How do i change how often outlook.com checks for mail

Outlook.com, like many other email services, uses a process called "polling" to check for new emails. By default, Outlook.com checks for new emails every 15 minutes. However, you can adjust this frequency to suit your needs. Here's how:

Method 1: Using the Outlook.com web interface

  1. Sign in to your Outlook.com account.
  2. Click on the gear icon () in the top right corner of the page.
  3. Select "View all Outlook settings" from the dropdown menu.
  4. Scroll down to the "Mail" section.
  5. Under "Sync email", you'll see a dropdown menu labeled "Sync frequency". Choose from the following options:
    • Every 5 minutes
    • Every 15 minutes (default)
    • Every 30 minutes
    • Every 1 hour
    • Manually (you'll need to refresh the page to check for new emails)
  6. Click "Save" to apply the changes.

Method 2: Using the Outlook.com mobile app

  1. Open the Outlook.com mobile app on your device.
  2. Tap the three horizontal lines () in the top left corner of the screen.
  3. Tap "Settings" from the menu.
  4. Scroll down to the "Account" section.
  5. Tap "Sync frequency".
  6. Choose from the same options as mentioned above:
    • Every 5 minutes
    • Every 15 minutes (default)
    • Every 30 minutes
    • Every 1 hour
    • Manually (you'll need to refresh the app to check for new emails)
  7. Tap "Save" to apply the changes.

Method 3: Using the Outlook.com desktop app (Windows or macOS)

  1. Open the Outlook.com desktop app on your device.
  2. Click on the "File" menu.
  3. Select "Options" from the dropdown menu.
  4. Click on the "Advanced" tab.
  5. Under "Send and receive", you'll see a dropdown menu labeled "Schedule an automatic send/receive every". Choose from the same options as mentioned above:
    • Every 5 minutes
    • Every 15 minutes (default)
    • Every 30 minutes
    • Every 1 hour
    • Manually (you'll need to refresh the app to check for new emails)
  6. Click "OK" to apply the changes.

Remember that adjusting the sync frequency may affect the performance of your email client or app. If you're experiencing issues, you may want to revert to the default setting.