How to Fix “Outlook for Mac not Syncing with iCloud, Gmail, or IMAP” Error?

Sarabjeet Kaur | Email Conversion email migration How to's mac os Outlook Software Technology Windows | 6 minutes read | Modified on: 05-05-2023
fix outlook for mac not syncing with icloud

Do you frequently get the error “Outlook for Mac not Syncing with iCloud, Gmail, or IMAP”?

Because your mailbox has not been updated, are you unable to respond to or even locate that urgent client email?

Are you attempting to view your new emails, but the mailbox is taking a very long time to update?

Or perhaps you have used the search feature in an attempt to locate an email but discovered that it was broken?

If you answered yes to any of these queries, there are problems keeping Outlook for Mac and the Exchange server in sync.

Every time a change is made on one side (the server side or the client side) and is reflected on the other, the Exchange server and client program (Outlook for Mac) synchronize.

But, a number of factors prevent this synchronization from occurring, preventing both the server side and the client side of your mailbox from updating. If you use Outlook for Mac only for business communications, this can be really annoying and cause a lot of hassles.

Don’t worry if you’re one of the unlucky users who is having this problem; we have got you covered. In this blog post, we will talk about some of the usual reasons for this problem and show you exactly how to fix it.

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Issues with OLM to Exchange Synchronisation and Their Causes

It’s crucial that you know the causes of the “Outlook for Mac not, Sync IMAP” error before we go on to the solutions. If Outlook for Mac is unable to sync with your email account, there may be a number of causes.

  • Network Issues: One of the primary reasons for synchronization issues is network problems. Poor network connectivity or slow internet speed can cause synchronization errors between Outlook for Mac and Exchange.
  • Configuration Problems: Incorrect or incomplete configuration of Outlook for Mac or Exchange can also cause synchronization issues. If the account settings are not correctly set up or the user credentials are incorrect, then synchronization errors can occur.
  • Software Bugs: Sometimes, software bugs in Outlook for Mac or Exchange can lead to synchronization issues. These bugs can occur due to incomplete software updates or conflicts with other software applications.
  • Size of Mailbox: The size of the mailbox can also be a factor in synchronization issues. If the mailbox is too large, then the synchronization process can take a long time, leading to errors.
  • Corruption of Data: Corruption of Outlook for Mac or Exchange data can also cause synchronization problems. This can occur due to various reasons, such as sudden power outages or improper shutdown of the system.
  • Firewall or Antivirus Software: Sometimes, the firewall or antivirus software installed on the system can block the synchronization process. This can happen if the software is incorrectly configured or if it is blocking the communication between Outlook for Mac and Exchange.

To resolve synchronization issues between Outlook for Mac and Exchange, users can try various solutions such as checking the network connection, ensuring that the account settings are correctly configured, updating the software, reducing the mailbox size, repairing or rebuilding the data, or temporarily disabling the firewall or antivirus software.

Fix Exchange Synchronization Problems in Mac Outlook

We advise that you first attempt this quick fix before moving on to the solutions: Restart your Mac or exit the Outlook for Mac application, then log in once more. In case the problem still exists, try the methods listed below.

Deselect the “Work Offline” Option

Before trying any other strategy, you must first do this. You won’t be able to send or receive emails on Outlook when working offline, and Outlook won’t sync with the exchange server. To fix this, make sure the “Work Offline” option is chosen by hovering your cursor over the Outlook menu. If so, uncheck it before seeing if you can synchronize your mailbox.

The Connection of the Network

Checking your network connectivity is the first step towards resolving the synchronization problem. Make sure your internet connection is reliable. For better stability, try switching from Wi-Fi to a wired connection if you are currently using one.

A Mac Outlook Update

The time has come to update Outlook for Mac if you are still using an out-of-date edition. By choosing “Check for Updates” from the “Help” menu, you may see if there have been any updates. To make sure that your email client is up to date, download and install any updates that are available.

Create a New Outlook Database

One of the best methods for resolving the error is “Outlook for Mac, not Syncing IMAP.” For instructions on how to remake your database, see the list below. Please keep in mind that the approach I’ve outlined below is for Outlook for Mac 2016, and other editions may follow a different process.

  1. Locate Outlook in “Finder” after closing the program.
  2. Click “Show contents” by using the right-click menu. Select “Contents/SharedSupport” from the menu.
  3. Open “Outlook Profile Manager”. Once you’ve created a new profile and made it the default profile, click the plus button again.
  4. Restart Outlook once more to finish. Once you have a blank app, all you have to do is re-enter your account information.

Remove Cache Data

Due to improper shutdowns of your Outlook for Mac apps, such as abrupt shutdowns or power supply outages, your Outlook cache may contain plenty of fragmented data. You should immediately clear the cache files from the exchange folder because they may negatively affect the synchronization procedure. Take the steps listed-

  1. On Outlook’s default home screen, click the folder list.
  2. Select “Properties” from the context menu when right-clicking on the exchange folder.
  3. Click “OK” after choosing the “Empty Cache” option under the “General” tab.

So there you have it! Now that you’ve emptied your cache, Outlook may retrieve your most recent emails again from the server.

How to Recover Inaccessible Outlook for Mac Data?

This is only the very beginning of the problem. Outlook for Mac is plagued with issues since Outlook for Windows is more thoroughly optimized than Outlook for Mac. Lots of users are switching to Windows in pursuit of enhanced performance and user experience. You should first make a backup of your Outlook for Mac data if you fall under this category.

You must change your OLM file into a compatible format, such as a PST file for Windows Outlook, in order to upload it to Outlook for Windows. The manual method gives no flexibility and is, to put it mildly, time-consuming, thus we don’t suggest it.

With the use of CubexSoft OLM to PST Converter for Mac & Win OS Tool, you can easily export OLM files to PST and access emails, calendars, notes, and contacts from Mac Outlook to Windows Outlook. As a result, you can restore the corrupted OLM files without losing any important data. The tool also supports batch OLM file conversion to PST format without Outlook installation.

Mac OLM Converter Software maintains the original folder structure of OLM files and saves the converted data items in the same folder hierarchy in PST file format. It offers a preview option to view OLM files’ data items before converting them to PST and other file formats such as PDF, EML, MSG, EMLx, DOC, HTML, RTF, CSV, ICS, MBOX, Office 365, Gmail, Yahoo Mail, Exchange Server, Outlook.com, IMAP, Amazon Workmail, Thunderbird, and so on. It is compatible with the most recent releases of Microsoft Outlook for Windows and Mac.

Wrapping Up

The “Outlook for Mac not Syncing with iCloud, Gmail, or IMAP” error can be annoying for Mac users. But, by using the techniques described in the article, the error can be quickly resolved.

Make sure to save this page in case you ever need it because this issue can be found in Outlook for Macs earlier as well as newer editions.

You can return to using Outlook for Mac’s effortless email service with a little effort and patience. We hope that this blog may help you with any sync errors you may be having with Outlook for Mac.

We advise using first-rate conversion software like the CubexSoft OLM File Converter if you are considering a Windows conversion. Because it imports your OLM mailbox data to PST Outlook format, which you can then utilize on a Windows computer, this program is the ideal solution.