The fastest way to delete an email

To delete a single email in Outlook, click on it once to select it, then press the Delete key on your keyboard. The email moves to your Deleted Items folder. If you are using Outlook on the web, you can also click the trash icon that appears above your message list when an email is selected.

If you want the email gone permanently rather than sitting in Deleted Items, open that folder, select the email again, and press Delete a second time. Outlook will ask you to confirm — click "Yes" and the email is permanently removed from your account.

Key Takeaways

  • Press Delete once to move an email to Deleted Items; press Delete again in that folder to remove it permanently.
  • You can select multiple emails at once by holding Ctrl (or Cmd on Mac) and clicking each one, then delete them all together.
  • Emptying your Deleted Items folder regularly prevents old emails from taking up storage space in your account.
  • Permanently deleted emails cannot be recovered, so double-check before confirming permanent deletion.

Deleting multiple emails at once

If you have several emails to remove, select them all first. Hold down Ctrl (or Cmd on a Mac) and click each email you want to delete. A checkmark appears next to each selected message. Once you have chosen all the ones you want gone, press Delete and they all move to Deleted Items together.

For a faster approach, you can also select an entire range. Click the first email, then hold Shift and click the last email in the group you want to delete. Every email between those two gets selected. Press Delete and they all go to Deleted Items at once.

Understanding your Deleted Items folder

When you press Delete once, emails do not leave your account — they move to a folder called Deleted Items. This folder works like a safety net. If you deleted something by mistake, you can go back into Deleted Items, right-click the email, and choose "Move" to put it back in your Inbox or any other folder.

Deleted Items takes up storage space in your Outlook account, just like your Inbox does. If you are running low on storage, emptying this folder helps. Right-click on Deleted Items in your folder list and choose "Empty Folder" to permanently remove everything in it at once. Outlook will ask you to confirm before it does.

Permanently deleting emails

Once an email is in Deleted Items, you can make it permanent. Open the Deleted Items folder, select the email or emails you want gone for good, and press Delete again. Outlook shows a confirmation message asking if you are sure. Click "Yes" and those emails are removed from your account entirely — they cannot be recovered.

Be careful with permanent deletion. Unlike moving something to Deleted Items, you cannot undo this action. If you are unsure whether you need an email, leave it in Deleted Items for now and come back to it later.

Deleting emails on mobile Outlook

On a phone or tablet, the process is slightly different. In the Outlook app, swipe left on an email (on iPhone or iPad) or swipe right (on Android) to reveal the delete button. Tap the trash icon and the email moves to Deleted Items. To permanently delete, go into Deleted Items, swipe on the email again, and tap delete a second time.

If swiping does not work on your device, try long-pressing the email until a menu appears, then select the delete or trash option from that menu.

Avoiding accidental deletion

The Deleted Items folder gives you a window to recover emails you did not mean to remove. Check this folder regularly if you think something important went missing. If you find it there, right-click and move it back to your Inbox or another folder when ready.

If you are worried about deleting something important, consider creating a separate folder for emails you want to keep long-term instead. You can drag emails into this folder to organize them by topic, sender, or date. This way, the emails you care about stay visible and out of the deletion path.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I recover an email after I permanently delete it?

No. Once you permanently delete an email from Deleted Items, it is gone from your account. Outlook does not have a recovery option for permanently deleted messages. This is why it is important to double-check before confirming permanent deletion.

How long does Outlook keep emails in Deleted Items before removing them automatically?

Outlook keeps deleted emails in your Deleted Items folder for 30 days before removing them automatically. After 30 days, they are permanently deleted without any action from you. If you need an email back, retrieve it from Deleted Items before that time passes.

What is the difference between deleting and archiving an email?

Deleting moves an email to Deleted Items and eventually removes it from your account. Archiving moves an email to an Archive folder where it stays permanently but takes up less visible space in your Inbox. Archive is better if you want to keep something but do not need to see it every day.

Can I delete all emails from one sender at once?

Yes. Click on an email from that sender, then go to the top menu and look for a filter or search option. You can also right-click the sender's name and choose to delete all messages from them, though this varies by which version of Outlook you use. Check your version's menu options to find the exact steps.