How can I find emails that are missing from my AOL Mail inbox?

If you're not able to locate an email while using AOL Mail, try the solutions listed below to resolve the issue. After trying the first solution, check whether you can locate the e-mail. If the issue persists, continue using the suggested solutions until the problem is fixed.

IMPORTANT: If you have a free account with AOL and you haven't accessed your mailbox in the last 120 days, any email associated with that Username will be deleted per AOL's Terms of Service. The next time you sign in, you'll have a new, clean mailbox ready to use. We apologize for any inconvenience.

If you have a paid account or you frequently access your emails, don't worry: Your email experience will remain unchanged. Try the solutions below to fix the issue.

Note: The number of days an email stays in your mailbox depends on the type of mailbox you use and the folder in which you saved the email.

Solutions

• Check the Trash folder
• Check the Saved Mail folder
• Check the Spam/Junk E-mail folder
• Check the Spam Controls settings
• Delete incoming mail filter
• Check if your account has been compromised

Check the Trash folder

If the email was accidentally deleted from your inbox, you might be able to recover it from the Trash folder.

To check the Trash folder:

1. In the left panel, click the Trash folder.

2. Determine whether the message that you're looking for is in this folder.

3. If you find the email in your Trash folder you can still restore it. Click the box next to the email, click the Action drop-down menu, and then under "Move To", click where you'd like to move the message to.

Check the Saved Mail folder

The email may have been saved in the Saved Mail folder.

To check the Saved Mail folder:

1. In the left panel, click My Folders.

2. Click the Saved Mail folder.

3. Check if the missing email is in this folder.

Check the Spam Folder

The email may have been accidentally diverted to your Spam folder.

To check the Spam folder:

1. In the left panel, click Spam.

2. Determine whether the email that you're looking for is in this folder. If you find the email in the Spam folder and would like to move it to your Inbox, check the box next to the message, and then above your list of messages, click OK NOT SPAM.

Note: When you click OK NOT SPAM, the email will return to your Inbox and will be listed by the date that it was originally received.

Check the Spam Controls settings

If the email that you're looking for is not in the spam folder, it might have been deleted because of your Spam Control settings.

To check the Spam Control settings:

1. In the upper right, under your Username, click Options and then click Settings.

2. In the left panel, click Spam Settings.

3. In the Spam Filter section, click the drop-down menu, and then select Medium.

4. In the Blocked Mail section, select the Deliver blocked mail to Spam folder option, and then click Save Settings.

Delete incoming mail filter

An incoming mail filter could be delivering messages to a particular folder instead of your inbox.

To delete an incoming mail filter:

1. In the upper right, under your Username, click Options and then click Settings.

2. In the left panel, click Filters and Alerts.

3. Move your pointer over the filter that you'd like to delete and click the white X in the box to the right of Edit.

4. At the bottom of your screen you'll see a confirmation that the filter has been deleted. Delete the wrong filter? No problem. Click the Undo link on the right to restore the filter.

Check if your account has been compromised

Sometimes, missing emails are an indication that your account has been hacked. To learn how to identify a compromised or hacked account, please visit our help article How do I know if my account has been compromised (hacked)?