Finding Missing Emails in Gmail

A Gmail account may have emails missing from their inboxes. This article outlines common solutions to try when you are unable to find an email.

Checking if the Email was Archived, Deleted, or Marked as Spam

  1. Open Gmail.

  2. In the search box, click the down arrow.

  3. Click the All Mail drop-down, and then select Mail & Spam & Trash.

  4. Enter the information contained in the missing email. If you are not sure about exact words or details, leave the fields blank.

  5. At the bottom of the box, click Search.

Checking if the Email was Filtered

You may have created a filter that automatically archives or deletes certain emails. If your account was compromised in the past, this is likely the issue.

  1. Open Gmail.

  2. In the top right, click Settings > See all settings.

  3. At the top, click the Filters and Blocked Addresses tab.

  4. Look for filters that include the words "Delete It" or "Skip Inbox."

  5. To the right, click Edit or Delete.

  6. Follow the on-screen instructions.

Checking if your Emails are Being Forwarded to Another Account

When you set up forwarding in Gmail, you can choose whether the original emails are archived or deleted. 

  1. Open Gmail.

  2. In the top right, click Settings > See all settings.

  3. At the top, click the Forwarding and POP/IMAP tab.

  4. In the "Forwarding" section, check if you've selected "Forward a copy of incoming mail." If you have, select Keep Gmail's copy in the Inbox or Mark Gmail's copy as read.

  5. At the bottom of the page, click Save Changes.