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How to Delete Hotmail Emails: A Comprehensive Guide to Organizing Your Inbox

Shaks George ~ Published: January 23rd, 2025 ~ Backup ~ 6 Minutes Reading

In this step by step guide, find out how to Delete Hotmail Emails from account so that you can arrange your inbox. Save methods worrying about storage issues or simply do not want your inbox cluttered, we have various methods available including a great way of storing Hotmail emails – powerful solution.

Too many emails in your inbox can be downright intimidating. Not only is it bad for your aesthetics, but increases the effort involved in managing your emails. For a lot of people, it can get very out of hand with messages piling up with unread emails, old threads and large attachments. If you have ever encountered the “hotmail says its full” notification, it is time to say stop. This article will provide ways on how to delete Hotmail emails in a way that does not lead to the inbox being annoying or too cluttered.

What is Hotmail Says Storage is Full?

When your Hotmail inbox reaches its storage limit, Microsoft alerts you with notifications like “Hotmail says its full” or “Your Hotmail storage is almost full.” These warnings indicate that:

  • You may no longer receive new emails.
  • The performance of your email account may degrade.
  • Your inbox is cluttered with redundant emails, large files, and spam.

To avoid disruptions, decluttering your inbox is essential.

Why Clean Up Your Hotmail Inbox?

  1. Enhance Performance: A clean inbox runs faster and responds faster.
  2. Free up space: Removing old and unnecessary emails allows you to keep sending and receiving important messages.
  3. Improve Productivity: An organized inbox saves time spent searching for emails.
  4. Maintain Privacy: Outdated emails removal will reduce the risk of unauthorized parties accessing sensitive data.

How to Delete Emails from Hotmail

Here are the most effective methods to clean up your Hotmail inbox manually and with advanced tools:

Method 1. Delete Emails Individually

  1. Log in to your Hotmail account via Outlook.com.
  2. Select an email from any folder (Inbox, Sent, Drafts, etc.).
  3. Click on the Delete icon at the top.
  4. Repeat these steps for each email you want to remove.

Note: This method is best for small-scale cleanup.

Method 2. Mass Delete Emails from Hotmail

Steps:

  1. Log in to your Hotmail account.
  2. Right-click on the desired folder (e.g., Inbox, Sent Items).
  3. Select Empty Folder from the dropdown menu.
  4. Confirm the deletion.

Pro Tip: Use keyboard shortcuts like Ctrl + A (Windows) or Cmd + A (Mac) to select all emails in a folder before deleting.

Method 3. Delete Hotmail Emails by Date

To clear emails from specific time periods:

  1. Open your Hotmail account.
  2. Use search operators in the search bar, such as:
    • before:YYYY/MM/DD (to find emails before a specific date).
    • after:YYYY/MM/DD (to find emails after a specific date).
    • Combine both for a date range: before:YYYY/MM/DD and after:YYYY/MM/DD.
  3. Select the results and delete them.

Method 4. Use Email Sweep Feature

  1. Log in to your Hotmail account.
  2. Go to the Inbox and select emails from a specific sender or category.
  3. Click on the Sweep option available in the toolbar.
  4. Choose whether to delete all emails from the sender, keep only the latest, or move them to a specific folder.
  5. Confirm your action.

Method 5. Delete Hotmail Emails Using Filter Emails by Size 

  1. Log in to your Hotmail account.
  2. Use the search bar with the filter size:large to locate emails with large attachments.
  3. Select the results and delete them.

Method 6. Sort and Delete by Category

  1. In your Hotmail inbox, click on Filter in the top toolbar.
  2. Sort emails by categories like “Unread,” “Flagged,” or “With Attachments.”
  3. Select unwanted emails in the sorted list.
  4. Click Delete to remove them.

Method 7. Archive Unnecessary Emails

Instead of deleting, archive old emails to reduce clutter:

  1. Select the emails you want to archive.
  2. Click on the Archive button in the toolbar.
  3. Access these emails anytime from the Archive folder.

Method 8. Use Advanced Rules to Automate Cleanup

  1. Log in to your Hotmail account.
  2. Navigate to Settings > View All Outlook Settings.
  3. Go to Mail > Rules.
  4. Create rules to automatically move or delete certain types of emails based on sender, subject, or keywords.

Limitations of Manual Methods

  1. Time-Consuming: Manually selecting and deleting emails can be tedious, especially for large inboxes.
  2. Incomplete Deletion: Emails moved to the Trash folder must be permanently deleted separately.
  3. No Advanced Options: Features like selective backup or automation are missing.
  4. Risk of Data Loss: Without backups, important emails might be accidentally deleted.

Smart Solution To Delete Hotmail Emails

For a fast and efficient way to clean up your inbox, Corbett Hotmail Backup Wizard is the ultimate tool. Designed to simplify email management, this solution offers advanced features for both Windows and Mac users.

Key Features of the Software:

  • Bulk Email Deletion: Remove thousands of emails in just a few clicks.
  • Backup Emails Before Deletion: Save important emails locally in formats like PST, MBOX, PDF, etc.
  • Selective Filters: Use date, size, and category filters to choose which emails to delete.
  • Delete After Download: Automatically delete emails from your Hotmail inbox after creating a secure backup.
  • User-Friendly Interface: Easy to navigate for both beginners and professionals.

Inbox Hygiene Tips for Hotmail Users

  1. Unsubscribe from Unnecessary Emails: Regularly unsubscribe from newsletters and promotions you no longer need.
  2. Set Email Rules: Automate inbox management by creating rules to sort incoming emails into folders.
  3. Delete Large Attachments: Remove emails with bulky files that take up significant storage space.
  4. Archive Emails: Store important but infrequently accessed emails in local archives.

Conclusion

There is no need to fear your Hotmail inbox management. The manual methods can work for a small-scale cleanup, but the software will provide a more comprehensive solution to manage the large-scale cleaning process efficiently. Try it today and get an inbox with minimum effort that’s clutter-free.