How to Delete Multiple Emails at Once in Outlook

The fastest way to delete many emails at once

You can delete multiple emails in Outlook by selecting them all at once, then pressing the Delete key or clicking the trash icon. The method depends on whether the emails are grouped together or scattered across your inbox — selecting all emails in a folder takes one click, but picking specific emails from different dates requires holding Ctrl (or Cmd on Mac) while clicking each one.

Outlook stores deleted emails in a Deleted Items folder for 30 days before they disappear permanently, so you have time to recover a message if you delete it by mistake. Permanently removing emails — so they cannot be recovered — requires a separate step.

Key Takeaways

Select all emails in your current folder by clicking the checkbox at the top of the email list, then press Delete or click the trash icon.
Select individual emails scattered across your inbox by holding Ctrl (Windows) or Cmd (Mac) and clicking each one, then delete them together.
Deleted emails move to the Deleted Items folder and stay there for 30 days before Outlook removes them automatically.
Permanently delete emails when ready by right-clicking the Deleted Items folder and choosing Empty Folder, or by selecting emails and pressing Shift+Delete.

Selecting all emails in one folder

If you want to delete every email in your current folder — your inbox, a specific label, or a custom folder — use the select-all checkbox. At the top left of your email list, just above the first email, you will see a small checkbox. Click it once, and every email visible in that folder becomes selected (they will turn a light blue or gray color).

Once all emails are selected, press the Delete key on your keyboard, or look for a trash icon in the toolbar at the top of the window and click it. The emails move to your Deleted Items folder when ready. If you change your mind within a few seconds, press Ctrl+Z (or Cmd+Z on Mac) to undo the deletion.

Be careful with this method if you have thousands of emails in a folder — selecting all of them at once can slow Outlook down briefly while it processes the action.

Selecting specific emails scattered across your inbox

If you want to delete only certain emails — perhaps all messages from one sender, or all emails from a specific week — you need to select them one at a time. Click the checkbox next to the first email you want to delete. Then hold down the Ctrl key (Cmd on Mac) and click the checkbox next to each additional email. As you click, each email stays selected, and you will see a count at the top showing how many are selected.

Once you have selected all the emails you want gone, press Delete or click the trash icon. They move to Deleted Items just as they would if you had selected them all at once. This method works even if the emails are from different dates or senders — Outlook does not care about the order.

If you want to select a range of emails in a row — say, emails 5 through 12 in your list — click the checkbox next to email 5, then hold Shift and click the checkbox next to email 12. Outlook will select all emails between them.

Finding and recovering deleted emails

When you delete an email, it does not disappear when ready. Instead, it moves to a folder called Deleted Items (sometimes called Trash on Mac). You can see this folder in the left sidebar of Outlook. Click on it to view all your recently deleted emails. If you deleted something by mistake, you can click on it here and press Delete again to move it back to your inbox, or drag it back to whichever folder you want it in.

Outlook keeps emails in the Deleted Items folder for 30 days. After 30 days, the emails are removed permanently and cannot be recovered through Outlook's normal interface. If your organization uses Microsoft 365 for work, your IT department may be able to recover emails older than 30 days, but this requires contacting them directly.

Permanently deleting emails so they cannot be recovered

If you want to delete emails when ready and permanently — so they do not sit in Deleted Items for 30 days — you can use Shift+Delete instead of the regular Delete key. Select the emails you want to remove (using any of the methods above), then press Shift+Delete. A dialog box will ask you to confirm. Click Yes, and the emails are gone permanently.

You can also empty your entire Deleted Items folder at once. Right-click on the Deleted Items folder in the left sidebar and select Empty Folder. Outlook will ask you to confirm, and once you do, every email in that folder is permanently deleted. This is useful if you want to make sure nothing in Deleted Items can be recovered.

Deleting emails by sender or subject

If you want to delete many emails from the same person or with the same subject line, Outlook has a search feature that can help. At the top of the window, you will see a search box. Type the sender's name or a word from the subject line, and Outlook will show only emails matching that search. Then use the select-all checkbox to select every result, and delete them all at once.

This method is much faster than clicking individual emails if you have 50 or 100 messages from the same sender. After you delete them, you can clear the search by clicking the X in the search box to see your full inbox again.

What happens when you delete emails on different devices

If you use Outlook on your computer, your phone, and the web, deleting an email on one device will delete it on all of them. Outlook syncs your Deleted Items folder across every device you are signed into. So if you delete 20 emails on your computer, those same emails will be gone from your phone and from Outlook.com when you check them next.

The 30-day recovery window also applies across all devices. If you delete an email on your phone, you can still recover it from the Deleted Items folder on your computer within 30 days, and vice versa.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I undo a deletion after I close Outlook?

If you closed Outlook and reopened it, you cannot undo the deletion with Ctrl+Z. However, the emails are still in your Deleted Items folder for 30 days, so you can go there and move them back to your inbox manually. After 30 days, they are gone for good.

What if I delete an email by mistake and want it back when ready?

Press Ctrl+Z (or Cmd+Z on Mac) right away. This undo command works for a few seconds after you delete. If more than a few seconds have passed, go to your Deleted Items folder, find the email, and drag it back to your inbox or another folder.

Does deleting emails free up storage space?

Deleting emails moves them to Deleted Items, which still counts toward your storage limit. To actually free up space, you must empty the Deleted Items folder or permanently delete emails using Shift+Delete. Once they are gone from Deleted Items, the storage space is released.

Can I set up Outlook to delete old emails automatically?

Yes, but the process is different depending on whether you use Outlook on your computer or Outlook.com. On the desktop version, you can set up rules to move or delete emails automatically based on sender, subject, or other criteria. On Outlook.com, the options are more limited. Check your version's settings menu under Rules or Automatic Processing.

What if I delete an email from a shared mailbox at work?

Deleting an email from a shared mailbox removes it for everyone who has access to that mailbox, not just you. Be careful when deleting from shared folders. If you delete something by mistake, contact your IT department — they may be able to recover it from the organization's backup.

This guide is for general information only and is not medical, financial, legal, or other professional advice. For decisions specific to your situation, consult a qualified professional. See our Editorial Policy.