How to Disable “Work Offline” in Outlook

Turn off "Work Offline" in Windows or Mac

This wikiHow teaches you how to turn off the "Work Offline" feature of the Microsoft Outlook desktop program.

Method 1
Method 1 of 2:

On Windows

  1. Image titled Disable “Work Offline” in Outlook Step 1
    1
    Open Outlook. Click or double-click the Outlook app icon, which resembles a white "O" on a dark-blue box.
  2. Image titled Disable “Work Offline” in Outlook Step 2
    2
    Make sure Outlook is currently offline. There are a couple of signs that Outlook is currently in "Work Offline" mode:[1]
    • A "Working Offline" box will appear in the lower-right side of the Outlook window.
    • A white "X" on a red circle will appear on the Outlook app icon in the taskbar (Windows only).
    Advertisement
  3. Image titled Disable “Work Offline” in Outlook Step 3
    3
    Click the Send / Receive tab. It's in the blue banner at the top of the Outlook window. A toolbar will appear at the top of the window.
  4. Image titled Disable “Work Offline” in Outlook Step 4
    4
    Make sure the Work Offline button is active. This option is on the far-right side of the Send / Receive toolbar. If the button is active, the background of the button will be dark-grey.
    • If the background isn't dark-grey, "Work Offline" isn't enabled.
  5. Image titled Disable “Work Offline” in Outlook Step 5
    5
    Click once the Work Offline button. It's in the far-right corner of the toolbar.
    • If the button wasn't active, try clicking it twice—once to active "Work Offline" mode and once to disable it—before proceeding.
  6. Image titled Disable “Work Offline” in Outlook Step 6
    6
    Wait for the "Working Offline" message to disappear. Once this tag disappears from the bottom-right side of the window, Outlook should be online.
    • You may have to enable and then disable the "Work Offline" feature again a few times before "Work Offline" will turn off.
    7. Advertisement
Method 2
Method 2 of 2:

On Mac

  1. Image titled Disable “Work Offline” in Outlook Step 7
    1
    Open Outlook. Click or double-click the Outlook app icon, which resembles a white "O" on a dark-blue box.
  2. Image titled Disable “Work Offline” in Outlook Step 8
    2
    Click Outlook. It's in the menu bar at the top of the screen. This opens a drop-down menu.
  3. Image titled Disable “Work Offline” in Outlook Step 9
    3
    Click Work Offline. It's the third option in the drop-down menu. When Outlook is in offline mode, you'll see a checkmark next to "Work Offline" in the main Outlook drop-down menu. To disable the offline mode, make sure there is no longer a checkmark next to "Work Offline" in the main Outlook drop-down menu.
    4. Advertisement

Community Q&A

  • Question
    What should I do if I press the button, but it still doesn't put me back online?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    This may happen due to a poor internet connection, so I would suggest disconnecting from your internet and reconnecting before trying again.
Advertisement

Warnings

  • You cannot change the offline settings for the Microsoft Outlook mobile app or desktop website.
    ⧼thumbs_response⧽
  • If your computer isn't connected to the Internet, you won't be able to turn off "Work Offline" mode.
    ⧼thumbs_response⧽
Advertisement

You Might Also Like

Log Out of OutlookHow to Log Out of Outlook on Desktop & Mobile: 4 Methods
Print Email from OutlookEasily Print Emails, Attachments, & Calendars in Outlook
Set Up Out of Office in OutlookCreating an Automatic Vacation Reply in Microsoft Outlook
Open Winmail.dat
How to
Open Winmail.dat
Recall an Email in OutlookUnsend a Message in Outlook: Easily Recall & Replace Email
Download Emails from Microsoft Outlook
How to
Download Emails from Microsoft Outlook
See Unread Emails in Outlook
How to
See Unread Emails in Outlook
Sync Outlook SignaturesSync Outlook 365 Signatures to Mobile, Web, & Other Computers
Update Outlook on PC or MacHow to Update Outlook on PC or Mac: Full Guide to Get the Latest Version
Change Microsoft Outlook Password
How to
Change Microsoft Outlook Password
Use the Voting Buttons in Outlook
How to
Use the Voting Buttons in Outlook
Create an Outlook Email AccountHow to Create an Outlook Email Account: Web, Mobile, & Desktop
Set Up Outlook Email on an iPhone
How to
Set Up Outlook Email on an iPhone
Increase Outlook Mailbox Size on PC or Mac
How to
Increase Outlook Mailbox Size on PC or Mac
Advertisement

References

  1. ↑ https://support.office.com/en-us/article/switch-from-working-offline-to-online-2460e4a8-16c7-47fc-b204-b1549275aac9

About This Article

Jack Lloyd
Written by:
Jack Lloyd
wikiHow Technology Writer
This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Jack Lloyd. Jack Lloyd is a Technology Writer and Editor for wikiHow. He has over two years of experience writing and editing technology-related articles. He is technology enthusiast and an English teacher. This article has been viewed 524,872 times.
How helpful is this?
Co-authors: 8
Updated: August 24, 2022
Views: 524,872
Categories: Outlook
Article SummaryX

1. Open Outlook on your desktop.
2. Click the Send / Receive tab.
3. Click the Work Offline button if it's dark-grey.

Did this summary help you?
Advertisement