Find a message that didn't arrive
Most missing mail is in your account but out of sight. Work through these checks in order.
Search everywhere
Search covers your inbox and folders, but it leaves out Spam and Trash until you ask for them.
- Open search, and enter part of the sender’s address or the subject.
- To cover every mailbox, add
in:anywhereto the query. To look in one of them, usein:spamorin:trash.
Check Spam and Trash
Open Spam. If the message is there, open it and select Not spam to move it back and teach the filter.
Open Trash next. A message deleted by hand or by a rule sits there for 30 days, then goes for good. Spam is removed on the schedule set by Auto-delete spam after in Settings > Reading & Conversations.
Check whether a rule moved it
Go to Settings > Mail Rules, and review your rules. A rule that matches the sender can archive, label, or delete a message before you see it. Turn the rule off or narrow its conditions, and then ask the sender to write again.
Check blocked senders
Go to Settings > Mail Rules > Blocked. A blocked sender’s mail goes to Spam instead of your inbox. Remove the sender from the list to receive their mail again.
Check the other inbox tabs
If you use inbox categories, mail from lists and services lands under Deals, Social, or Notifications rather than Inbox. Open each tab, or turn off Inbox Categories in Settings > Reading & Conversations > Categories.
Check snoozed and scheduled mail
Open Snoozed. A snoozed message leaves the inbox until the time you set. Open Scheduled for mail you wrote that hasn’t gone out yet.
Check archived mail
Archive holds messages you moved out of the inbox. They stay searchable, so a search with in:anywhere finds them.
Check locked folders
A locked folder hides its messages from search and from notifications while it’s locked. Unlock the folder, and search again. See Lock a folder with a password.
Check the address it was sent to
- Aliases. A disabled alias stops delivering. Go to Settings > Aliases, and turn the alias back on.
- Custom domains. The domain’s MX record has to point to Aster. Go to Settings > Domains, and confirm every record shows Verified.
- Forwarding. If you forward mail elsewhere, check the destination mailbox. See Auto-forward your mail.
Ask the sender what happened
If nothing above finds it, ask the sender whether they got a bounce message, and what it says. A bounce names the reason, such as a full mailbox, a rejected address, or a message that was too large. Send the bounce text with your support request.
For a message you can see, check its details and headers to confirm when it arrived and how it was routed.
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