How to Fix Outlook Inbox Showing Unread Messages But None Exist? – 5 Free Ways

If you are having trouble with the “Outlook inbox showing unread messages but none exist” issue,  don’t worry! In this blog, we will discuss the reasons why does my Outlook show unread messages and the best possible solutions to fix this problem. So let’s start with a step-by-step guide.

Outlook is the world’s most widely used email client for managing emails, storing contacts, and creating notes or tasks. It offers many advanced features and security, but it is also true that users face many problems with Outlook from time to time. One such problem is that the Outlook inbox shows unread emails but there are none.

Before moving to the solution to fix it, let us know the reasons behind this issue.

Why Does My Outlook Show Unread Messages?

There are many causes of Outlook inbox showing unread messages but none exist issue. Some of them are listed below:

• Server sync issues
• New email notifications
• Email filter issues
• Number of junk or spam emails
• Deleted email messages

So these are the most common reasons for this issue. Now, let us know the solution to fix Outlook inbox shows unread emails.

How to Fix Outlook Inbox Showing Unread Messages But None Exist?

5 methods are available that can be used to solve why does my Outlook show unread messages problem. These solutions are:

1. Investigate server availability
2. Change Mail to Keep Offline setting
3. Reset Outlook default settings
4. Disable automatic archive settings
5. Repair your Outlook Profile

In the following section, we will discuss each method step by step.

Method 1: Investigate Server Availability

If your Outlook inbox showing unread messages but none exist, you can check your connection to the server. For this, go to the bottom right corner of the Outlook interface.

Method 2: Change Mail to Keep Offline Setting

You can follow the steps below to fix Outlook inbox shows unread emails problem by changing mail to keep offline setting:

1. Go to the File tab and select the Account Settings option.
2. Then double-click your Microsoft Exchange account on the Email tab.
3. In the Change Account dialog box, adjust the mail to keep the offline slider at the number of months you want, or set it to All to sync all email messages.
4. Then click the “Next” button and click OK to restart Outlook and save the changes.
5. Now, click on the Finish button.
6. Finally, restart your MS Outlook email application.

Method 3: Reset Default View Settings

Follow these steps to fix Outlook inbox showing unread messages but none exist by testing the default view settings:

1. First, open your MS Outlook application.
2. Go to the View tab and select the Reset View option.
3. A confirmation pop-up will appear asking if you want to reset the view. Click Yes to confirm the changes. This will reset your Outlook email display settings.
4. Now, open your Outlook inbox and start the “Send/Receive” process to check if the email is being received as expected.

Method 4: Disable Auto Archive Settings

If Outlook show unread messages, you can disable auto archive settings by following these instructions:

1. Open your email client, right-click on the Inbox folder, and select the Properties option.
2. Then, select the “Do not archive items in this folder” option in the Inbox Properties window.
3. Lastly, click OK to save your changes.

Method 5: Repair your Outlook Profile

If you are still getting the error Outlook inbox shows unread emails when there are none, repairing your Outlook profile may help. Follow the steps below to achieve this:

1. In Outlook, click File > Account Settings > Account Settings.
2. Then click on the Email tab.
3. Now, select your account and choose Repair.
4. After that, follow the next steps.
5. At the end, restart your Outlook application.

Final Thoughts

The above blog has explained the best techniques to solve the problem of Outlook inbox showing unread messages but none exist. We also discussed the reasons why does my Outlook show unread messages. If you want to back up your important emails on the computer or migrate emails from Outlook, we also recommend the best tool here.