How to troubleshoot missing messages in your email client

Because Bridge is an application that works on your device to connect your email client to Proton servers, a process that stores some data locally on your computer. In rare cases, you might find messages missing from your email client.

Your messages, however, are always accessible from Proton Mail native applications.

This article will guide you through resolving any issues with missing messages.

Determine why the messages are missing

First, restart Bridge, and then your email client, to ensure they are connected.

Here are some questions you can answer to determine why the messages are missing:

• Are old messages missing?
• Are you still receiving new messages?
• Are the missing messages from a specific time-frame?

If you answered yes to at least two of these questions, proceed to resynchronizing Bridge with Proton servers. Otherwise, continue reconfiguring your account into the email client. Both of these steps will be explained below.

Note: If you are using Split Address mode, the messages will only appear in the address they are stored in. Typically, the messages belong to the address where they were received or sent. If you have imported old messages using Easy Switch, however, the messages might be in the inbox where  they were imported.

Resynchronizing Bridge with Proton servers

In the rare case when Bridge is out of sync with Proton servers, this option will allow you to ensure Bridge is up-to-date, ensuring the messages you see in Bridge match the ones you see on the web app.

The quickest way to resynchronize is to enable Split Address Mode, and then disable it again (or vice versa, if you currently have it enabled).

To toggle Split Address Mode, open Bridge, then choose your account from the left side and click on the “Split Addresses” toggle.

Your messages will begin to resynchronize. They will soon reappear in the email client.

In case you don’t see messages in your inbox, you might need to reconfigure your email client.

Reconfiguring your email client

Removing and re-adding your account to the email client will reestablish the connection and refresh the email client’s message cache. This will ensure the messages are up to date in the email client.

Here’s how to re-add the account in your email client.

Outlook for Windows

1. Go to File → Settings → Account Settings.
2. From here, choose your account, and click Remove.
3. Lastly, you can use one of our guides to re-add the account depending on your version of Outlook:
   1. Outlook 2019 or newer
   2. Outlook 2016
   3. Outlook 2013

Thunderbird

1. Open the menu from the top-right, then go to Account Settings → Select your account.
2. At the bottom, click Account Actions.
3. Choose Remove Account.

To re-add the account, read our guide for Thunderbird.