When your email is unexpectedly quiet, it could mean there's an issue with your email client, and it may not resolve on its own. While you might think these issues require more technical knowledge than you possess, there is often a simple explanation — and an even simpler fix. 

In this article, we'll be looking at what you can do on your own to test your email and get to the bottom of the issue.

Why are my emails not coming through?

There are several moving parts to email delivery. Issues can be related to your internet provider, device, and/or account. 

In the following section, we'll examine how to determine the root of the problem. The solution may vary depending on whether you're using a basic and free email account (like Gmail or Outlook) or a dedicated custom email domain connected through IMAP or POP.

What to look for to fix the issue

Let's start with some of the most common issues, which are also typically the easiest to repair:

Internet connection

When emails aren't coming through, your internet connection is often to blame. The best way to determine if you're connected is to try loading a new webpage. If that page loads slowly or not at all, your connection could be affecting email deliverability.

If you primarily use a phone for email, test the internet on this device, as well. If you're connected to an internet network and experience issues, try switching from the network to your cellular data. Modern phones allow you to easily toggle the Wi-Fi on and off and rely on data only.

If your internet connection is the issue, try restarting your modem and router by unplugging them and plugging them in again. If your devices still cannot connect to the internet, contact your service provider.

Emails in junk or spam

Sometimes, awaited emails end up in your junk or spam folders. You might have accidentally marked a sender as spam, or your email client may be automatically flagging a recipient as a spam account. 

If you find the email you've been looking for in your junk or spam folder, mark that it's not spam. After that, your email provider should correctly deliver those messages in the future.

Check your other folders

Besides junk and spam, there's also a chance that the email you're expecting is being sorted somewhere else. This could include the social or promotions folders that Gmail automatically generates or a custom folder of your own. 

Clicking "all mail" instead of just the inbox displays every message from every folder. If you find an email in a folder it shouldn't be, you can click on the message and move it to the right destination. You can also edit the folders and filters you've created for your account.

Check your storage capacity

It's also possible that your email account has reached the maximum amount of space. Every account is allocated a certain amount of storage, typically in MB or GB. Emails with text occupy only a small amount of space, but those with attachments can be larger. 

Removing unnecessary emails or large attachments can save you space. If your email is maxed out, try clearing out your messages to check if you're able to receive more mail. Be aware that Gmail's storage limits differ from Outlook's storage limits.

Superhuman gives you a few different ways to organize your inbox and unsubscribe from unnecessary emails. Simply hit Ctrl+U (or Cmd+U on Mac) to unsubscribe from a sender. And with Get Me to Zero, you can save any messages older than seven days to the "Done" folder, where they stay searchable and are never deleted. 

Test your email

Most of us own and operate more than one email address. A quick and easy way to ensure you're receiving mail is to email yourself from another account you control. Sending an email to yourself from the problem account may give you a false sense of hope, so use a different email address to determine if there's truly an issue.

Sending an email is usually instantaneous, but there is sometimes a delay of a few minutes. If your test proves that you're not receiving emails, there's likely an issue with your client or service. 

If the account is from a large provider like Gmail, they may be experiencing service-wide issues. If your email is controlled through POP or IMAP, you may need to double-check that your connection and settings are updated.

Change browser or devices

Every so often, our devices or browsers experience an issue they can't get past. To properly test your email, it may be wise to mix it up — if you're on a computer, hop onto your smartphone and try your email app (or vice versa). You can also try using a different internet browser to load your email. 

If you notice that your email is working on one device but not another, restart or reboot the problem technology.

Update your app

If restarting your smartphone doesn't work, the issue may be with your email app. You can update an app by visiting your device's app store and searching for your email client. If one is available, you should then see an option to update. If you don't see an option to update, the app may not be the issue. 

Depending on how old your devices are, there could be a compatibility issue with the app. In this case, a lack of support in your operating system could be the cause of the problem.

The bottom line

There are several explanations for why your email may not be coming through. With the solutions we've provided, you can hopefully resolve the issue.

Superhuman is the most productive email experience ever made and works seamlessly with Gmail and Outlook. Eliminate email anxiety for good and fly through your email twice as fast on any device.