How often does outlook 365 check for mail

Outlook 365, like other email clients, periodically checks for new emails in the background to keep your inbox up-to-date. The frequency of these checks depends on several factors, including:

  1. Account settings: You can adjust the account settings to control how often Outlook checks for new emails. To do this:
    • Go to File > Options > Advanced.
    • Under "Send and receive", you'll see the "Every [X] minutes" option. You can adjust this value to change the frequency of checks.
  2. Sync frequency: Outlook 365 uses a feature called "Sync" to periodically check for new emails, contacts, and calendar events. The sync frequency depends on your account type and settings:
    • For personal accounts (e.g., @outlook.com, @hotmail.com), the default sync frequency is every 15 minutes.
    • For work or school accounts (e.g., @company.com), the sync frequency may be set by your organization's IT administrator.
  3. Background refresh: Outlook 365 also uses a feature called "Background refresh" to periodically refresh your inbox and other folders. This process runs in the background and can be configured to run at specific intervals:
    • By default, Background refresh runs every 30 minutes.
    • You can adjust this setting by going to File > Options > Advanced > Send and receive > Background refresh.
  4. Network connectivity: Outlook 365 checks for new emails only when it's connected to the internet. If your device is not connected to the internet, Outlook will not check for new emails.
  5. Device and system settings: The frequency of Outlook's checks can also be influenced by your device's and system's settings, such as:
    • Power-saving features: Some devices may have power-saving features that limit background activity, including email checks.
    • System updates: System updates can sometimes affect the frequency of Outlook's checks.

In summary, the frequency of Outlook 365's checks for new emails depends on a combination of account settings, sync frequency, background refresh, network connectivity, and device/system settings.