Why does it take so long get an email (20-30min) in Outlook.com

Hello Teresa,

We appreciate your time for posting your concern here in Microsoft Community Answers forum. I understand that you are receiving delayed messages. Let's see what we can do to resolve this issue. There's a possibility that this is contributed by email traffic on the server causing the sending/receiving of emails to travel much slower than the usual receiving time.

If you have setup other accounts for your sending and receiving in Outlook.com, please be informed that you can receive up to 50 messages automatically at a time every 30 minutes. If you have more than 50 messages, they're included in the next automatic refresh. To know more about sending and receiving mail from other email accounts, read this Microsoft article "Send and receive email from other accounts in Outlook.com".

In addition, listed below are the possible causes of mail delivery delays:

• Mail servers may be undergoing maintenance, or there may be a service outage.
• Content of the email message - message was large, or it contained one or more large attachments.
• Email message is subject for review for spam filtering as incoming mail.
• Inbox storage limit on receiving end.

Lastly, please verify if the same thing happen when you access your account using a computer.

Should you have other questions or any other concerns, please reply to this thread and we will be happy to further assist you.

I have a new computer (with a fast internet connection) and Outlook 2013.......And unfortunately have always had 10-40 minute delays in receiving mail from my Gmail account when I first boot up.    If I need to read timely emails, I have to read them on my mobile devices until MS Outlook decides to start working.   It's sad to see since I've ben a faithful Outlook user for many years.

MS support's only solution when I called, was to switch me over to POP, which was undesirable for me since I have several devices where I read my email and need them all to be in sync. 

Hello everyone,

Please be informed that it's by design that if you have setup your account as POP under Outlook.com, you can receive up to 50 messages automatically at a time every 30 minutes. If you have more than 50 messages, they're included in the next automatic refresh. In addition, listed below are some possible causes of mail delivery delays:

• Email traffic on the server causing the sending/receiving of emails to travel much slower than the usual receiving time.
• Mail servers may be undergoing maintenance, or there may be a service outage.
• Content of the email message - message was large, or it contained one or more large attachments.
• Email message is subject for review for spam filtering as incoming mail.
• Inbox storage limit on receiving end. 

If you want to send a suggestions straight to our product team, kindly send us feedback on this link.

We look forward to your opinion on this matter.

Do you have your Gmail and Microsoft accounts setup in Office Outlook?

Are you using pop aggregation to download the emails to outlook.com?

I only have a single Gmail account set up in Outlook13 as IMAP.

I'm sorry, I don't know how to check on your second question about POP aggregation.

(But I can tell you after I boot my computer up in the morning that my email doesn't arrive until at least 30-70 minutes , and then it all comes at once) if that helps ?

My problem is with a single Gmail account I have that is set up in Outlook13 as IMAP/SMTP.

Emails come only in bunches, at seemingly uneven intervals, but usually only 20-30-60 minutes apart.  If I need to stay current with my inbox messages, I have to check the same Gmail account on one of my mobile devices (which obviously bypass the Outlook 13 delays).

Do you think it's may be a bad setting I have, or is it just the know Gmail/Outlook13 problem that is well advertised?   Again, I have a new computer and a fast internet connection.