How to troubleshoot 3 common iPhone Outlook problems
Many users need mobile email access to do their jobs, so it's important for IT to fix issues in Microsoft Outlook quickly. Find out how to solve common problems in a few steps.
There are a few common issues that iPhone users can run into with the Microsoft Outlook mobile app, and IT should look at the kind of issue present to guide the troubleshooting process.
Microsoft Outlook is an email client that provides task management and collaboration features for both desktop and mobile devices. The mobile Outlook app gives users a familiar option for checking their email from devices such as smartphones and tablets.
Due to the popularity of the app, a problem with Outlook on mobile can be highly disruptive, especially if it prevents a user from sending or receiving new emails. While these problems do sometimes occur on iPhones and other iOS devices, with the right troubleshooting steps, they can be easy to solve.
Starting the troubleshooting process for Outlook on an iPhone
There are a number of different issues that can cause problems with the Outlook app on an iPhone. To simplify the troubleshooting process, IT should first rule out user error and network issues, then identify what kind of problem it is and from where it stems.
Some iPhone issues appear because of misconfigured device or app settings. If a user isn't receiving Outlook notifications, for example, they should check to make sure they haven't accidentally turned on Do Not Disturb mode. In cases like this, the issue should go away after the user fixes the setting.
Users can also solve many problems by verifying that the device can connect to the internet. After all, it's impossible for Outlook to send or receive messages without an internet connection.
Users can also solve many problems by verifying that the device can connect to the internet.
If a user is connecting to the internet using Wi-Fi, verify that they are accessing the correct wireless network. Users often configure their iOS devices to automatically connect to frequently used wireless networks. However, problems can arise if frequently used networks are in close proximity to one another. For example, if there are multiple networks within an organization, an employee might connect to the wrong one without realizing it. As a result, the employee would have trouble accessing the internet properly.
Users do not always connect to the internet using Wi-Fi, so make sure to also confirm that the device's 5G connection is working properly.
How to fix 3 common Outlook problems on an iPhone
If the problem appears to go beyond a misconfigured setting or unstable internet connectivity, IT should move on to more specific troubleshooting methods. The most common issues relate to email syncing, authentication and poor performance.
1. Email not syncing
Many iOS users run into mailbox syncing issues with Outlook. This means that the user is unable to send or receive messages. A lack of connectivity or a weak signal can cause this problem, but sometimes it just requires an Outlook refresh.
To refresh, open the Outlook app and then swipe down. This causes the app to contact the email server in an effort to fetch new data. Often, this will fix the mail synchronization problem on an iPhone.
If the problem persists after a refresh, make sure that push notifications are working properly. To do this, open Outlook and tap the profile icon in the top-left corner of the screen. Next, tap the Settings icon. Click Help & Feedback, followed by Test Push Notifications.
Problems sending and receiving Outlook emails from a mobile phone can interrupt users' workflow.
2. Authentication issues
Another common problem for Outlook on iOS is authentication failure. One possible cause for this is an expired email password.
On a corporate Windows machine, the authentication process is usually tied to the user's Microsoft 365 account. If the user's Microsoft 365 password has expired, Windows will prompt them to reset their password during logon. When the user opens Outlook on an iPhone, however, the app automatically sends their password to Microsoft 365. If the password has expired, the mobile Outlook app will not prompt the user to reset it, possibly locking them out as a result.
If a user suspects that their password has expired, they can use the browser to log on to Microsoft 365. The Microsoft 365 portal will prompt the user to change their password if necessary.
A user might also have trouble using the Outlook app if they recently changed their password. When a user changes their Microsoft 365 password, the new password does not automatically sync to the iOS device. The mobile Outlook app will then try to connect to the user's email account using the old password. When this happens, the user will receive a prompt to enter their password. If they ignore this prompt or enter the wrong password a few times, the account will lock them out and prevent the user from gaining access to their mailbox.
To update the Outlook app to use a new password, tap on the profile icon and then the Settings icon. Tap Accounts, select the user's account and scroll down to choose the Reset Account option. This will force Outlook to reauthenticate.
3. Slow or unstable performance
Some issues are more difficult to diagnose. Software glitches, slow performance and frequent crashes can all appear for a variety of reasons. However, there are some things IT and users can check to resolve these problems.
First, make sure that the iPhone has not depleted its available storage space. Open Settings and tap on General, followed by iPhone Storage. Ideally, the device should have at least a few gigabytes of storage free. If the iPhone is low on storage space, take a look at the recommendations that are displayed at the bottom of the screen. These recommendations will provide some ideas for reclaiming wasted storage space.
After confirming that the phone has plenty of free space available, perform a software update to make sure it's running the latest iOS version. Additionally, check for updates to the Outlook app. One way to ensure that Outlook is up to date is to delete the app from the device and reinstall it from iCloud.
It's also a good idea to check how many apps are running in the background. Having an excessive number of apps open can deplete the device's memory. Closing some of the apps frees up memory and can help Outlook to perform better.
To see how many apps are open, swipe up from the bottom of the screen. That should prompt the screen to show all the open applications on the device. To close an application, swipe it to the top of the screen.
Another possible troubleshooting method is clearing the phone's cache. Within Outlook, tap the profile icon and go to Settings. Select Help & Feedback and then Reset Spotlight Search Index.
If none of these actions fixes the problem, remove any Outlook add-ins that have been installed. To find the list of add-ins, navigate to Outlook's Settings screen again and tap Add-Ins.
Brien Posey is a former 22-time Microsoft MVP and a commercial astronaut candidate. In his more than 30 years in IT, he has served as a lead network engineer for the U.S. Department of Defense and a network administrator for some of the largest insurance companies in America.
