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We see this problem pop up a lot because of multiple Office 365 accounts, old settings, or corrupted Outlook files. Figuring out why Outlook gets stuck offline really helps you fix it—and keeps it from coming back. This guide covers the usual suspects, troubleshooting steps, and a few advanced tricks to get your email flowing again. Outlook status says offline then it can happen when offline mode enabled, server connection is Outlook stuck updating folders solution lost, or your internet isn’t stable. Corrupted Outlook profile, faulty add-ins or outdated version of Outlook can also be reasons to remain offline.

Check OST file

The Outlook may remain stuck in the offline mode until the network is restored.That keeps Outlook from getting confused and stuck offline.Problem with account configuration can also prevent Outlook from connecting to the mail server, resulting in Offline Mode.Outlook Safe Mode can help troubleshoot and fix the Outlook stuck in offline mode issue as it prevents any add-in from interfering with the normal Outlook operations.You can also send us your queries in the comment section, and we’ll revert back as soon as possible.Jamie Kaler, a technical writer at MailsWare, combines her Computer Science background with a passion for simplifying complex technical topics.

When offline, the status is displayed in the status mailbox not updating on IMAP bar at the bottom as Working Offline or Disconnected. Just having a simple update routine and checking build numbers from time to time can save a lot of trouble. Staying current with updates is probably the easiest way to keep Outlook connected.

How To Fix Outlook Stuck in Offline Mode?

If you have to keep multiple accounts on one device, set up separate Outlook profiles for each one. Each profile should only connect to its own Office 365 tenant. This helps avoid cross-environment prompts that mess with your connection.

Verify Work Offline Button Status

Click the ‘Work Offline’ option to reset work offline mode and reconnect to the Exchange or mailbox server. To go online, open Outlook and navigate to Send/Receive and uncheck work offline. Ensure your connection is active and Outlook can access the mail server without connectivity. In such cases, you can recreate the OST file or use the Stellar Converter for OST software to convert the problematic OST file to Outlook importable PST format.

Method 1: Reset ‘Work Offline’ to Reconnect

It’s really important to know which Exchange or Office 365 environment Outlook should use. If you don’t get this right, Outlook will just sit in offline mode, unable to do much. Sometimes Exchange server permissions or policies get set up wrong.

A broken Outlook profile can mess up syncing and keep you offline. We usually suggest making a new profile instead of spending ages trying to fix the old one. From the file explorer ribbon, under the ‘Easy Access’ drop down menu, you could toggle from “offline” to “online”.

Setup Exchange Server Account Manually

Given below are just a few examples of possible reasons. Select Work Offline from the Send/Receive tab in Outlook to reconnect. Upgrade to Microsoft Edge to take advantage of the latest features, security updates, and technical support.

Essential Troubleshooting Steps for Reconnecting Outlook

Sometimes a VPN or firewall blocks Outlook, so try turning those off for a minute to see if it helps. Hybrid setups—where you’ve got both on-premises Exchange servers and Office 365—can run into DNS or Autodiscover problems. If your external DNS doesn’t match the internal setup, Outlook can lose track of where it’s supposed to connect. Outdated software often brings compatibility headaches that break your connection. Further, the drive status for any drive which has a file/folder set to be available offline is stuck on “Offline”. Even after following the above process, Diagnose Office Activation Conflicts if the issue of offline still present, and OST corruption might be the actual cause.