Gmail keeps one copy of every message. If an email isn’t in your inbox, Spam, Trash or All Mail, it either never reached Google, was held or rerouted by a Google Workspace admin setting such as quarantine, or something on your account moved or deleted it. That narrows things down quickly.
Start by searching the whole account from a computer, including Spam and Trash, and ask the sender if anything bounced back. A bounce means the message was rejected and usually says why; a full mailbox and a typo in your address both show up this way. No bounce and nothing in the account points to another app or setting that deleted it, a problem on the sender’s side, or, for business accounts, your domain’s email records.
Personal Gmail and Google Workspace share the same checks at first. Workspace admins then have a tool that shows exactly what happened to each message.
Try these first
- Search Mail & Spam & Trash on a computer, not just the inbox.
- Check storage: a full Google account can stop Gmail receiving mail.
- Look for filters set to Delete it or Skip Inbox in Filters and Blocked Addresses.
- Check the Forwarding and POP/IMAP tab for forwarding or apps removing mail.
- Ask the sender for any bounce message and read the reason.
- Google Workspace: ask your admin to run Email Log Search for the message.
Start here: is the message anywhere in the account?
On a computer, open Gmail, click Show search options in the search bar and change the drop-down next to Search to Mail & Spam & Trash. Enter the sender’s address or a word you expect in the message and leave the rest blank. This covers inbox tabs like Promotions and Updates, archived mail and labels too.
| What you find | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| It’s in Spam | Gmail’s filters, or the sender’s domain fails authentication | Mark it Not spam; if it keeps happening, the sender’s email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) needs fixing |
| It’s in Trash or archived | A filter, or another app or phone that deleted or archived it | Check filters and any app using POP or IMAP |
| Nothing from anyone | A Gmail outage, full storage, a Workspace receiving-limit block, or (Workspace) MX records | Status dashboard first, then the storage check below, then the admin section |
| Nothing from one sender | Gmail rejected it (often the sender’s authentication), a typo in your address, the sender’s own server, or (Workspace) an admin Blocked senders rule | Ask the sender for the bounce; Workspace admins check Email Log Search and the Blocked senders setting |
| Mail from another account stopped arriving | A sign-in or POP error with the other account; from January 2027, Gmail’s retirement of “Check mail from other accounts” | Check Accounts and Import for an error; long term, set up forwarding from the other provider |
If nothing at all is arriving, check the Google Workspace Status Dashboard (google.com/appsstatus) for a Gmail incident before changing settings. During an outage, mail is usually delayed rather than lost, because sending servers retry.
If your business email runs on Microsoft 365 rather than Google, use our guide to Outlook not receiving emails instead.
Personal Gmail checks
1. Storage
Your Google storage is shared across Gmail, Google Drive and Google Photos, and Google says that going over it can affect your ability to send and receive email. Most accounts get 15 GB. Google notes that accounts created from March 9, 2026 start with 5 GB, with another 10 GB available after verifying a phone number. Mail in Spam and Trash counts too. If Gmail storage is full and you’re not receiving emails, delete large attachments, old Drive files or photo backups, or buy more storage, and new mail starts arriving again. Our guide to Gmail storage full shows how to find what’s using the space.
2. Filters and blocked addresses
Click the gear icon > See all settings > Filters and Blocked Addresses. Look for filters that say Delete it or Skip Inbox, and edit or delete them. Also check the blocked addresses list there; blocked senders’ mail goes to Spam.
3. Forwarding, POP and IMAP
Open See all settings > Forwarding and POP/IMAP. If mail is forwarded somewhere, make sure Gmail keeps its copy in the inbox. If another program downloads your mail with POP, set Gmail to Keep Gmail’s copy in the inbox so the program can’t remove it. If you find forwarding to an address you don’t recognize, choose Disable forwarding and treat it as a possible account takeover: Google lists it as a sign of unauthorized access. Then change the password and turn on 2-Step Verification, so a stolen password alone can’t get back in; see email security and 2FA setup.
4. Apps connected to your account
In your Google Account, go to Third-party apps & services, open anything you don’t recognize and click Remove. Old mail apps and add-ons can archive or delete messages as they arrive.
5. Mail you collect from another account
If Gmail pulls in mail from another address with Check mail from other accounts, Google is removing that POP feature and Gmailify. New users can’t set it up after the first quarter of 2026, and existing users can keep it only until January 2027. Messages already imported stay. To keep receiving that mail, set up automatic forwarding at the other provider, or add the account to the Gmail app on your phone, which uses IMAP.
If Gmail’s Check mail from other accounts is not working for an account you already use, and the mail stopped suddenly, the feature itself is probably still working. Open See all settings > Accounts and Import, find the account under Check mail from other accounts and click Show error details if there’s an error. The usual causes are a changed password on the other account, POP turned off at the other provider, or Server denied POP3 access, which Google says may need an app password if the other account uses 2-Step Verification.
6. Mail shows on the computer but not on your phone
If a message is in Gmail on the web but not in the Gmail app, your account is fine and the app isn’t syncing. Pull down on the inbox to refresh, update the app and restart the phone. On Android, open the Gmail app, tap Menu > Settings, choose the account and make sure Sync Gmail is checked under Data usage. Google also notes the app stops syncing when the phone is low on storage. Clearing the Gmail app’s storage is the last resort, because it can erase drafts and your signature. On an iPhone, see Gmail not working on iPhone.
If you read Gmail in another app, such as Apple Mail or Outlook, remove and re-add the account there; in classic Outlook, first move any calendar or contacts marked (This computer only) into a .pst, because removing the account deletes them. If that app keeps asking for your password, see how to fix “email authentication failed”. Also check that app’s own rules or delete settings, since anything it deletes is deleted in Gmail too.
When the sender gets a bounce
A bounce means the message couldn’t be delivered and usually says why. If the sender uses Gmail it comes from “Mail Delivery Subsystem”; other providers send it from a postmaster or mailer-daemon address. Ask the sender to forward it and find the code near the top, such as 550 5.1.1. Gmail’s most common refusal codes:
| Code in the bounce | What it means | Who fixes it |
|---|---|---|
550 5.1.1 | The address doesn’t exist | The sender: check for a typo, an extra dot or a space |
452 4.2.2 or 552 5.2.2 | Your inbox is out of storage space (5.2.2 adds that the account is inactive) | You: free up Google storage, as above |
450 4.2.1 or 550 5.2.1 | The account is receiving mail too fast, or (5.2.1) is inactive | You or your Workspace admin: check the account’s status and receiving limits |
550 5.7.26 or 550 5.7.27 | The message failed SPF, DKIM or DMARC checks for the sender’s domain | The sender’s IT or email provider must fix their domain’s records |
550 5.7.1 or 421 4.7.0 | Gmail blocked it, for example as likely spam, for poor sender reputation or because of a Workspace policy; the text after the code says which | The sender for spam and reputation blocks; your admin for a policy block |
Codes starting with 4 are temporary, and the sender’s server usually retries on its own. The authentication codes often explain why mail from one company or web form never arrives while everything else does; only the sender’s IT can fix those, and nothing in your inbox settings changes it.
Google Workspace accounts also have receiving limits. Google says an account that hits them is restricted for about 24 hours, and messages sent during that time can’t be recovered. Large volumes of automated mail, or a catch-all address collecting spam, are the usual culprits. Send automated alerts to a Google Group instead of a person’s inbox.
If your own messages are the ones bouncing, that’s a sending problem, not a receiving one. If it only happens when you attach files, see Gmail won’t send attachments for size and file-type limits.
For Google Workspace admins
Find the message with Email Log Search
Email Log Search (ELS) shows whether Google received a message, where it went and whether it was marked as spam or deleted after delivery. It doesn’t show message content.
- In the Google Admin console, go to Menu > Reporting > Email Log Search. You need the Gmail Settings administrator privilege.
- Use a predefined search such as Messages received from your domain since yesterday, or the Custom Search tab with the sender, recipient, subject or message ID.
- Click Search. Results take from a minute to an hour.
Within the last 30 days you get full delivery details. For older messages ELS needs the recipient’s full address and the message ID, and it only shows what happened after delivery.
No record in ELS? Check the MX record
If the message isn’t in ELS at all, even when you search by recipient and date rather than only the sender, it most likely never reached Google. Your domain’s MX records must point to Google, unless you deliberately route mail through an email security service first (see below). Google’s current value is smtp.google.com with priority 1. Older accounts may still use the legacy set, ASPMX.L.GOOGLE.COM plus ALT1.ASPMX.L.GOOGLE.COM through ALT4.ASPMX.L.GOOGLE.COM, which Google still supports; if mail works on those, no change is needed.
Before changing anything, take a screenshot or export of your current DNS records so you can restore them. Then remove MX records left over from a previous email provider, because they send mail to the wrong place. If your MX records point to an email security service, don’t delete them without checking with whoever set it up. MX changes can take up to 72 hours to take effect, and Google’s Admin Toolbox Dig tool shows what the internet currently sees.
Routing, quarantine and spam settings
- Routing. Under Apps > Google Workspace > Gmail, check Default routing and Routing for rules that redirect, change the recipient or deliver elsewhere. Google applies the higher-priority setting when two conflict.
- Quarantine. If you’ve set up email quarantine, held messages wait there for review and are permanently deleted after 30 days if nobody acts.
- Spam settings. Custom spam filters, blocked senders and IP allowlists in the Gmail settings can quietly change what reaches users.
- The user’s status. Mail to a suspended user, or a user whose Gmail service is turned off, is treated as going to a non-recognized address.
- Shared addresses that are Google Groups. If info@ or sales@ is a group rather than a mailbox, outside mail only gets in when Groups for Business > Sharing settings has Group owners can allow incoming email from outside the organization turned on and the group’s Who can post setting is Anyone on the web. Also check the group’s pending queue, where Groups holds suspected spam.
- A filtering service in front of Google. If your MX record points to a third-party email security service, check its logs first. Then open Gmail > Spam, Phishing and Malware > Inbound gateway: the service’s current IP addresses must be listed there, and if Reject all mail not from gateway IPs is on, Gmail refuses mail that arrives from any other address.
Adding and removing users, password resets and security setup in the Admin console are part of our Google Workspace management.
Rather have a technician sort it out?
If mail still isn’t arriving, a technician can connect remotely, check your Gmail settings and, for Google Workspace, the domain records and admin logs. A GoProIT technician can connect remotely, with your permission, and fix it while you watch. $59 per fix, Mon–Fri 8am–8pm ET.
When to stop and get help
- Your whole domain stopped receiving right after a website move, domain transfer or DNS change (migrations sometimes drop MX records), and nobody can sign in to the DNS host.
- You found forwarding, filters or connected apps nobody set up. Secure the account first; see signs your business has been compromised.
- Email Log Search shows the message delivered but it isn’t in the user’s Mail & Spam & Trash search, so a person or connected app with access to the mailbox likely removed it.
- An account keeps hitting Gmail’s receiving limits, so mail is being lost and automated senders or a catch-all address need moving to a Google Group.
- Several people still rely on Check mail from other accounts and need forwarding set up before January 2027.
Missing Gmail is a typical $59 remote fix if you’d rather hand it off. For a Workspace domain, be ready to sign in to your DNS host yourself during the session, which you approve and can end at any time, so the records can be checked.
Common questions
Why am I not receiving emails from one specific sender in Gmail?
If Gmail is not receiving emails from certain senders only, first search Mail & Spam & Trash for their address. If their mail is in Spam or Trash, check Filters and Blocked Addresses in Gmail’s settings, since a block sends mail to Spam and a filter can delete it. If nothing turns up at all, ask the sender for any bounce message, which often names the problem, such as their domain failing SPF, DKIM or DMARC checks. No bounce usually means their server never sent it or used the wrong address.
Can Gmail stop receiving emails when my storage is full?
Yes. Google storage is shared between Gmail, Google Drive and Google Photos, and Google says going over your limit can affect your ability to send and receive email. Senders usually get a bounce saying your inbox is out of storage space. That error is often temporary, so some sending servers keep retrying and those messages can still arrive once you free up space; anything that bounced for good won’t. Free up space or buy more, then ask important contacts to resend.
How long do MX record changes take for Google Workspace?
Google says new MX records can take up to 72 hours to be recognized across the internet, though it’s often much faster. During that time some senders may still deliver to the old provider. Use the Admin Toolbox Dig tool to check what’s published. Your MX records should point only to Google (smtp.google.com, or the older ASPMX values, which still work), unless your domain deliberately routes mail through an email security service first.
Why am I not getting verification codes in Gmail?
Search Mail & Spam & Trash for the company’s name, because codes often land in Spam or the Updates tab. Request a new code once and wait a few minutes, since some sites cancel the old code when you ask again. Check that the site has your address spelled correctly and that your Google storage isn’t full. If codes from one company never arrive while other mail does, their mail may be failing Gmail’s checks, which only their support team can fix.
How do I check if someone set up forwarding on my Gmail?
On a computer, open Gmail settings, choose See all settings, then the Forwarding and POP/IMAP tab. Any forwarding address is listed there. Also check Filters and Blocked Addresses, because a filter can forward selected messages. If you find an address you don’t recognize, disable it, change your password and review your Google Account’s security activity.
Can a Google Workspace admin see why an email wasn’t delivered?
Yes. Email Log Search in the Admin console, under Reporting, shows whether Google received the message, where it was delivered, and whether it was marked as spam or deleted afterward. It covers the last 30 days in full. If a message doesn’t appear even when you search by recipient and date, it most likely never reached Google: check the domain’s MX records and ask the sender for any bounce.