How to Find Archived Emails in Outlook (2026)
Archived emails aren’t deleted — they sit in an Archive folder that’s easy to miss in the folder list. Where exactly they live depends on whether they were archived with the Archive button or moved to a separate .pst file in classic Outlook.
1. Open the Archive Folder (New Outlook & Web)
- Make sure the folder pane on the left is expanded.
- Scroll down past Inbox, Sent Items, and Drafts.
- Click Archive.
If you don’t see it, click More (or …) at the bottom of the folder list to reveal hidden folders.
2. Open the Archive Folder (Classic Outlook for Windows)
- In the navigation pane, find Archive under your mailbox, alongside Inbox and Deleted Items.
- If it’s hidden, go to View > Folder Pane > Normal.
The Archive button (or Backspace) moves messages here — they stay part of your mailbox and remain searchable.
3. Search Across All Folders
Often the fastest way is to search instead of browse.
- Click in the Search box at the top.
- Set the scope to All folders (classic Outlook has a scope dropdown; new Outlook/web searches everything by default).
- Type the sender, subject, or keyword.
Results include archived items as long as they’re in the Archive folder rather than a closed .pst file.
4. Find Emails in a .pst Archive (Classic Outlook)
AutoArchive and manual archive move older items to a separate archive.pst file.
- Look for an Archives group in your folder pane.
- If it isn’t there, go to File > Open & Export > Open Outlook Data File.
- Browse to the file — the default location is
C:\Users\YourName\Documents\Outlook Files\archive.pst. - Click OK to mount it in the folder pane.
5. Find Archived Emails on Mobile
- Open the Outlook app and tap your profile picture (top left).
- Tap the folder icon to expand the folder list.
- Tap Archive.
You can also tap the search icon and type a keyword to search across folders.
6. Troubleshooting
There’s no Archive folder
You haven’t archived anything yet, or you use a POP account that doesn’t support a server Archive folder. Archive one message and the folder appears.
Search doesn’t return archived items
A closed .pst file isn’t searched until you open it. Mount it via File > Open & Export > Open Outlook Data File, then search again.
I found it but want it back in the Inbox
Open the Archive folder, select the messages, and drag them to Inbox (or right-click > Move).
Related Outlook guides: How to archive emails in Outlook · How to recover deleted emails in Outlook · How to create a search folder in Outlook · How to create folders in Outlook · How to clean up your inbox in Outlook
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