How To Find Archived Emails In Outlook

In that location are several means to archive messages in Outlook. The methods that you tin can use depend on the blazon of email accounts that you have prepare in Outlook.

All accounts take admission to an Archive folder. For Microsoft 365, Outlook.com, and Commutation accounts, the Annal binder is one of Outlook'due south default folders, like Inbox, Sent Items, and the Deleted Items folder. This folder can't be deleted. If yous use Outlook with an Exchange or Exchange Online account, folder policies such as retention policies apply to the Annal folder.

For POP and IMAP accounts, you can create an Archive binder or designate an existing folder to use equally the Archive folder. Y'all cannot modify the Annal folder location for Microsoft 365 or Commutation accounts.

Using the Archive button to motion messages to the Archive folder doesn't reduce your mailbox size. If you have to reduce your mailbox size, y'all can use Online Archive in Microsoft 365 for enterprises or you tin archive items manually.

Annal messages by using the Archive button

Y'all can use the Annal button in the Delete grouping on the ribbon to move one or more letters to your Archivefolder without deleting them. In that location are several benefits to using Annal.

Archived items remain like shooting fish in a barrel to find from the search box or by navigating to your Archivefolder. By default, when you type a term in the Search box, Outlook searches all folders in your mailbox.
Items are still available on your phone or other devices through the Annal binder

Annal items in Outlook

Select one or more messages in your Inbox or other folder to annal.
In the Delete grouping, selectArchive. You lot can besides use the Backspacekey to immediately annal one or more selected messages.

Note:For Microsoft 365, Substitution, Commutation Online, and Outlook.com accounts, your Archive binder already exists, fifty-fifty if you've never used the feature earlier. You'll notice information technology in your Outlook binder list. If you don't run across the folder and you're using Outlook 2016 or Outlook for Microsoft 365, get to File > Office Business relationship > Update Options > Update At present.
Your letters will be moved to the Archivefolder. If you archive a message by mistake, go to the Archivefolder and move the message back to your Inbox.

Note: The Archive push is visible but in Outlook 2016, Outlook 2019, and Outlook for Microsoft 365. Older versions of Outlook do not have the Archive button on the ribbon.

Annal letters by using the keyboard

You can archive i or more selected letters by clicking the Backspacekey. If y'all click the Delete primal, the messages get to the Deleted Items folder. You cannot change the behavior of the Backspace central.

Notation: If yous have a message open up in its own window instead of the Reading pane, the Backspace key volition not archive the message. You have to close the message and view it in the Reading pane for the Backspace keyto annal the message. When the bulletin is open in a new window, the only mode to annal the message is past using the Archive button on the ribbon.

How do I disable archiving by the Outlook for Microsoft 365 Backspace key?

To prevent the Backspace key from moving items to the Annal folder, you lot can add the following registry entries to disable this functionality.

Important
Follow the steps in this section carefully. Serious bug might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly. Before you modify it, support the registry for restoration in case problems occur.

Group Policy registry path:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\policies\Microsoft\office\xvi.0\outlook\options
Name: DisableOneClickArchive
Type: DWORD
Value: ane

Office Customization Tool (OCT) registry path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\microsoft\office\16.0\outlook\options
Name: DisableOneClickArchive
Type: DWORD
Value: 1

Note: This fix doesn't utilise to perpetual versions of Outlook.

How do I find the Archive folder?

Your Archivefolder is in the folder listing. To display the binder list, selectView>Folder Pane >Normal.

On the Folder Pane menu, Normal is selected.

How do I search the Archive Folder?

By default, when you search for Outlook items by using the Search Current Mailbox feature at the top of your folder list, Outlook searches your entire mailbox.

Search your mailbox

If you want to scope the search to your Archive folder only, starting time select the Annal folder in the folder list. Your search box will at present search only the Annal folder.

Search Archive folder

How is this unlike from Online Annal?

Online Archive is a feature for Microsoft 365 enterprise customers who accept exceptionally large mailboxes. These customers tin use an Online Archive to avoid deleting quondam mail service. A user's Online Archive acts somewhat like a second business relationship in Outlook with its ain binder structure. Therefore, information technology isn't included in searches performed from the Inbox.

If an Online Annal is enabled, administrators and users can gear up their mailbox to automatically move former messages to the Online Annal using Archive Policies.

When should I use Archive and Online Archive?

We recommend that you use the Annal feature to keep your Inbox clear of letters that yous've already answered or acted on. Think of the Archive like a file folder. You tin can store items in the Archive binder and still admission them easily. You can too delete messages or move them to specific folders, if that'south more your way.

For users who have large mailboxes in a Role 365 Enterprise system, we recommend that administrators set an Archive Policy that moves items to an Online Archive afterward one year or less if users are reaching their mailbox quota faster. This ensures users don't have to delete erstwhile postal service to brand room for new mail. Postal service that is older than the specified time tin be moved from both the Inbox folder and the local Archive binder.

Frequently asked questions virtually archiving

If you're using a Microsoft 365, Substitution, Exchange Online, or Outlook.com account, you cannot change the location to which your archived items are moved. The Archive folder is one of Outlook'southward default organisation folders and cannot exist renamed, moved, or deleted. If you are using a Pop or IMAP business relationship such as Gmail, Yahoo, or iCloud, you can change the location of the Archive folder by selecting File > Mailbox Settings > Tools > Set Archive Folder.

Archive is a well-understood feature that is already available in Outlook Mobile, Outlook Web App, and Outlook.com, and even other e-mail providers such as Gmail. Because this is an established name, and considering Online Archive is an existing characteristic, nosotros decided to continue both the same.

AutoArchive is an older Outlook feature that allows automatic moving of sometime mails to a .pst file. This ways that the messages are removed from the server and are harder to find through search. If the hard drive that contains the AutoArchive.pst becomes unusable, these messages are lost. Online Annal is an enterprise-grade replacement for AutoArchive.

AutoArchive can notwithstanding be used if you don't have an Online Archive, and if your Information technology section doesn't disable the functionality. For more data about AutoArchive in Outlook 2016, run across Archive older items manually in Outlook for Windows.

Archive is widely available on Outlook for Windows, Outlook Mobile, Outlook on the web, and Outlook.com. The Archive feature tin can't exist disabled by using Group Policy.