Gmail is Google’s email service, used through mail.google.com in a browser, the Gmail apps for Android and iOS, and other mail apps that connect with a Google account. Personal accounts and Google Workspace accounts at work or school run on the same service.
The status panel above is filled by a test server that opens mail.google.com and records the response, its speed, each redirect and the certificate. Without a session, Gmail redirects visitors to Google’s sign-in page, so a redirect in the result is normal.
What the Gmail result can tell you
A reachable result means Gmail’s web front end and Google sign-in are answering. Mail delivery, search and attachments run on other parts of Google’s systems, so a delivery delay can happen behind a page that loads fine. A slow result usually shows up as a loading bar that hangs before the inbox appears. An unreachable result for a Google address often points to the local network first: a school filter, a DNS problem or a router. Comparing with a phone on mobile data takes seconds.
Common Gmail problems
| What you see | Likely cause | What to try |
|---|---|---|
| Expected email never arrives | Spam, a tab, a filter or full storage | Search All Mail, review filters, free space |
| Storage full banner | Shared quota used up | Delete large attachments and Drive files |
| Mail app keeps asking for a password | App uses an outdated sign-in method | Re-add the account with Sign in with Google |
| Message bounces | Recipient address or server problem | Read the bounce text, fix the address |
| Inbox loads slowly | Browser extensions or service slowdown | Try a private window, run the check |
Fixing Gmail step by step
- Search All Mail
Missing messages are often archived, filtered or sorted into a tab. Search by sender in the search bar.
- Review filters and blocked addresses
In Settings, open Filters and Blocked Addresses and remove anything that sends mail away from the inbox.
- Check storage
The storage page for your Google account shows what fills the quota across Gmail, Drive and Photos.
- Test in a private window
If Gmail works there, an extension or cached data in your normal browser is the cause.
- Re-add accounts in third-party apps
Use the Google sign-in option rather than typing a password into the app’s own form.
- Look at the status dashboard
Google lists Gmail incidents on the Workspace status dashboard, including those that affect personal accounts.
Browser, phone apps and other mail clients
Gmail in the browser is the reference: if it works there, the account and the service are fine. The Gmail apps for Android and iOS sync in the background and may lag after the phone has been in a battery-saving mode. Apple Mail, Outlook and other clients connect through IMAP or Google’s sign-in and are the first to break when security settings change, because they must use Sign in with Google or an app password. When only those clients fail, re-adding the account solves the problem far more often than waiting.
Busy moments for Gmail follow the working day across the Americas and Europe, and large incidents are usually visible within minutes on the Workspace dashboard. If the dashboard is green and only your account misbehaves, the steps above cover nearly every case.
Mail that will not go out
Sending fails for reasons that have little to do with outages. Gmail caps how many recipients a personal account can reach in a day, and a large mailing can hit that ceiling and block further sending for a while. Attachments over 25 MB are not sent as files at all: Gmail offers to put them in Google Drive and sends a link instead. On phones, messages written while the connection was poor wait in the Outbox until the app can reach Google again, which can look like Gmail swallowing the email. A message stuck there goes out on its own once the phone reconnects, so writing it again only creates a duplicate.
Bounces deserve a careful read. The reply from Mail Delivery Subsystem quotes the reason given by the receiving server, and most of the time that is a mistyped address, a full mailbox on the other side or a domain that no longer exists. Since 2024 Google has also required bulk senders to authenticate their mail with SPF, DKIM and DMARC before it reaches Gmail inboxes. Newsletters from small senders that skipped that work can go missing or land in spam, which looks like a delivery problem on your account but is a rule applied to the sender.
When Gmail loads on your phone but not on your computer, or the reverse, checking whether others can reach a site shows which side the problem is on.
Official Gmail help
- Google Workspace Status Dashboardgoogle.com/appsstatus
- Gmail Helpsupport.google.com/mail
Questions about Gmail
Why is Gmail not receiving emails?
Check Spam, the Promotions and Social tabs, and All Mail first. Then look at filters and blocked addresses in settings, and at your Google storage, because a full quota stops new mail from arriving. If none of these apply and the check above fails, Gmail is having an incident.
Why does Gmail say my storage is full?
Gmail shares one storage quota with Google Drive and Google Photos. Large attachments, old Drive files and backed-up videos all count. Delete large items, empty the trash in Gmail and Drive, and the quota frees up within a short while.
Why can my email app not sign in to Gmail anymore?
Google no longer accepts plain password sign-ins from older mail apps. Apps must use Sign in with Google, or you need an app password if your account has 2-Step Verification. Delete the Gmail account in that app, then set it up afresh with the Google sign-in option.
Why do my emails to some people bounce?
Read the bounce message. It usually says whether the address does not exist, the recipient's mailbox is full or their server rejected the message. Bulk senders must also meet Google's sender rules for authentication, which affects newsletters more than personal mail.
Can I use Gmail offline?
Yes, in Chrome. Turn on offline mail in Gmail settings and recent messages are stored on the computer. You can read, search and write messages; they send once the connection returns. The phone apps also keep recent mail available offline.
Is a work Gmail account affected by the same outages?
Work and school accounts on Google Workspace use the same Gmail service, so major incidents affect both. Workspace accounts also have admin settings, such as routing rules and sending limits, that can cause problems only in that organization.