In this guide · 8 sections
- 01How long deleted emails can be recovered
- 02Recover deleted emails in Outlook (Microsoft 365)
- 03Recover deleted Gmail in Google Workspace
- 04When a whole account was deleted
- 05Retention policies, holds and Google Vault
- 06When third-party email backup is worth it
- 07Do it yourself or get help?
- 08Frequently asked questions
Short answer
In Microsoft 365, check Deleted Items, then use Recover items deleted from this folder; purged mail stays recoverable for 14 days by default (up to 30). In Google Workspace, Trash keeps mail for 30 days, then an admin has 25 more days with Restore data.
How long deleted emails can be recovered
Both platforms have a two-stage safety net. The first stage is a folder the user can see (Deleted Items or Trash). The second is hidden storage that only a recovery tool or an admin can reach. The windows below are the defaults from Microsoft and Google documentation, checked in October 2026.
| What was deleted | Microsoft 365 (Exchange Online) | Google Workspace (Gmail) |
|---|---|---|
| Email in the deleted folder | Stays in Deleted Items until emptied or a policy removes it | Stays in Trash for 30 days |
| Email emptied or permanently deleted | Recoverable Items for 14 days by default, up to 30 | Admin Restore data for 25 more days |
| Whole user account deleted | Restore user and mailbox within 30 days | Restore user within 20 days |
| Anything older | Only if a retention policy or hold kept it | Only via Vault retention or holds, or a backup |
Microsoft's Recoverable Items folder article gives the 14-day default and the 30-day maximum. Google's article on restoring a user's permanently deleted email explains that the extra 25 days start 30 days after the message was deleted.
Recover deleted emails in Outlook (Microsoft 365)
Start with the user's own tools. They work in new Outlook, classic Outlook and Outlook on the web, and need no admin rights.
Check Deleted Items and Junk Email
Open the Deleted Items folder, find the message, and use Restore or move it back to the Inbox. Check Junk Email too, since rules sometimes send mail there.
Open Recover items deleted from this folder
In Deleted Items, select Recover items deleted from this folder at the top of the message list. This opens the Recoverable Items view.
Select and restore
Tick the messages you need and choose Restore. Microsoft's Outlook recovery guide shows each version of Outlook.
Ask an admin if it is still missing
An Exchange admin can search the mailbox with Content search in Microsoft Purview, and can restore items for a user who has left or cannot sign in.
Raise the retention window for next time
Admins can extend deleted item retention from 14 to 30 days per mailbox with Exchange Online PowerShell (Set-Mailbox -RetainDeletedItemsFor 30).
If someone else deleted the mail, for example an attacker hiding a fake invoice thread, treat it as an incident first. Our guide on what to do when business email is hacked covers checking forwarding rules and sign-ins.
Recover deleted Gmail in Google Workspace
Gmail is simpler for users but has a firm end date. Google's Gmail help says a deleted message stays in Trash for up to 30 days, then it is permanently deleted.
- User, within 30 days: open Trash in Gmail (under More), select the message, and move it to the Inbox.
- Admin, within the next 25 days: in the Google Admin console, go to Directory > Users, point to the user, choose More options > Restore data, pick a date range within the last 25 days, choose Gmail, and click Restore.
- What cannot be restored: Google lists deleted drafts, deleted spam, labels and their nesting, and items still in the user's Trash.
- Timing: restored mail returns to the Inbox and can take several days to appear for large restores.
The admin restore brings back everything deleted in the date range, not single messages. Choose the narrowest range you can, and tell the user to expect older mail to reappear.
When a whole account was deleted
This happens most often when a leaver's account is removed too quickly. Both platforms give a short grace period:
- Microsoft 365: Microsoft's restore a user article says that if you restore a deleted user within 30 days, the account and all associated data return, including the mailbox.
- Google Workspace: Google's restore a deleted user article allows recovery up to 20 days after deletion, and you need a spare licence for the edition the user had.
Retention policies, holds and Google Vault
The windows above are a safety net, not an archive. To keep mail for months or years, whatever users delete, you need a retention policy or hold set up before the deletion happens.
Microsoft Purview retention
- Retention policies keep a copy of deleted mail in the Recoverable Items folder
- Litigation Hold preserves deleted and edited items until removed
- Feature availability depends on your licence; check before relying on it
- Searchable with Content search and eDiscovery
Best for: Microsoft 365 businesses with records to keep for audits or disputes.
Google Vault
- Retention rules and holds keep Gmail beyond the 55 days
- Included in Business Plus, Enterprise and some other editions
- Data is exported, not restored to the inbox
- Not included in Business Starter or Standard
Best for: Google Workspace businesses on Business Plus or higher.
Microsoft explains how retention policies keep copies of mailbox content. Google lists the editions that include Vault in its Vault licensing article. Retention is a compliance tool: it keeps data, but restoring it into a user's mailbox is slower than a backup restore.
When third-party email backup is worth it
Native recovery covers most everyday mistakes. A separate backup service earns its cost when you need any of these:
Signs you need backup, not just recycle bins
Our guide to backing up Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace compares the options and costs.
Do it yourself or get help?
Most single-message recoveries take a user five minutes with the steps above. If the window is closing, the mail sat in a deleted account, or you need an admin restore and are not sure which settings to touch, get help quickly because the clock keeps running.
Our Quick Fix (1 hour) (S$119) covers an urgent restore or a retention setting change. For a lasting fix, Backup & Ransomware Recovery (S$290) sets up backup for your mailboxes and files, with a test restore so you know it works.
Frequently asked questions
Usually yes. In Microsoft 365, items emptied from Deleted Items move to the Recoverable Items folder, where they stay for 14 days by default, or up to 30 days if your admin changed the setting. Open Deleted Items and choose Recover items deleted from this folder, then select the messages and restore them.
A deleted message stays in Trash for 30 days, where the user can restore it. After that, a Google Workspace admin has an additional 25 days to bring it back with the Restore data tool in the Admin console. After roughly 55 days in total the message is gone, unless Google Vault retention or a hold kept a copy.
No. Both vendors say that once their recovery periods end, deleted data is permanently purged and cannot be restored by an admin or by the vendor. The only way to get older mail back is a retention policy, a hold, Google Vault, or a separate backup that was in place before the deletion.
The mailbox goes with the account. Microsoft 365 lets you restore a deleted user, including the mailbox, within 30 days. Google Workspace allows 20 days and needs a spare licence. After that the mail is lost, so convert, transfer or back up a leaver's mailbox before deleting the account.
Not quite. A retention policy or hold keeps copies inside Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace so they can be searched and exported, mainly for compliance. A backup is a separate copy, usually with another provider, that is built for quick restores of messages, folders or whole mailboxes, including after ransomware or an account takeover.