In classic Outlook for Windows, you control how often Outlook checks for new mail in Send/Receive Groups. Press Ctrl + Alt + S, select All Accounts, and change the number next to Schedule an automatic send/receive every … minutes. The new Outlook for Windows doesn’t have this setting. It syncs on its own, and you can press F9 or use View > Sync to check right away. Below are the full steps for both, plus why the setting may not matter for your account.
Which Outlook do you have?
Look at the top-right corner of the Outlook window. If you see a New Outlook toggle that’s turned on, or there’s no File tab in the ribbon, you’re using the new Outlook. If the ribbon has File, Home, Send / Receive, and Folder tabs, you have classic Outlook.
Change the send/receive frequency in classic Outlook
- Open Outlook and click the Send / Receive tab.
- Click Send/Receive Groups, then Define Send/Receive Groups. The shortcut is Ctrl + Alt + S.
- Select All Accounts in the list.
- Under When Outlook is Online, tick Schedule an automatic send/receive every and type the number of minutes. The default is 30. Something between 5 and 10 minutes suits most people.
- If you want Outlook to keep checking while you’re working offline, set the same option under When Outlook is Offline.
- Click Close.
Outlook starts using the new schedule straight away. To check immediately at any time, press F9 or click Send/Receive All Folders on the Send / Receive tab.
Send outgoing mail right away
If emails sit in your Outbox until the next scheduled check, go to File > Options > Advanced, scroll to Send and receive, and tick Send immediately when connected.
Use different schedules for different accounts
If you have several accounts, you can check one more often than another.
- In the Send/Receive Groups window (Ctrl + Alt + S), click New and name the group, for example “Work.”
- Pick the account on the left, tick Include the selected account in this group, and choose what to download.
- Click OK, then set this group’s schedule the same way as above.
- Edit the All Accounts group and untick that account so it isn’t checked twice.
New Outlook for Windows
The new Outlook replaced the Send / Receive tab with a Sync button and there’s no schedule to change. Your mail stays in sync automatically. To force a check:
- Select Mail in the left navigation bar.
- On the View tab, select Sync, or press F9.
If you need a fixed checking interval for a POP or IMAP account, classic Outlook is the only Outlook for Windows that offers one.
Does the setting matter for your account?
- Microsoft 365, Exchange, and Outlook.com accounts use push email. New messages appear within seconds regardless of the send/receive schedule. The schedule mostly affects other accounts in the same profile.
- IMAP accounts such as Gmail or Yahoo in classic Outlook rely on the schedule, so shortening it makes new mail appear sooner.
- POP accounts only get new mail when Outlook checks, so the schedule controls how quickly mail arrives.
Checking every minute is possible, but some mail providers limit how often an app can connect. If messages start failing to download, set a longer interval.
Troubleshooting
The schedule option is greyed out
Make sure Include this group in send/receive (F9) is ticked for the group. On a work computer, your IT department may have locked the setting.
New mail still doesn’t arrive
- Check the bottom of the window. If it says Working Offline, go to Send / Receive and click Work Offline to turn it off.
- Try clearing the Outlook cache, then restart Outlook.
- If Outlook still won’t sync, run a repair of Outlook 365.
Outlook checks too often and slows down
Set a longer interval, such as 15 or 30 minutes, and untick any large shared mailboxes or public folders from the All Accounts group.
Frequently asked questions
What is the default send/receive interval in Outlook?
Classic Outlook checks every 30 minutes by default.
Can I change how often Outlook on the web checks for mail?
No. Outlook on the web and the Outlook mobile apps update automatically and have no schedule setting.
Why does Outlook say “Send/Receive error”?
Usually the account’s password has changed or the mail server is unreachable. Update the password in File > Account Settings and try again with F9.
Related Outlook guides
Setting up Outlook from scratch? See how to configure classic Outlook in Windows 10 or how to set up email on Windows 11.
Summary
In classic Outlook, press Ctrl + Alt + S, select All Accounts, and change the minutes next to “Schedule an automatic send/receive every.” In the new Outlook there’s no schedule to set; it syncs automatically, and F9 forces a check.
Related: How to Send an Entire Folder of Files as an Attachment in Outlook.
Related: How to See Someone’s Calendar in Teams.
Related: Where Did My Folder List Go in Outlook? How to Get It Back.
Matt Jacobs has been working as an IT consultant for small businesses since receiving his Master’s degree in 2003. While he still does some consulting work, his primary focus now is on creating technology support content for SupportYourTech.com.
His work can be found on many websites and focuses on topics such as Microsoft Office, Apple devices, Android devices, Photoshop, and more.