The fastest way to delete an email in Outlook

To delete a single email, open it and look for the trash or delete icon — usually a trash can symbol in the toolbar at the top. Click it once and the email moves to your Deleted Items folder. If you are in your inbox list view instead of reading an email, click the email once to select it, then click the delete icon. The email disappears from your inbox when ready but stays in Deleted Items for 30 days before Outlook removes it permanently.

If you want to delete multiple emails at once, click the checkbox next to the first email, then hold Shift and click the checkbox next to the last email you want to delete. All emails between them are now selected. Click the delete icon once and they all move to Deleted Items together. This saves time when you are clearing out old messages or removing a batch of similar emails.

On a phone or tablet, tap and hold an email until it highlights, then tap the trash icon that appears. If you are using the Outlook mobile app, you can swipe left on an email (iPhone) or right (Android) to delete it without opening it.

Key Takeaways

  • Deleted emails stay in your Deleted Items folder for 30 days before Outlook removes them permanently, so you can recover them if you change your mind.
  • Selecting multiple emails with checkboxes and Shift-clicking lets you delete many at once instead of one by one.
  • On phones, tap and hold an email or swipe to delete it without opening the message.
  • Permanently deleting emails from Deleted Items frees up storage space on your account.
  • Outlook on the web, the desktop app, and the mobile app all work the same way for deletion, though the icons look slightly different.

Where deleted emails go and how long they stay there

When you delete an email, Outlook does not remove it right away. Instead, it moves the email to a folder called Deleted Items. You can find this folder in the left sidebar of Outlook — it usually appears below your inbox and other main folders. The email sits there for 30 days. If you realize you deleted something by mistake during those 30 days, you can open Deleted Items, find the email, and move it back to your inbox or another folder.

After 30 days, Outlook automatically empties the Deleted Items folder and removes those emails permanently. You cannot recover them after that point. If you want to delete something right now and never see it again, you can skip the 30-day wait by opening Deleted Items, selecting the email, and choosing "Permanently Delete" or "Delete" again. This removes it from Outlook entirely.

Deleting emails on Outlook on the web versus the desktop app

Outlook on the web (the version you access through a browser at outlook.com or outlook.office.com) and the Outlook desktop app (the program you read and install on your computer) work almost identically for deleting emails. In both versions, you click the delete icon in the toolbar, and the email moves to Deleted Items. The main difference is where you find the delete button — on the web it appears in the top toolbar, while on the desktop app it may appear in a ribbon menu depending on your version of Outlook.

One practical difference: the desktop app sometimes shows a small trash icon next to each email in your list, so you can delete without selecting the email first. On the web, you usually need to select the email or open it before the delete option appears clearly. Both versions keep deleted emails for 30 days, so the recovery process is the same no matter which one you use.

Permanently deleting emails to free up storage space

Outlook accounts come with a storage limit — usually 50 gigabytes for a personal Microsoft account or 100 gigabytes for a work account, though this varies by your subscription. Deleted emails still count toward that limit while they sit in Deleted Items. If you are running out of storage space, permanently deleting old emails is one way to make room.

To permanently delete emails, open your Deleted Items folder, select the emails you want to remove forever (use checkboxes and Shift-click to select many at once), then right-click and choose "Permanently Delete" or "Delete". Some versions of Outlook also have an "Empty Deleted Items Folder" option that removes everything in that folder at once. Be certain before you do this — permanently deleted emails cannot be recovered.

Recovering an email you deleted by mistake

If you deleted an email within the last 30 days, you can almost always get it back. Open your Deleted Items folder in the left sidebar. Look through the list for the email you want to recover. Click it once to select it, then right-click and choose "Move" or "Move to Folder". Select your inbox or whichever folder you want it to go to, and click "Move". The email is now back where you want it.

If you cannot find the email in Deleted Items, it may have been permanently deleted already or moved to a different folder by mistake. Try using the search box at the top of Outlook — type a word from the email subject or sender name, and Outlook searches all your folders including Deleted Items. If the email shows up in the search results, click it and move it back to your inbox the same way.

Deleting emails automatically with rules and filters

If you receive a lot of emails you do not want to keep — newsletters, notifications, or messages from a specific sender — you can set up a rule to delete them automatically. In Outlook on the web, click the settings gear icon in the top right, then choose "View all Outlook settings". Go to "Mail" and then "Rules". Click "Add new rule" and give it a name. Under "When the message arrives", choose the condition (for example, "from" a specific sender or "subject contains" certain words). Under "Do the following", choose "Delete" or "Move to" Deleted Items.

On the Outlook desktop app, go to the Home tab, click "Rules" in the toolbar, and choose "Manage Rules and Alerts". Click "New Rule" and follow the same process — set a condition and choose to delete or move messages that match. Rules run automatically on new emails going forward, so you do not have to delete them by hand each time.

What happens if you delete an email someone else needs

If you delete an email and then realize someone else needs a copy of it, you have a few options. First, check your Deleted Items folder — if the email is still there within 30 days, you can move it back to your inbox and forward it to the person who needs it. Second, if the email came from someone you know, you can ask them to forward it to you again. Third, if the email was important (like a receipt or confirmation), check your email provider's recovery options — some accounts allow you to restore deleted items for a limited time even after they leave Deleted Items.

To avoid this problem, consider using folders and labels instead of deleting emails you might need later. You can create a folder called "Archive" or "To Review" and move emails there instead of deleting them. This keeps them out of your inbox but lets you find them later without worrying about the 30-day deletion window.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I undo a delete if I already emptied my Deleted Items folder?

No, once you permanently delete an email or empty your Deleted Items folder, Outlook cannot recover it. The only exception is if your email account is through a workplace — your IT department may have backups of deleted emails, but this varies by organization. For personal accounts, permanent deletion is final.

Do deleted emails count against my storage limit while they are in Deleted Items?

Yes, emails in Deleted Items still use storage space on your account. If you are running out of storage, permanently deleting old emails or emptying Deleted Items will free up space. You can check how much storage you are using by going to Settings in Outlook and looking for a storage or account information section.

What is the difference between delete and archive in Outlook?

Delete moves an email to Deleted Items, where it stays for 30 days. Archive moves an email to an Archive folder, where it stays indefinitely unless you delete it. Archive is useful for keeping old emails organized without cluttering your inbox — they are still searchable and recoverable. Delete is for emails you do not want to keep at all.

Can I delete an email on my phone and have it deleted on my computer too?

Yes, if your phone and computer are both signed into the same Outlook account, deleting an email on one device deletes it on all devices. The deletion syncs across your account within a few minutes. This works the same way whether you use the Outlook app, Gmail, or another email service that syncs across devices.

Why does Outlook keep asking me to confirm before I delete something?

Some versions of Outlook show a confirmation dialog before deleting to prevent accidental deletions. If this is annoying, you can usually turn it off in Settings. Look for "Confirmations" or "Warnings" in your Outlook preferences and uncheck the option to confirm deletions. Be careful with this — without confirmation, it is easier to delete something by mistake.