Outlook normally sends a small email within a few seconds and new mail should appear without you having to wait a long time. If messages sit in the Outbox, the Inbox updates very slowly, or Outlook spends several minutes on “Sending/Receiving,” there is usually something slowing the connection between Outlook and the mail server.
The cause may be as simple as a weak internet connection or a large attachment. It can also happen when Outlook is trying to synchronize too much mail at once.
Start with the easy checks before changing any Outlook settings.
Check whether the internet itself is slow
Open a few normal websites in your browser.
If pages are also loading slowly, Outlook is probably not the main problem. Restart your modem/router and reconnect the computer to Wi-Fi before testing Outlook again.
If the internet is working normally, continue below.
Send a small test email
Create a new email with a short subject and a few words in the message. Do not attach anything.
Send it to yourself or another email address.
If the small email sends quickly but another message is taking a long time, check the slow message for large photos, PDFs, videos, or several attachments. Outlook has to upload the complete attachment before the email can leave the Outbox, so a large file on a slower connection can take much longer than expected.
Check the Outbox
Open the Outbox and see whether an older message is stuck there.
A single problem message can sometimes keep Outlook busy trying to send it repeatedly. Move the message to Drafts or delete it, then select Send/Receive > Send/Receive All Folders.
You can also press F9 to make Outlook check for mail immediately.
Make sure Outlook is not working offline
Go to the Send/Receive tab.
If Work Offline is selected, turn it off and wait for Outlook to reconnect. Check the bottom of the Outlook window for a connected status rather than Working Offline or Disconnected.
Restart Outlook and the computer
Close Outlook completely and restart Windows.
This can clear a send/receive process that has become stuck and is worth trying before making changes to the email account.
After restarting, open Outlook and allow it a minute or two to settle before pressing Send/Receive again.
Update Outlook
Open File > Account > Update Options > Update Now and install any available Microsoft Office updates.
Outlook synchronization problems are sometimes corrected through Office updates, particularly if the problem started suddenly after Windows or Office changed.
Check how often Outlook is set to send and receive
In classic Outlook, go to Send/Receive > Send/Receive Groups > Define Send/Receive Groups.
Make sure your normal email account is included and that automatic Send/Receive has not been set to an unusually long interval.
You do not need to set it to check every minute. A normal automatic interval is enough, and you can always press F9 when you want Outlook to check immediately.
If Outlook is still consistently slow while the same mailbox works quickly in webmail, the next sensible step is to repair the Outlook account or profile rather than changing your internet or email password repeatedly.
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