, click the “” (Back to Inbox) icon, check the boxes next to each email you want to delete, and then select the “” (Delete) icon.

On Drive, you can delete files that consume space using these steps:

1. Head to “Google Drive.”
   
2. Select a file.
   
3. Click on the “” (Delete) icon.
   
4. To delete multiple files, check the box next to each one while in the main folder and select the “” (Delete) icon.

On Google Photos, users can try these steps to delete files to get more space:

1. Open “Google Photos.”
   
2. Select any photo or video.
   
3. Click on “” (Delete) icon.
   
4. Pick “Move to trash.”
   

Of course, you can upgrade your storage if deleting files and emails isn’t an option. However, you should only do so if you’re willing to pay for the space. Otherwise, consider freeing up some storage space.

3. Looking in the Wrong Gmail Account—Check Your Gmail App

Mobile users can freely swap between Gmail accounts for Android or iOS. However, they might accidentally stick to one particular Gmail profile and wonder why something isn’t arriving. Fixing this only takes a few minutes. Follow these steps to do it:

1. Open the “Gmail app” on your mobile device.
   
2. Tap on your “profile icon.”
   
3. Check if the accounts on this device are correct.
   
4. If not, add the account you want.
   

Log in to the desired Gmail account on the mobile device to ensure you receive emails. Blundering in these areas is natural as we multitask throughout the day. The good news is switching accounts takes no time at all.

If you switched and didn’t notice any new emails, they might be sent to the “Spam” folder or a different category. Look in these places to see if the missing emails are there.

4. A Problematic Internet Connection

Some people forget to connect their devices to the internet, but if you can read this article, you may have a different issue. Nevertheless, it’s still prudent to reset your internet connection. You can quickly turn the internet connectivity off and on again on your smartphone and computer.

Reset your router if the internet connection is sporadic. Depending on your router model, you’ll need to wait about 5 minutes, but your internet access should be restored.

Check your inbox for the emails to see if resetting your connection or router has resolved the problem. It just might do the trick.

Gmail Not Receiving Emails From One Sender

Occasionally, Gmail’s spam filters kick into overdrive. They will send messages from some addresses to the “Spam” folder, even though you trust them. In this case, you’ll have to safelist the address and prevent this from happening again. Follow these steps to safelist an address:

1. Open “Gmail.”
   
2. Go to the “Settings” menu.
   
3. Select “Filters And Blocked Addresses.”
   
4. Pick “Create A New Filter.”
   
5. Type or paste the email address to allow in the “From” field.
   
6. Select “Create Filter.”
   
7. In the next section, check “Never Send It To Spam.”
   
8. Click on “Create Filter.”
   

Now that your filters allow emails to pass, you can ask the user to send you something else. A new message should arrive momentarily.

There’s also another way to safelist senders. You can do so via an opened email. Here’s how:

1. Open an email.
   
2. Click on the “triple dots.”
   
3. Select “Filter Messages Like These.”
   
4. Enter the email address in the “From” field.
   
5. Click on “Create Filter.”
   
6. Check “Never Send It To Spam.”
   
7. Select “Create Filter.”
   

Both methods work identically, and you can choose the one you prefer the most.

Gmail Not Receiving Emails From Outlook

While not standard, Gmail’s IMAP or POP settings are utilized by some workers. This lets you receive Outlook emails in Gmail. However, the functionality may come to a halt due to errors. Here’s how you can fix the issue:

1. Open “Gmail” in your browser.
   
2. Click on the “gear” (Settings) icon.
   
3. Look for “Forwarding And POP/IMAP.”
   
4. Enable POP or IMAP, depending on how you set it up.
   

Gmail may also malfunction due to server issues, which only Google’s technicians can solve. The only course of action for this issue is to wait.

Opening Gmail in a different browser sometimes results in the problem going away. However, you may have to contact customer service if nothing works.

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Overall, Gmail is usually a reliable service, as it powers most of the internet’s population in various ways. However, incorrect settings or server issues may force some people into missing crucial messages. Fortunately, there are ways to combat the problem that don’t take much time.