Why Isn’t My Email Sending?

A stuck or failed outgoing email is almost always one of a handful of causes. Work through these in order before assuming something’s seriously wrong.

Check your internet connection

The most common cause of a stuck “sending” message is simply a weak or dropped internet connection. Try loading a different website or app to confirm you’re actually online before troubleshooting further.

Check attachment size

If your message includes an attachment, oversized files are one of the most frequent causes of a failed send. Most providers cap attachments around 20-25 MB. See our guide to email attachments and our guide to sending large videos for size-friendly alternatives.

Double-check the recipient address

A typo in the recipient’s address is an easy thing to miss and will usually generate a bounce-back message rather than a silent failure, though it can sometimes just sit in your outbox depending on the provider.

Check if your mailbox storage is full

Some providers won’t let you send mail once your storage quota is completely full, since outgoing mail is briefly stored too. Check your account’s storage usage in settings and clear out large old emails or attachments if you’re near the limit.

Check for a provider outage

Occasionally the problem isn’t on your end at all. A quick search for “[your provider] down” or checking the provider’s official status page or social media accounts can confirm whether it’s a widespread issue.

Try the other access method

If you’re using a mobile app, try sending the same email from a web browser instead, or vice versa. This helps isolate whether the problem is with the app itself or something account- or network-related.