Fix problems reading or receiving AOL Mail

Find out how to fix problems reading or receiving AOL Mail

If you're having problems viewing and receiving your AOL Mail, it could be caused by a few things. Most of the issues can be fixed with a couple of quick troubleshooting steps.

Fix problems receiving mail

If you are able to sign in and read your mail, however you're not receiving new mail, there are a few things you can try to fix the problems.

Check your filters

Sometimes a filter can cause emails to bypass your inbox and be sent to either the trash folder or a different folder. You may need to check any filters you've created to make sure your messages are correctly organized.

Check your block settings

Make sure the option "Block All Senders Except Contacts" under "Mail Settings --> Block Senders" is unchecked. If checked, you will not receive messages from anyone not in your contacts.

Learn about delivery delays

Messages are often delivered right way though very rarely there may be a delay in transit. This is usually due to problems on the mail server, heavy internet traffic, or routing problems.

Unfortunately, other than waiting, you won't be able to determine if the message is delayed or undeliverable. If possible, ask the sender to resend the message to see if you can get the message a second time.

Check for emails in your Spam folder

If you find emails in your Spam folder that don't belong there, you'll need to mark the messages as "not spam."

• Sign in to AOL Mail.

• Click the Spam folder.

• Select the message that isn't spam.

• At the top of the page, click Not Spam.

Fix problems viewing images

Most problems with viewing image attachments in AOL Mail can be fixed with a bit of trouble shooting.

Try again later

If you've tried everything else and you're still not seeing images, it may be best to try again later. The problem could be caused by server delays due to a lot of people accessing their email at once. Usually this is resolved in just a few minutes.

Be aware, if the picture was sent in an unsupported file format, such as TIFF, you may not be able to view it. Ask the sender to resend the picture using JPG or GIF file format.

Check the attachments

The image sent may have been sent as an attachment rather than an embedded image. If the image is sent as an attachment, you'll need to download it before you can view the image.

Reset your web settings

Sometimes installing multiple browsers can result in your web settings getting changed. You can reset your general web settings without changing the settings of all web browsers on your computer.

Clear your browser's cache

Cookies are little bits of info stored in your browser to allow websites to load quicker. While this usually makes it faster to access sites, this stored info can cause some sites to have loading errors. Clear your browser's cache to reset your browser and wipe out all the little unwanted bits of info that have been stored, making it overall run better.

Fix problems with missing emails

When emails go missing in AOL Mail, it's often due to a few simple things; either the message is in the wrong folder, your third-party mail client's settings, or your account was deactivated due to inactivity.

Check your other folders

The first thing place to check if you're missing mail is to check your other folders. If you find missing messages in these folders it's likely they were either mistakenly marked as spam or filtered. Should this happen, check your filters and spam settings to make sure they're what you expect them to be.

Check your account email client

One of the top reasons a user can't find their emails is due to settings from a third-party email client such as Outlook or the Mail app on your phone. Chances are the settings in the program are set to delete the emails from the AOL server each time you check your mail. You can fix this by making sure the "Keep email on server" setting is enabled.

Additionally, if your email isn't missing, but going straight to an unexpected folder, it may the normal outcome of using IMAP to access your mail. IMAP syncs your email regardless of where you use it, which means emails will be sorted based on the client's specifications.

Check to see if your account been deactivated for inactivity

If you haven't signed in to your account in a while, it could be in the process of being deactivated for inactivity. If that happens, depending on the amount of time you've been inactive, you may lose some emails during the deletion process.

Fix problems reading & retrieving mail

If you're having problems reading and retrieving your AOL Mail, the following troubleshooting steps:

Use AOL Basic Mail

AOL Basic Mail gives you a way to see your emails in a simpler layout. This can often help when you're having problems retrieving mail on a slower connection speed.

Reset your web settings

Sometimes installing multiple browsers can result in your web settings getting changed. You can reset your general web settings without changing the settings of all web browsers on your computer.

Disable pop-up blocking

If you're blocking pop-ups in your browser, it may cause problems when accessing AOL Mail, especially if you have your mail set to open in a pop-up window when writing a new message. You'll need to either disable pop-up blockers on your browser or disable the pop up window in your AOL Mail Compose settings.

Clear your browser's cache

Cookies are little bits of info stored in your browser to allow websites to load quicker. While this usually makes it faster to access sites, this stored info can cause some sites to have loading errors. Clear your browser's cache to reset your browser and wipe out all the little unwanted bits of info that have been stored, making it overall run better.

Temporarily disable your firewall

Your firewall or other security software may be preventing you from connecting to AOL. Temporarily disable your firewall and check whether or not you're able to connect to the internet. If your firewall software isn't on the list linked, you will need to contact your firewall software provider for additional info.

Disable Protected Mode in Internet Explorer

Protected mode is enable by default and may interfere with AOL Mail. If you're continuing to have trouble accessing mail, turn Protected Mode off:

• Click Tools.

• Click Internet Options.

• Click the Security tab.

• Deselect "Enable Protected Mode."

• Restart Internet Explorer and sign in to AOL Mail again.