We all have been in that state where we expect to receive an important email, only to discover later that email is not syncing on Android devices. Not only does this situation add to our frustration, but it also hampers productivity. To address this issue, we have compiled a list of solutions to fix the problem of email syncing failure on Android phones.
Table of Contents
1. Check Internet Connection
Sometimes even after your internet is working properly, you might still face issues with email syncing. So what you can do is restart your router or enable and disable airplane mode on your phone.
Also, make sure you’re not connected to any public Wi-Fi network. These networks have a reputation for providing slow or unstable internet connection. If that’s the case, you can try switching to your cellular data and see if your email started syncing on your Android phone, or else move to the next step.
2. Enable Background Data for Email Client
Ensure that your email client can access the internet in the background. If you have unknowingly disabled it, follow the below guide:
1. Open the Android Settings and navigate to the Apps section.
2. Select the Email app.
3. After that, go to Mobile data and make sure both Allow background data usage and Allow data usage while Data saver is on are enabled.
3. Disable VPN
If there is no issue with your internet connection, see if the VPN could be the reason why your email won’t sync. We have seen multiple instances where emails took longer to sync or failed to be received. Therefore, if you use a VPN on your Android phone, try disabling it to check if it is the actual culprit.
Tip: Is VPN not working on Android? Here are 8 Solutions.
4. Restart Android Device
If there are no network-related issues, consider restarting your Android phone. It’s possible that there could be an underlying OS issue or app conflict causing the problem. Restarting your device may restore regular email functionality.
5. Ensure Automatic Email Sync Is Enabled
There’s a possibility that you might have accidentally disabled the email sync functionality on your Android. If you’re not sure about it, you can follow the below guide:
1. Open any email app of your choice, such as Gmail and tap on the hamburger menu and then select Settings.
2. Next, choose your email account and scroll all the way to the bottom and confirm Sync Gmail is enabled.
6. Manually Sync Email
If automatic sync is not working, you can try manually syncing your email to check if the issue lies with the email provider or if it is just your email app that is acting weirdly.
Here’s how to sync your email manually:
1. Open the Settings app and go to Accounts and backup.
2. On the next screen, select Manage accounts.
3. From there, select your email account and choose the Sync account option.
4. Lastly, tap on the kebab menu (3-dots icon) and hit the Sync now button.
7. Stop Using 3rd Party Email Apps
3rd-party email apps may come with many nifty features but lack the versatility compared to native email apps like Gmail or Outlook. In most cases, your emails may take a longer time to sync or you may not receive them at all. Therefore, we would recommend you use the official app of the email service you’re using for a seamless experience.
8. Free Up RAM and Storage
Another reason emails are not syncing on your Android phone could be due to insufficient RAM and storage on your device. If your device is loaded with numerous apps and files, you may already have limited system resources available for the email client to download new emails.
Additionally, if the email includes large attachments, it becomes impossible to receive the email due to the limited storage space availability. Therefore, we would suggest you remove all the unnecessary apps and files from your phone to free up your storage capacity.
9. Allow App to Run in the Background
There are many 3rd party apps available on the Play Store that promises to boost the memory or battery life of your phone. These apps often cause more harm than benefit, and as a result, they can even restrict your email app from running in the background. Thus, you should uninstall such apps for the proper functioning of your email.
10. Disable Battery/Power Saving Mode
You may have enabled the battery saver mode on your Android device, or it might have been enabled automatically when the battery is low. This could be the reason why your emails aren’t syncing. Here’s what you need to do:
1. Launch the Settings app and move to Battery and device care section.
2. Once there, tap on the Battery tab and disable the toggle next to Power saving.
Note: Steps might differ based on the device or model you’re using.
Additionally, you can also ensure that your email client is not in a restricted mode in terms of battery usage. To verify that, just navigate to Settings > Apps > Outlook (or any other email app you use) > Battery and make sure it’s not on Restricted mode.
Tip: Learn how to reduce 5G battery drain on Android
11. Check Email Servers
All this time, we have been trying to troubleshoot the email sync functionality. However, what if the email provider’s server itself is experiencing an outage? To check the server status of your email service, simply visit the DownForEveryoneOrJustMe website from your web browser and enter your email provider’s name in the Search Box. If there is any kind of issue going on with your email service, you will get to know.
12. Remove and Re-Add Email ID Again
If there is no issue from your email provider’s end, then you can try removing your email ID and re-login again. This will probably fix any issues related to email configuration and may even start syncing your email on your Android smartphone.
Here’s how to remove any email account from your Android phone:
1. Open the Android Settings and navigate to Accounts and backup > Manage accounts.
2. Select the email account that is having a sync issue and then hit the Remove account button.
3. Re-confirm your decision by again tapping the Remove account.
4. Once done, open the email app. In this example, we will use the Gmail app.
5. Next, tap on your profile picture and select the Add another account option.
6. Now, select the email service of your choice and enter your credentials to sign in again.
13. Clear Cache and Data of Email App
To provide you with a smoother experience, most email apps stores both data and cache locally on your device. However, an outdated or corrupted cache can do more harm than good, including sync issues with emails. Therefore, you should clear out your email app’s cache and data to resolve this problem.
Here’s how to do it:
1. Launch the Android Settings and go to Apps.
2. Select your email app, such as Outlook or Gmail.
3. Scroll down and choose the Storage option.
4. Finally, tap on both the Clear cache and Clear data buttons.
After that, open your email app and again sign in to your email account.
Note: Settings may vary based on the device or model you’re using.
14. Update Email App
If clearing the data and cache of the email app didn’t start syncing emails for you, try updating your app. This can fix many existing bugs, including the one that is causing your email to stop syncing.
For updating your email app, simply open the Play Store and search for your email client. If the update is available, hit the Update button. That’s it.
15. Re-install Email App
If you tried all the above solutions and none of them are working, then try reinstalling the app. Just navigate to Settings > Apps > Email App (such as Gmail or Outlook) and hit the Uninstall button. After that, you can download that email app from the Play Store.
Restore Harmony in Your Inbox!
Email is one of the most important parts of our daily lives. If your email stops working, even for a single day, it can hinder your productivity. We hope that the above methods will help you fix the email sync error on your Android device and get your email back up and running.
Before you go back, you can also check out our other useful articles like how to use Gmail offline on a desktop or how to use the “help me write” feature on Gmail and Google Docs.
