Send & Receive Issues

How to Automatically Receive Messages from Two Accounts in Outlook

Phi Hung Vo Oct 8, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user wants to configure Outlook to automatically download messages from multiple accounts (such as Gmail and iCloud) without having to manually select each inbox.

How to Automatically Receive Messages from Multiple Accounts in Outlook

Product: Microsoft Outlook
Device & OS: Windows
Scenario: Managing multiple email accounts and ensuring automatic background synchronization for all of them.
Observed behavior: One account downloads messages automatically, while the other only syncs when its inbox is manually selected by the user.

Before you start

Ensure you have a stable internet connection and that both email accounts are successfully added and authenticated in your classic Outlook application.

Solution 1Recommended

Configure Send/Receive Groups in Classic Outlook

Modify your Send/Receive settings to ensure all connected accounts are explicitly included in the automatic sync cycle.

By default, classic Outlook may not automatically include secondary accounts in the primary Send/Receive group. You need to manually edit the group to ensure background syncing for all inboxes.

Open Send/Receive Groups

Press Alt+Ctrl+S on your keyboard to quickly open the Send/Receive Groups dialog box in classic Outlook for Windows.

Edit the All Accounts Group

Select the 'All Accounts' group from the list and click the 'Edit...' button on the right side.

Select the Inactive Account

In the left pane of the new window, select the email account that isn't syncing automatically (for example, your iCloud account).

Include the Account

Check the box at the top that says 'Include the selected account in this group'. Ensure that 'Receive mail items' is also checked below.

Save and Test

Click 'OK' to save your changes, then click 'Close'. Press F9 or click 'Send/Receive All Folders' in the ribbon to verify both accounts now sync automatically.

Configure Send/Receive Groups in Classic Outlook

Applies to Classic Outlook: These specific shortcuts and menus apply to classic Outlook for Windows. The exact options differ in the new Outlook for Windows or Outlook for Mac, which generally handle sync groups automatically.

Solution 2

Enable Automatic Send/Receive Scheduling

Ensure that Outlook is scheduled to automatically perform the Send/Receive action at regular intervals.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why does my second email account only update when I click on it in Outlook?

This usually happens because the secondary account is not included in the active Send/Receive group. Modifying the group settings via Alt+Ctrl+S to include the account will resolve this.

Can I set different sync intervals for different email accounts in Outlook?

Yes, you can create multiple Send/Receive groups in the Send/Receive settings and assign different accounts to each group, giving them their own independent automatic scheduling intervals.

Does this solution work for the new Outlook for Windows or Outlook for Mac?

The Alt+Ctrl+S shortcut and Send/Receive Groups dialog are specific to classic Outlook for Windows. In the new Outlook or Mac versions, account syncing is generally managed automatically by the application's background sync engine.

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