Microsoft 365 Help / Staff guides
Outlook Mobile Device App

Archive email and find it again

Move completed messages out of your inbox in the Outlook mobile app without deleting them.

About 4 minutes Follow at your own pace

Before you start

  • Your work account is open in Outlook.

Follow these steps

0 of 6 steps done

  1. Choose your work Inbox

    Tap the profile picture or initials, choose your work account, then tap Inbox.

  2. Select a message

    Press and hold one email in the message list until it becomes selected. Tap any other messages you also want to archive.

  3. Tap the Archive icon

    Tap the Archive icon, usually shown as a storage box. Check the icon carefully so you do not tap the rubbish bin for Delete.

  4. Open the Archive folder

    Tap the profile picture again, expand the work account’s folders and tap Archive. The message should now be there.

  5. Move it back if needed

    Press and hold the archived message, open the move command or three-dot menu, choose Move to folder, then select Inbox.

  6. Optionally set an archive swipe

    For quicker cleanup, open Settings > Mail > Swipe Options and assign Archive to one swipe direction. Read the label shown during a swipe before releasing it.

You have finished when…

  • The message leaves Inbox and appears under Archive.

Helpful tips

  • Archive is useful for completed conversations that you still need to keep. It is different from Delete.
  • Mailbox retention rules may still apply to archived mail; Archive is not a permanent backup.
  • If a conversation contains several separate messages, check which messages are selected before archiving a large group.

Something looks different?

I archived something by accident

Open Archive, find the message and use Move to > Inbox. If an Undo notification is still visible, you can use it immediately.

My mailbox is still full

Ordinary Archive stays in the same mailbox. Ask the office about authorised cleanup or an Online Archive instead of repeatedly pressing Archive.

I cannot find Archive

Expand the account’s folder list. If you are using a shared mailbox or a different account type, ask the office to confirm the available archive options.

Microsoft help & further guidance

Menu names can change as Microsoft updates the apps. These official pages include further instructions.

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