Delete a single email in three steps
To delete one email, open Outlook and find the message you want to remove. Click on it once to select it, then press the Delete key on your keyboard. The email moves to your Deleted Items folder — it is not gone yet, just moved out of your inbox.
If you prefer using your mouse instead of the keyboard, you can right-click the email and select "Delete" from the menu that appears. Both methods do the same thing and work the same way.
The email stays in Deleted Items for a set number of days before Outlook removes it permanently. If you change your mind, you can go into Deleted Items, find the email, and move it back to your inbox by dragging it or right-clicking and selecting "Move".
Key Takeaways
- Pressing Delete or right-clicking and selecting Delete moves an email to Deleted Items, not permanently removing it.
- Emails in Deleted Items stay there for a period of time before Outlook purges them automatically — the exact number of days depends on your Outlook settings and account type.
- You can recover a deleted email by opening Deleted Items, finding it, and moving it back to your inbox.
- To permanently delete an email without waiting, go to Deleted Items, select the email, and press Delete again.
- Deleting multiple emails at once uses the same method — select them all, then press Delete or right-click and choose Delete.
Delete multiple emails at once
If you have several emails to remove, you can select them all and delete them together. Click on the first email, then hold Ctrl (or Cmd on a Mac) and click each additional email you want to delete. Each one will highlight as you click it.
Once all the emails you want are selected, press Delete or right-click and choose "Delete". All of them move to Deleted Items at the same time. This is much faster than deleting them one by one, especially if you have dozens of messages to clear out.
If you want to select every email in a folder, click on the first one, then hold Shift and click on the last one. Outlook will select everything in between. Then delete them all at once using Delete or the right-click menu.
Empty your Deleted Items folder completely
Emails in Deleted Items take up storage space on your account. To free up that space and permanently remove them, you need to empty the Deleted Items folder. Right-click on "Deleted Items" in your folder list on the left side of Outlook and select "Empty Folder".
Outlook will ask you to confirm that you want to permanently delete everything in that folder. Once you confirm, those emails are gone and cannot be recovered. Make sure you have checked Deleted Items for anything you might need before you empty it.
If you only want to permanently delete certain emails from Deleted Items instead of clearing the whole folder, select just those emails and press Delete again. Outlook will remove them permanently without asking for confirmation.
Recover an email you deleted by mistake
If you deleted an email and want it back, open your Deleted Items folder. You can find this in your folder list on the left side of Outlook — it is usually near the bottom. Click on Deleted Items to see all the emails you have deleted.
Find the email you want to recover, right-click on it, and select "Move". A list of your folders will appear. Click on the folder where you want the email to go — usually your inbox. The email moves back to that folder immediately.
If you have already emptied your Deleted Items folder, the email may still be recoverable through Outlook's recovery features, but this depends on your account type and how long ago you deleted it. Contact your email provider or IT support to ask about recovering permanently deleted items.
Difference between delete and archive in Outlook
Delete moves an email to Deleted Items, where it stays until you empty that folder or until Outlook automatically removes it. Archive moves an email to a separate folder called Archive or All Mail, where it stays indefinitely unless you delete it from there too.
Many people use Archive when they want to keep an email but get it out of their inbox. Archived emails do not clutter your inbox, but you can still search for them and find them later. Deleted emails are meant to be thrown away, not kept.
If you are trying to clean up your inbox without losing emails, Archive is usually the better choice. If you truly do not need an email anymore, Delete is the right option. You can switch between these two methods depending on what you want to do with each message.
Why deleted emails sometimes reappear
If you delete an email and it shows up again in your inbox, Outlook is usually syncing with your email server. This happens most often if you use Outlook on multiple devices — your phone, tablet, and computer. When you delete on one device, the others may not know about it right away.
Wait a few minutes for your devices to sync, then check again. The email should disappear once all your devices have caught up with each other. If it keeps coming back, try deleting it again and make sure you have an internet connection so Outlook can communicate with the server.
Another reason emails reappear is if you have rules or filters set up that move certain emails to your inbox automatically. If you delete an email that matches one of these rules, Outlook may move it back to your inbox the next time it syncs. Check your rules in Outlook settings if this keeps happening with the same type of email.
Delete emails on Outlook mobile app
On the Outlook mobile app for iPhone or Android, deleting works slightly differently than on a computer. Open the app and find the email you want to delete. Swipe left on the email (iPhone) or press and hold on it (Android) until a menu appears.
Tap the trash or delete icon in the menu. The email moves to Deleted Items just like it does on your computer. You can also open an email and look for a trash icon at the top or bottom of the screen — tap that to delete it.
To delete multiple emails on mobile, look for a select button or menu option in your email list. This lets you check off several emails at once, then delete them all together. The exact steps vary depending on whether you use iPhone or Android, but the result is the same — the emails move to Deleted Items.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does Outlook keep emails in Deleted Items before removing them?
This depends on your Outlook account type and settings. Most personal Outlook accounts keep deleted emails for 30 days before removing them permanently. Business accounts through Microsoft 365 or Exchange may keep them longer. You can check your account settings or contact your email provider to find out the exact number of days for your account.
Can I delete an email without it going to Deleted Items first?
Not through the normal delete process. Emails always go to Deleted Items first. However, if you empty Deleted Items right after deleting an email, you can remove it permanently in two quick steps. Some email providers also let you set up rules to skip Deleted Items for certain types of emails, but this is an advanced setting.
What happens if I delete an email that was sent to me by someone else?
Deleting an email only removes it from your account. The person who sent it still has a copy in their sent folder, and anyone else who received it still has their copy. Deleting an email does not affect anyone else's mailbox.
Can I delete emails by sender or subject line all at once?
Yes. Use Outlook's search feature to find all emails from a specific person or with a specific word in the subject line. Once the search results appear, select all of them and press Delete. This is faster than deleting emails one by one when you want to remove a whole group.
Is there a way to undo a delete if I already emptied Deleted Items?
Once you empty Deleted Items, the emails are gone from Outlook. Some email providers keep a backup of your account and may be able to recover permanently deleted emails, but this is not may provide. Contact your email provider or IT support immediately if you need to recover something important that you have already permanently deleted.