How to See Your Outlook Archive: 4 Ways + Frequently Asked Questions

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Learn how to look at your archived emails in Outlook

Written by Hannah Dillon

Last Updated: May 19, 2025 Fact Checked

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Using Outlook.com

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Using the Outlook Desktop App

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Using the Outlook Mobile App

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Importing an Archived Email

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FAQ

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Video

This wikiHow teaches you how to access the Archive folder in Outlook. You can access the Archived folder in the sidebar on Outlook.com and the Windows Mail app. In the Outlook app, you will need to import the Outlook email file.

How to Check Your Outlook Archive

On the Outlook website, simply click the Archive button under Folders. In the Mail app, click the All Folders button, then select Archive. In the Outlook app, click the View tab and under Folder Pane select Normal. Then click the arrow next to your email and select Archive.

Section 1 of 5:

Using Outlook.com

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Go to outlook.com in a web browser. You can use any web browser on a PC, Mac, or Chromebook.
Use the email address and password associated with your Outlook.com account to sign in.

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Click Archive. It's in the left sidebar in your Outlook mailbox.
- To archive an email in your inbox, right-click or control-click an email in your inbox, and select Archive in the pop-up menu.

Section 2 of 5:

Using the Outlook Desktop App

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1
Open Outlook and click
next to your email account. Click the small triangle to the left of your email account to expand all the email folders and categories associated with that account. Note: These steps work for the Classic Outlook desktop app as well as the New Outlook desktop app.
- If you don't see a sidebar with your email account and inbox folders, go to the View tab, click Folder pane, then choose Folder list > Show.
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Click Archive. Click the Archive folder in the column on the left to display all the archived emails in the pane on the right.
- You can search archived emails using the search bar at the top of the email list pane. Use the drop-down menu next to the search bar to select "Archive Folder".

Section 3 of 5:

Using the Outlook Mobile App

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All of your inbox folders will be in a pane that pops up on the side of the screen.
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Tap Archive. The Archive folder will be in your list of folders, between "Drafts" and "Deleted."
- You can search your archive by tapping the magnifying glass at the top of the screen. Once you search for something, if a search result is in the Archive folder, it will have an "Archive" tag next to the subject.

Section 4 of 5:

Importing an Archived Email in the Outlook App

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It's in the menu bar at the top, in the upper-left corner. This will prompt a drop-down menu.
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Click Open & Export. It's the second option in the in the File menu.^{[1]
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- On Mac, click Import from the drop-down menu instead.
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Click Open Outlook Data File. This will open a file browser dialogue box.
- On Mac, select the type of archive file you want to import, then click Continue.
Archived files are saved as an Outlook data file, which has a ".pst" prefix. Your Outlook Data Files can be found in C:\Users\username\Documents\Outlook Files by default, only replace username with the name of your Windows user account.^{[2]
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Click OK. It's in the lower-right corner of the Open Outlook Data File browser dialogue box.
- On Mac, click Import instead.
You can now browse your archived folders under "Archive" in the navigation pane.

Section 5 of 5:

FAQ

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Why can't I find an archived email in my Outlook inbox? If the email isn't in the Archive folder and you don't have it saved as an exported PST file, check your Deleted folder. There's a chance the email got deleted instead of archived. Outlook will not automatically delete emails sent to the Archive folder.^{[3]
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Microsoft Support
Technical support and product information from Microsoft.

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How do I archive an email in Outlook? On the desktop app or website, right-click an email and choose Archive. You can also click on an email and then click Archive in the ribbon at the top of the screen. On the mobile app, long-press on the email you want to archive, then tap the icon of a folder with an arrow at the bottom of your screen. Move the email to the Archive folder.
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How do I unarchive an email in Outlook? On the desktop app or website, right-click an email and choose Move, then choose Inbox (or another folder). On the mobile app, long-press on the email you want to unarchive, then tap the icon of a folder with an arrow at the bottom of your screen. Move the email to the Inbox folder (or a different folder, if preferred).