How to Delete Duplicate Emails from Outlook 2021, 2019, 2016

Summary: Duplicate emails cluttering your Outlook mailbox can be frustrating and time-consuming to deal with. Whether you’re using Outlook 2021, 2019, or 2016, it’s essential to know how to efficiently remove duplicate emails to keep your inbox organized and free from unnecessary clutter. In this blog, we’ll walk you through the various methods to identify and delete duplicate emails from your Outlook account. If you are not familiar with the interface of Outlook, Aryson Outlook Duplicate Remover will help you delete duplicate emails from Outlook. Before moving on to the methods, first know how removing Outlook duplicate items can be helpful for you.

Probable Reasons to clean up duplicate emails in Outlook

Here, we will mention the possible reasons to delete your duplicate emails from Outlook. Among the several reasons, we point out some of them:

  • Removing duplicate emails helps maintain a clutter-free inbox, and makes it easy to prioritize and manage the emails.
  • Duplicate emails can lead to confusion, as you may end up reading the same message multiple times or responding to it repeatedly.
  • Identical emails consume unnecessary storage space on your Outlook account or hard drive. Cleaning them up helps free up space for new messages and attachments.
  • A large number of duplicate emails can slow down Outlook’s performance. When you remove Outlook duplicate items, it improves Outlook’s responsiveness and speed.
  • Unnecessary email data increases the risk of errors and inconsistencies in your email archive. Cleaning up duplicate emails helps ensure data integrity and accuracy.
  • Removing duplicates reduces clutter and improves clarity, making it easier to focus on important communications.

Generally, when you remove duplicate emails from Outlook, it provides a more organized, efficient, and reliable email management system. Let’s move on to the next section to learn the methods to delete duplicate emails from your Outlook Account.

How to Delete Duplicate Emails from Outlook?

Here, we are going to describe the numerous methods to remove duplicate emails in Outlook. However, MS Outlook provides built-in features to delete duplicates in Outlook for free. Users with familiarity with the interface of MS Outlook can proceed with the manual methods to delete duplicates in Outlook for free. However, there is a chance of data loss during the process. Thus, we recommended an automated tool to clean up identical emails in an easy-going manner. Now, navigate to the next section to know the steps of each method one by one separately.

#Method 01: Confirm the Accurately Configured Rules for Optimal Inbox Organization

Mainly, verify Outlook rules for the correct configuration to prevent folder confusion. Set rules to remove duplicate emails instantly. Authorize only one instance of Outlook to run; close extra instances with the help of Task Manager. Further, we mention the steps to remove duplicate emails from Outlook using Task Manager:

  1. To initiate this method, right-click on the taskbar.
  2. Now, pick the option of Task Manager >>Processes.
  3. Then, tap on the image name column. It organizes all processes in alphabetical order.
  4. There should only be one instance of Outlook.exe listed. You might receive duplicate emails if there are multiple instances.
  5. Later, perform a right-click Outlook.exe listings >> End Task.
  6. Lastly, tap Yes to delete your duplicate emails from Outlook.

After completing the first method, navigate to another method to delete copies of emails from Outlook.

#Method 02: Clean up duplicate emails in Outlook Using the Preview Mode

Here, we are using the Preview mode to delete duplicate emails from Outlook. Preview mode allows you to conveniently compare messages to make it easy to identify and delete duplicate entries.

The steps are as follows using the Preview mode option in Outlook:

  1. First, activate the Preview mode for the designated Outlook folder.
  2. Navigate to the View section and tap on View Settings >>Columns.
  3. In the upcoming window, pick the desired email and tap the Add button.
  4. Next, select the header of your chosen column, such as Size, to analyze messages for duplicates and simplify comparison.
  5. Again, tap on View Settings and click on the Sort option from the given drop-down.
  6. Later, sort the emails by given fields, like subject, time of receipt, date, sender, etc.
  7. The selected emails are sorted now by using the sorting filter. Now, you can remove the duplication of selected emails.

#Method 03: Delete Duplicate Emails from Outlook Using Import/Export Wizard

When you are using the Import/Export feature in Outlook, select “Do Not Import Duplicate Items” after the import process. This helps prevent the importation of duplicate items into the application. Here is how you can simplify it:

  1. First, open the MS Outlook application and navigate to the File menu.
  2. Now, tap on the Open & Export option >> Import/Export.
  3. Then, pick the Import from another program or file from the given list.
  4. In the next window, choose Outlook Data File (.pst) >> Next.
  5. After that, Browse the PST file and tick the option Do not import duplicates.
  6. Here, choose the desired mailbox and mark the Include subfolders.
  7. At the end, mark the Import items into the same folder in >> Finish.

#Method 04: Delete duplicates in Outlook using Clean Up

Outlook provides several utilities and add-ins that simplify the process of cleaning up duplicate emails in your mailbox. Follow these steps to efficiently clean up your inbox:

  • Primarily, open the MS Outlook application on your screen.
  • Now, choose the mail that you want to remove from the mailbox.
  • Then, navigate to the Home tab >> Clean Up.
  • Next, pick any of the given options:
  • Clean Up Conversation: removes duplicates from the selected conversation.
  • Clean Up Folder: removes duplicate emails in the selected folder.
  • Clean Up Folder and Subfolders: removes duplicate emails in the selected folder and subfolders.
  • In the next panel, tap on Settings and customize the setting >> OK.
  • After that, hit the Clean Up Folder to delete duplicate emails from Outlook.
  • To permanently eliminate duplicates, relocate them to the Deleted Items folder, the default for removal.
  • Subsequently, Right-click on the folder and choose the Empty Folder option>>Yes.
  • That’s it; it permanently removes the duplicate messages in the Deleted Items folder.

#Method 05: Set Inbox Update Frequency to Remove Duplicate Emails

Updating the inbox frequency and swiftly eliminating duplicate emails in Outlook stands as one of the most effective solutions. With this approach, you can delete duplicate emails from Outlook. Follow the given steps to execute the given task:

  1. Configure MS Outlook and go to the Send/Receive panel.
  2. Now, pick Send/Receive Groups >> Define Send/Receive Groups.
  3. In the next window, you can pick a group or tap on New to create a new group.
  4. After choosing the group, tap on the Edit button.
  5. Also, you can set the desired time interval to remove the duplicate emails.
  6. Likewise, mark the Schedule an automatic send/receive every minute >> OK.

After executing these steps, you can remove the emails one by one separately. Moreover, you can set different groups of accounts and distinct time intervals for them.

#Method 06: Disable the Antivirus Application to Clean up Duplicate Emails

Disabling antivirus software could resolve the presence of duplicate items in your inbox. This is because antivirus programs may sometimes trigger Outlook to generate duplicates. The accomplishing steps are as follows:

  1. Foremost, you should open your antivirus program.
  2. Now, search for a feature to deactivate or switch off the software.
  3. The location of this option will vary depending on the software you are using.
  4. After disabling the software, please proceed to restart Microsoft Outlook.
  5. Now, verify if the duplicate items remain in your inbox. If they have been resolved, you may proceed to re-enable your antivirus software.

If duplicate items are present in your inbox, you need to manually remove copies of emails in Outlook. Simply pick the duplicate items and use the Delete key on your keyboard to dismiss them.

Note: By following these methods, you can exclude duplicate emails from Outlook online for free. However, these methods cannot ensure the complete elimination of all duplicates. There is a possibility that certain messages might remain duplicated. Also, manually removing duplicate emails can be a lengthy and time-consuming process. Moreover, you must have technical expertise to perform the manual method. To skip all these unwanted probabilities, we recommended the automated solution to remove duplicate contacts in Outlook.

#Method 07: Direct Solution to Delete Duplicate Emails from Outlook

Outlook Duplicate Remover is a top-notch and comprehensive utility to remove the duplicity of your emails. Here, you can take various actions on the removed duplicate items, such as moving them to the Deleted Folder. Moreover, you can delete them permanently, create a new folder, put a flag on them, or mark the email as expired. Also, you can pick a batch of emails at a time and proceed further. This software has a Date Range feature to eliminate duplicate emails within specified date ranges. Additionally, you can preview the details of the PST file, including the total message count, sender, subject, and date. Apart from that, it can remove duplicate emails from PST files in Microsoft Outlook versions 2010 and below, as well as 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021. Along with that, there are two methods for managing attachments: Remove Attachments and Save Attachments Individually.

Five Clicks to Remove Outlook Duplicate Emails in Bulk
  1. Primarily, install and run the Outlook Duplicate Remover on your system.
  2. In the next step, pick the desired mail\mailbox to remove duplicate items >> Next.
  3. Now, you can preview your selected mailbox in the preview panel >> Next.
  4. After that, apply the advanced feature and set the criteria to remove duplicate emails.
  5. At the end, identify the location to save the resultant file. Now, the tool will delete duplicate emails from Outlook.

That’s it, These simple steps can easily clean up the duplication of emails in Outlook. Also, you do not require an MS Outlook application to accomplish the task.

Final Words

To keep your Outlook mailbox free from duplicate emails, it is essential to stay organized and maximize productivity. By following the steps outlined in this blog, you can efficiently identify and delete duplicate emails in Outlook 2021, 2019, and 2016. Moreover, you can use Outlook’s built-in features to delete duplicate emails from Outlook. Also, we mention the third-party tools to maintain a clutter-free inbox. It will help you stay focused and productive with your day-to-day tasks. Now download this tool and use it to evaluate its performance at no cost.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q1: How do I remove Duplicate emails from Outlook?

Ans – With the help of recommended software, you can remove duplicate emails from Outlook. Follow these steps to remove identical emails from Outlook:

1. Download and run Outlook Duplicate Remover.
2. Now, pick a single or multiple emails to remove.
3. In the Preview panel, see the selected emails.
4. Apply the additional feature and browse the location.
5. After all these, this utility will automatically remove duplication of emails from Outlook.

Q2: Does this tool Support Outlook Version 2021?

Ans – Yes, Outlook Duplicate Remover is compatible with Outlook Version 2021 as well.

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About The Author:

As a lead technical writer and expert in Data Conversion & Email Migration, I've decided to share my technical knowledge. I helps users to solve their query through blogs because I enjoy assisting in tackling tough technical challenges.

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