No resuls when search email?

Dear @Zizu Oslo,

From your message, I understand that when using search in the New Outlook for Windows, you sometimes receive no results even though the emails are present in the mailbox. The issue appears to happen intermittently rather than all the time.

In the New Outlook for Windows, search results depend on: Search scope (where Outlook is searching), Mailbox synchronization, Temporary app or cache issues

If search is limited to a specific folder, or if the app is not fully synced, Outlook may return no results even though the email is stored elsewhere (such as Sent Items, subfolders, or Archive).

To better assistance, could you please confirm following information:

• Which folder you were in when starting the search (Inbox, Sent Items, subfolder, etc.)
• Whether the missing emails are older messages or recent ones
• Whether the same search works in Outlook on the web or Classic Outlook
• Does this happen consistently, or only occasionally?

In the meantime, I recommend step-by-step below:

1/ Check the search scope

Go to Settings > General > Search

Set Search scope to Current mailbox

This ensures Outlook searches the entire mailbox regardless of the folder you are in.

2/ Check offline email range

Go to Settings > General > Offline

Increase Days of email to save so older emails are available for search.

3/ Repair the New Outlook app (step by step)

If search issues continue, repairing the app can help resolve cache or configuration problems:

Close New Outlook completely > Open Windows Settings > Go to Apps > Installed apps > Find New Outlook > Click the three dots (⋯) next to it > Select Advanced options > Click Repair > Reopen New Outlook and test search again.

If the issue remains after Repair, you can return to the same menu and select Reset instead (this will re‑sync the account).

As a temporary workaround, if you need immediate and consistent search results, using Outlook on the web or Classic Outlook may help while troubleshooting continues.

Please understand that my initial response does not always resolve the issue immediately. However, with your help and more detailed information, we can work together to find a solution.        

Your detailed response will help me diagnose and investigate the issue more efficiently. If I misunderstood what you’re looking for, feel free to let me know or share a screenshot. I’d be happy to help further!

Thank you for your cooperation. I'm looking forward for your reply.

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Yes, this is a known behavior area in the new Outlook for Windows, and there are a few built‑in limitations and settings that can cause searches to return no or unexpected results even when messages exist.

For new Outlook on Windows, check and adjust the following:

1. Search scope and filters
   • New Outlook can hide older items if the search is too broad. Use filters (From, Subject, Has attachments, Date, etc.) to narrow the search so older items are shown.
   • You can change the default search scope to Current Folder:
     • Go to Settings → General → Search and set the default scope to Current Folder.
2. Multi‑account search limitation
   • Multi‑account search is not currently supported. If multiple accounts are configured:
     • Select each account separately and run the search in All Folders for that account.
   • If searching from a combined view, some expected results may not appear because only the active account is searched.
3. Deleted Items and older mail not appearing
   • If the missing messages are in Deleted Items:
     • Go to Settings → General → Search → under Search results, enable Include deleted items, then Save.
   • If older mail is not found because it is not synced locally:
     • Go to Settings → General → Offline.
     • Under Days of email to save, increase the time range, then Save.
4. If results are still missing
   • For deeper issues (especially with POP/IMAP/Exchange accounts), follow the advanced steps in the article No search results for POP, IMAP, or Exchange accounts linked from the search troubleshooting page.

These behaviors and workarounds are documented as part of the current new Outlook search experience.

References:

• Troubleshooting Outlook search issues