How to Recover Deleted Email Items (Messages, Contacts, Tasks, Calendar Entries)

When you delete an email message, a contact, a calendar item, or a task, it's moved to the Deleted Items folder. A deleted item (email message, contact, calendar event, or task) can be recovered from the Deleted Items folder. Note:  The email system automatically deletes junk email 15 days after it is received. Messages in the deleted Items folder will be purged after 30 days. Purged messages are moved to a hidden recovery folder that can be accessed in Outlook and Outlook on the web. Items remain in this recovery folder for an additional 30 days. Mac users will need to use Outlook on the web to recover deleted items. Affiliates and Emeritus will only be able to complete these steps from Outlook on the Web.

Outlook 2021 for Windows:

  1. Click on the Deleted Items folder
  2. Click the banner message that says "Recover Items recently removed from this folder"
  3. Find the message to recover and click it to select it
  4. Click OK

After you recover an item, you can find it in your deleted items folder and then move it to another folder

Outlook on the web (Windows and macOS):

  1. Click on the Deleted Items folder under your Mailbox
  2. Click "Recover items deleted from this folder" at the top of the message list
  3. Find the message to recover and click the message to select it
  4. Click Restore at the top of the page
  5. A message will appear indicating the location of where you will be able to find the recovered item
  6. Click OK
  7. Click X to close the recovery window

After you recover a message, search in the original folder for the message (typically your Inbox). Additional email information can be found on the Faculty and Staff email page.

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