If Gmail isn't receiving emails, check your Google storage first: when your account reaches its limit you can't send or receive messages, and mail sent to you goes back to the sender. If storage is fine, check Spam, then your filters, then whether the Gmail app on your phone is syncing.
Here's the catch. Your Gmail inbox doesn't have its own space. Google Account storage is shared across Gmail, Google Photos and Google Drive, and WhatsApp backups or Drive for Desktop syncs can take up space too. So a pile of phone backups can stop your email arriving, and items sitting in Spam and Trash count against you until they're cleared.
Checklist by symptom
| What you're seeing | Likely cause | First fix, as of October 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Nothing arrives and senders get bounces | Google storage is full | Delete big attachments, empty Trash and Spam |
| One sender's emails never show | They're going to Spam | Mark one Not spam and add the sender to Contacts |
| Mail arrives but skips the inbox | A filter with Skip Inbox or Delete it | Edit or delete that filter |
| New mail on your computer but not your phone | The Gmail app isn't syncing | Swipe down to sync, then check Sync Gmail |
| The app gets Gmail but not Outlook or Yahoo | Possibly the other provider | Check on a computer, then contact that provider |
| Temporary Error (502) | Gmail is briefly unavailable | Sign in again in a few minutes |
| Oops or Bad Request | Browser settings or extensions | Turn off extensions, clear cache and cookies |
Storage full: the silent block
When your Google Account reaches its storage limit, you can't send or receive messages and mail sent to you returns to the sender. In Gmail, messages and attachments count, including everything in Spam and Trash. The quickest way back is to delete emails with large attachments you no longer need and clear your Trash and Spam.
If you're near the limit and a key email hasn't shown up, assume it bounced. Ask the sender to resend it once you've cleared space.
Get a sender out of Spam for good
- Open Gmail, click More on the left, then Spam.
- Tick the email and click Not spam. Future emails from that sender won't go to Spam.
- If they keep landing there, add the sender in Google Contacts with Create contact.
- Or create a filter: Show search options, put their address in From, click Create filter and tick Never send it to Spam.
If the sender's one you blocked earlier, unblocking them should stop their mail going to Spam, and the steps above cover the rest. Here's how to see blocked emails in Gmail.
Filters, forwarding and other email apps
A filter that archives or deletes incoming mail looks exactly like mail that never arrived. Go to Settings, See all settings, then the Filters and Blocked Addresses tab, and look for filters with the words Delete it or Skip Inbox. Click Edit or Delete next to any you don't want.
If you forward mail from another account into Gmail, or read Gmail in another app, check your forwarding and your IMAP or POP settings. Those can archive or delete the original emails, and Microsoft Outlook, for example, lets you choose whether deleting an email also deletes it from Gmail.
The Gmail app isn't getting new mail
Google's sync fixes for the Android app, in order. It can take up to 15 minutes for Gmail to sync, and longer if you haven't used the device for a while.
- Open the Gmail app and swipe down from the top of your inbox to sync by hand.
- Update the Gmail app to the latest version.
- Restart your phone or tablet.
- Check your internet connection by opening a website in a browser.
- In the app, tap Menu, Settings, your account, and make sure Sync Gmail is ticked under Data usage.
- In your device's Settings, open Google Account, Account sync, tap More and Sync now.
- Free up space on the device, because a phone that's low on storage stops the Gmail app syncing.
Clearing the Gmail app's storage is the last resort. Google warns it can erase your drafts, signature, ringtone and other settings, so only do it once everything else has failed.
Error messages in the browser
A Temporary Error (502) means Gmail is briefly unavailable, your messages are safe and it usually fixes itself. For No connection, check your internet, restart your device, switch Wi-Fi or mobile data off and on, or try another network. Oops errors with codes such as 602, 500, 102, 009 or 103, and Bad Request messages, often point to your browser: turn off extensions one by one, try incognito mode, clear your cache and cookies, or disable features in Gmail's Advanced settings tab. The Google Workspace Status Dashboard shows whether there's a wider outage.
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When the missing email is one you sent
If someone says they never got your email, check your Sent Mail and Drafts first. Ask them to look in Junk or Spam and add you to their contacts, and wait a few hours in case a delivery error message comes back. If you sent it from Apple Mail or Outlook, try sending from mail.google.com or the Gmail app instead. For volume problems, here are the Gmail sending limits.
My verdict on missing Gmail emails
I'd always start with storage, because it's the one cause that bounces mail back to the sender and you won't see a trace of it. Then I'd check Spam and your filters, which together cover most one-sender problems. If mail shows on your computer but not your phone, it's a sync issue, not a delivery one, so fix the app and leave your Gmail settings alone.
Frequently asked questions
Why am I suddenly not receiving emails in Gmail?
The most common reasons are full Google storage, emails going to Spam, or a filter that archives or deletes incoming mail. Check storage first, since a full account can't receive messages.
Can full Google storage stop Gmail receiving emails?
Yes. When your Google Account reaches its storage limit, you can't send or receive messages and messages sent to you return to the sender.
How long does the Gmail app take to sync?
It can take up to 15 minutes for Gmail to sync your messages, and longer if you haven't used your device for some time.
How do I stop a sender's emails going to Spam?
Mark one of their emails as Not spam, add them to Google Contacts, or create a filter with their address and tick Never send it to Spam.
What does Temporary Error (502) mean in Gmail?
Gmail is temporarily unavailable. Your messages are still safe, and the error usually resolves itself, so sign in again in a few minutes.
