Accidentally deleted an email? Learn how to recover it
Table of contents
Once, I was sifting through a bunch of emails, and I accidentally deleted one of them. It was an invoice from a vendor that I had submitted for approval.
I didn’t realize it at that point, but a few days later, I was reminded about it, and what followed was a frantic search. Fortunately, it had a happy ending – thanks to knowing exactly where to look.
The good news? Most email services are built with these “oops” moments in mind.
Whether you use Gmail, Outlook, or Apple Mail, if you act fast enough, you can retrieve the message.
But what are the exact steps to initiate an email recovery? More importantly, what if you exceed the time period for which you can recover deleted emails?
Let’s find out!
TL;DR
- Most deleted emails can be recovered using the facilities provided by the email service provider.
- The window to recover deleted emails ranges from 7 days (Yahoo) to 30 days (Gmail or Outlook).
- Some features like Gmail’s Recovery Tool or Outlook’s Server Recovery can help restore lost messages.
- For emails that are permanently deleted, tools like Stellar Data Recovery or Disk Drill can be great options.
- Back up your emails, archive instead of delete, and organize your inbox with filters to avoid losing important messages.
Table of Contents
- TL;DR
- How Does Email Deletion Work?
- Recovering Deleted Emails in Gmail
- Retrieving Deleted Emails in Outlook
- Yahoo Mail Email Recovery Process
- How do you Recover Deleted Emails in Apple Mail?
- Recover Deleted emails in ProtonMail
- Third-Party Email Recovery Tools
- Best Practices to Prevent Email Loss
- Conclusion: Protect Your Emails and Stay Prepared
- Frequently Asked Questions
How Does Email Deletion Work?
Contrary to popular belief, when you delete an email, it doesn’t vanish immediately. Instead, it is routed to a temporary folder – like “Trash” or “Deleted Items”.
The email stays in this folder for a limited period. The exact duration would depend on the email provider.
For example, Gmail stores deleted emails in the trash folder for up to 30 days before permanently deleting them.
Note: Deleted emails get permanently removed from the bin beyond the specified time period. Also, if you permanently deleted any email from the bin folder, there’s no way to recover it.
Recovering Deleted Emails in Gmail
Gmail is one of the most popular email service providers, with a market share of 30.70% in the email clients vertical.
It offers several ways to retrieve deleted emails. The most straightforward approach is from the trash folder or admin console. You can also use the Gmail Recovery Tool, Google Vault, or other third-party software. Let’s explore these in detail.
1. Using the Trash Folder
As mentioned, Gmail stores deleted emails in the ‘Trash’ folder for 30 days. Within this period, you can access deleted emails via the browser or mobile app.
Here is the step-by-step guide to recovering missing emails using this approach.
Step 1: Open Gmail and locate the ‘Trash’ folder in the left-hand panel. It’s usually nestled under the ‘More’ section.
Step 2: Search for your deleted email using the ‘Search Bar’.
Step 3: Select the email and click “Move to Inbox”.
Gmail users have long supported the idea of not emptying their trash. But if you have emptied your trash or your email has been auto-deleted by Gmail? Don’t worry; we have one more way to restore what you’ve deleted.
This Reddit user explains that emptying the ‘Trash’ folder in Gmail is not all doom and gloom. There’s still a way to recover permanently deleted emails, which leads us to the second.
And that leads us to the second approach.
2. Using the Gmail Message Recovery Tool
After the 30-day grace period, Gmail deletes old emails from the ‘Trash’ folder. However, if you are using a work account, the administrator will have 25 days to restore deleted messages from the Admin console. Let’s take a look at how to do just that:
Step 1: Sign in to the Google admin console using your Admin account (you can only access the Admin console if you have an Admin account).
Step 2: Go to the Menu option in the Admin console, then choose Directory and Users.
Step 3: In the Users list, you must find the user whose email you want to retrieve. You can look for the user via the search bar or by applying filters on categories.
Step 4: Once you find the user, hover on their name and see a ‘More Options’ button. Click on it, and you’ll be taken to the user’s account page. Here, when you select the three dots on the left, you’ll notice a ‘Restore Data’ option. Click this.
Step 5: Next, select a date range within the last 25 days.
Step 6: You must select the data type you want to restore: Gmail.
Step 7: If all the criteria are selected, click “Restore.”
Note: Data which is permanently deleted more than 25 days ago cannot be recovered. Also, emails deleted from the spam and draft folders cannot be recovered.
This Reddit user highlights the importance of accessing Gmail through the official website for better security and easier data recovery within Google Workspace.
Retrieving Deleted Emails in Outlook
Outlook email has approximately 400 million active users worldwide, making it a popular choice for personal and professional use. With such widespread adoption, Outlook has a robust system for recovering deleted emails.
The exact process, however, depends on the version of Outlook you might be using. However, in both the old and new versions, deleted emails go to the ‘Deleted Items’ folder of your Outlook account.
TL;DR
Take a look at how this one Reddit user did:
1. First, check the Deleted Items folder. Then, select the email and click “Move” to restore it to your inbox.
2. If your email is not in the ‘Deleted Items’ folder, click the ‘Folder’ tab > ‘Recover Deleted Items.’ Select your email and click ‘Restore Selected Items.’
3. For Exchange accounts, access the hidden ‘Recoverable Items’ folder through the same ‘Recover Deleted Items’ feature to find recently deleted emails.
4. If everything fails, restore from your Outlook backup or use data recovery software.
1. Deleted Items Folder Recovery
Here are the step-by-step instructions to recover your deleted email from the Deleted Items Folder.
Step 1: Head to the ‘Deleted Items’ or ‘Junk Email folder’.
Note: In case the folder is hidden, click the ‘Show Navigation Pane’ icon to access it.
Step 2: Select the deleted email by hovering over it and clicking the checkbox.
Step 3: Select the ‘Restore’ option, which can be found on the Home tab of the ribbon. You can also right-click on the email and select ‘Restore’. Another way you can do the same is to drag and drop the email into the required folder.
Note: Emails that are deleted stay in the ‘Deleted Items’ folder only for 30 days. Post that, they’re moved automatically to the ‘Recoverable Items’ folder.
A Reddit user offers another solution: press CTRL+Z right after you delete an email. This will undo the last action.
2. Using the Recover Deleted Items folder
In Outlook, if you cannot find your deleted email in the ‘Deleted Items’ folder, it could be in the ‘Recover Deleted Items’ folder. The former can be found via the navigation menu at the top of your screen – under the ‘Folder’ tab.
Note: If you cannot find the ‘Recover Deleted Items’ folder, your account may not support this feature.
In this folder, you can filter out the emails based on their ‘Deleted on’ date, ‘From’ address, ‘Received’ date, and ‘Sent’ to address. Once you do that, you get to either restore emails one by one or in bulk.
After selecting the necessary emails you want to recover, click ‘Restore.’ This will move the deleted emails to their original folder. You can then search for the restored email in the inbox.
It’s important to note that emails stay in the ‘Deleted Items’ folder for 30 days, then move to the ‘Recover Deleted Items’ folder for another 30 days. But after 60 days in total, they are permanently deleted.
That being said, you can use third-party tools to try to retrieve the permanently deleted emails, which I’ll be discussing later on.
3. Recover Using Outlook Server Item Recovery (for Business Accounts)
You may have additional server-based recovery options if you’re using a Microsoft Exchange or Microsoft 365 business account. Let’s look at how to recover in a step-by-step way:
Step 1: Open Outlook Desktop App.
Step 2: Go to the email folder list on the left side and Select the ‘Deleted Items’ folder.
Step 3: Click the Home Tab, then the ‘Recover Deleted Items from Server’ button.
Step 4: Search for the emails you want using the search or sort options
Step 5: Select the Emails and click ‘Restore Selected Items,’ then OK.
By doing this, you should be able to recover your deleted emails. However, if you cannot find your deleted items in the ‘Recover Deleted Items’ window, you should contact your system administrator.
Note: If you don’t see the “Deleted Items” folder and instead see the “Trash Bin” folder, your account doesn’t support recovering an item that’s no longer in your “Deleted Items” folder.
Yahoo Mail Email Recovery Process
Who doesn’t remember having a Yahoo account? With an estimated 26 billion emails sent and received on it for 2023, Yahoo is still a popular email service provider.
And like most other email service providers, deleted emails on Yahoo Mail can be found in the ‘Deleted Items’ bin. This makes it easy for their users to recover deleted emails.
1. 7-Day Recovery Window in Deleted Items
Yahoo gives you 7 days to recover deleted emails. You can find them in your Trash folder or submit a restore request to Yahoo support during this time. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to do this:
Step 1: Find the ‘Deleted Items’ folder in the left navigation bar in the Yahoo mail inbox.
Step 2: In the folder, find and select the email you want to recover (use the search bar).
Step 3: After selecting it, move the mail to the Inbox using the ‘Restore to Inbox’ button or the ‘Move’ button in the top navigation menu.
Now, if you’re using the Yahoo Mail mobile app, the process is slightly different.
Step 1: Tap the inbox icon in the Yahoo Mail App in the bottom panel to find the ‘Trash’ folder.
Step 2: In the folder, find and select the email you want to restore.
Step 3: After tapping the move icon, select the ‘Inbox’ folder to move your mail to the inbox.
Do keep in mind that Yahoo has clearly stated that after your 7-day window, the emails are permanently deleted and cannot be recovered.
How do you Recover Deleted Emails in Apple Mail?
Did you accidentally delete an important email in Apple Mail? Don’t worry! Depending on your device and setup, there are several ways to recover those lost messages. Here’s how:
1. Recovering Deleted Emails on an iPhone
Step 1: To recover your deleted emails in Apple Mail, open the Mail app on your iPhone and tap the ‘Mailboxes’ in the top left corner.
Step 2: In that list, you’ll find the ‘Bin’ folder, where you must look for and select the email you want to recover.
2. Recovering Deleted Emails on a Mac
To do the same on a Mac, open the Mail app on your laptop. Here, you’ll have to check and ensure you can restore your deleted emails.
Step 1: Launch the Mail app on your Mac.
Step 2: In the left-hand sidebar, locate the Bin, Trash, or Deleted Items folder (depending on your email account settings). If you can’t see the folder, click ‘View’ and then ‘Show Mailbox List’ from the top menu.
Step 3: Scroll through the emails or use the Search Bar in the upper-right corner to find the email you want to recover.
Step 4: Once you’ve located the email, right-click on it, select ‘Move To,’ and then ‘Inbox,’ or drag it back to your Inbox or any other folder.
3. Recovering Deleted Emails from iCloud (if synced)
If you use iCloud to back up your device, you can restore your emails by recovering the latest iCloud backup file.
Step 1: Click the Mail icon from the iCloud dashboard.
Step 2: In the left-hand sidebar, open the ‘Trash’ folder
Step 3: Select the deleted email, click the ‘Move; icon, and choose ‘Inbox’ or another folder to recover it.
Note: iCloud doesn’t store any deleted emails beyond a 30-day period. Also, you need to ensure your settings are set the ‘Mailbox Behaviours’ on, so that restoration is possible.
4. Check Mail Settings
If you can’t find the “Bin” or “Trash” folder, make sure your email account settings are configured correctly:
Step 1: Open Apple Mail and go to Mail, click Settings, and then Accounts.
Step 2: Select the email account you’re using.
Step 3: Click the ‘Mailbox Behaviors’ tab.
Step 4: Ensure the ‘Trash Mailbox’ is set to the correct folder under ‘Move Deleted Messages’ to ‘Trash’.
Recover Deleted emails in ProtonMail
ProtonMail is known for its security and privacy-related features. The best part about this email client is that all emails are encrypted.
There’s a catch, though—because ProtonMail handles encryption directly on your device, even the company cannot decrypt your data.
Step 1: Open ProtonMail on your computer and look for the Trash option below your inbox in the Menu area.
Step 2: Click on Trash to see all your deleted messages.
Step 3: Now, carefully select the emails you want to restore.
Step 4: Once you’ve picked your emails, click the Inbox button at the top to move them back.
Step 5: You can then check your inbox to see your restored messages.
While this is fantastic for privacy, there’s no way to recover permanently deleted emails, as per ProtonMail customer care on this Reddit thread.
So, if you’re using ProtonMail and want to avoid losing important emails, you can use ProtonMail’s Export tool to back them up on your computer. The application is now available to everyone and can be used in Windows 10, macOS 10.15 (Intel),macOS 11.0 (Apple Silicon),and Ubuntu 20.04 LTS.
Third-Party Email Recovery Tools
If you’ve run out of built-in recovery options, don’t stress—some excellent third-party tools can help rescue your deleted emails. Here are a few worth checking out:
1. Stellar Data Recovery
This is considered by many as the go-to option for dealing with lost emails or damaged Personal Storage Table (PST) files. Stellar Data Recovery is compatible with multiple email clients and offers an easy-to-use interface, making recovering deleted emails smooth and stress-free.
Check your Outlook Deleted Items folder first to move emails back. Use the “Recover Deleted Items” feature or try a PST repair tool as a last resort for permanently deleted items.
Many users have found Stellar’s Outlook PST repair tool helpful in recovering lost emails. However, it requires a paid license.
It works with many email clients, including Outlook and Thunderbird, and can retrieve emails lost due to accidental deletions, formatting issues, or crashes.
Plus, it’s compatible with various storage devices like hard drives, SSDs, and external drives.
Benefits
- It’s super easy to use.
- It has a high success rate for email recovery.
- It supports a wide range of email clients and devices.
Drawbacks
Some users have mentioned that it was a little pricey for them for one-time use.
2. EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard
EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard is a powerful data recovery tool that can recover deleted emails from various email clients and storage devices.
It can recover emails lost due to accidental deletion, formatting errors, or system crashes. The software offers a free trial and paid version with advanced features.
Benefits
- It has user-friendly interface is easy to use
- It has a high recovery success rate
- It supports a wide range of file systems and storage devices
Drawbacks
It can be expensive for some users
3. DataNumen Outlook Repair
This tool is designed to repair and recover emails from corrupt PST files. It works with all versions of Outlook and is perfect for minimizing data loss.
It can repair PST files damaged by various factors, including software crashes, virus attacks, and hardware failures.
Benefits
- It is effective in repairing severely corrupted PST files
- It preserves the original formatting and structure of emails
Drawbacks
- It is primarily for Outlook users
- It can be complex for some users
4. DiskDrill
Are you looking for a tool with serious recovery power? Disk Drill has got you covered. It can recover deleted emails and other data from various storage devices. Bonus: it works on both Windows and macOS!
A favorite among users, Disk Drill is a great tool for smoothly recovering all emails lost due to accidental deletion, formatting errors, or system crashes as a PST file. This can then be imported to your email.
So, if you’ve lost a large number of emails, Disk Drill might be a great option for you.
Benefits
- It’s a free version for basic recovery needs
- It supports a wide range of file systems and storage devices
Drawbacks
- It’s free version has limitations
- It can be complex for some users
Many Reddit users vouch for DiskDrill as a great option for recovering deleted emails.
5. Recoverit
Recoverit is a comprehensive data recovery tool that can recover deleted emails from various email clients and storage devices. Like most recovery tools, it can recover emails lost due to accidental deletion, formatting errors, or system crashes.
The software offers a free trial and paid version with advanced features.
Benefits
- It has a user-friendly interface
- It has a high recovery success rate
- It supports a wide range of file systems and storage devices
Drawbacks
It can be expensive for some users
6. SpinBackup for Google Workspace
SpinBackup is a cloud-based backup and recovery solution specifically designed for Google Workspace users. It allows you to back up and restore your Gmail, Calendar, Drive, and other Google Workspace data.
Benefits
- It is easy to use
- It has a reliable backup and recovery solution for Google Workspace users
Drawbacks
It primarily works for Google Workspace users
7. SysTools Email Recovery Software
SysTools Email Recovery Software is a specialized tool designed to recover deleted emails from various email clients, including Outlook, Thunderbird, and more. It can recover emails lost due to accidental deletion, formatting errors, or corruption.
Benefits
- It has a user-friendly interface
- It supports a wide range of email clients
Drawbacks
It can be expensive for some users.
Best Practices to Prevent Email Loss
No one wants to deal with the stress of losing important emails. Here are some simple habits to help you avoid such scenarios:
1. Regular Backups
Make it a routine to back up your emails to a secure location, like an external hard drive or cloud storage. This ensures you have access to your messages even if something goes wrong. For business emails, consider using professional backup tools that support regular syncing.
Having a backup means you can restore your emails even if your email provider experiences issues or your account gets compromised.
2. Using Archive Instead of Delete
Most email service providers have an archive option; use that instead of the delete option whenever you want to clean up your inbox. Archived messages are easy to find later and don’t clutter your inbox.
Most email services make it easy to search archived emails, so you’ll never lose track of important information.
3. Setting Up Email Filters and Labels
Organize your incoming emails with filters and folders. This will keep your inbox tidy and reduce the chance of accidentally deleting something important.
Automatically sort incoming emails into designated folders based on sender, subject, or keywords.
Note: You can use folders to categorize emails by projects, dates, or priorities. For example, emails from your boss can go straight into a “Work” folder.
This method keeps your inbox clean and makes important emails easier to locate.
Conclusion: Protect Your Emails and Stay Prepared
Losing emails can be stressful, but the good news is that most email services offer recovery options if you act quickly. Whether using Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, or another provider, understanding how your platform handles deleted emails is the first step to getting them back.
The best approach is always prevention. Set up regular backups and use tools to keep your emails organized and safe. If a mistake happens, don’t panic—use this guide to recover your emails quickly and efficiently.
With these tips, you’ll be ready to handle any email mishap and keep your communication flowing smoothly!
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can I recover emails deleted more than 30 days ago?
Yes, but it depends on your email service provider and the recovery tools available. For example, Gmail and Yahoo only keep deleted emails for 30 days before permanently removing them. - Are there any third-party tools that can help recover deleted emails?
Yes, tools like EaseUS, Disk Drill, and Stellar Data Recovery can assist with email recovery. - Can I recover emails if I’ve been locked out of my account?
If you’ve been locked out of your email account, you’ll need first to regain access through your email provider’s account recovery process. This typically involves verifying your identity through security questions, alternate email addresses, or phone numbers.
Once you’re back in, you can then use your provider’s standard recovery methods to retrieve deleted emails, keeping in mind any time limits for recovery. - Does using IMAP or POP3 affect my ability to recover deleted emails?
IMAP syncs emails across all devices through the server, so it’s removed everywhere when you delete an email. POP3 downloads emails to your device, potentially keeping local copies even after server deletion, making recovery easier. - Can I recover attachments from deleted emails?
Yes, attachments can often be retrieved along with the email, provided the recovery method supports it. - Are there any legal implications I should know when recovering deleted emails?
Recovering emails from shared or work accounts may breach organizational policies or privacy laws. Always consult your IT department or legal counsel before trying to restore deleted emails. - Can I recover emails deleted from my mobile device?
Yes, as long as the emails haven’t been permanently removed from the server. Gmail, Outlook, and Yahoo recovery steps also apply to mobile devices.
