How many times in a day do you check your Gmail? Undoubtedly multiple times, isn’t it? As the most popular email service, it offers a host of features that people can use on the web, smartphones, and many third-party clients like Outlook and Thunderbird. Without it, life simply seems unimaginable. So, if you find Gmail search not working properly on any platform, you’ll naturally feel frustrated. Issues like low server status, disabled syncing settings, and excessive cache commonly result in malfunctioning Gmail search. So, you can fix these exact issues and make the search feature work again. In this post, you’ll find a detailed breakdown of all the fixes.

Read Also – Why Gmail Filters Not Working

 

Quick Fixes for Gmail Search Not Working Problem

The resolutions for Gmail search not working can be divided into two parts. The first one is some quick resolutions that you can try to face this problem. If they don’t work, move on to the advanced techniques. 

• Examine the Gmail server status – Sometimes, there can be a server outage, which leads to the Gmail server-status being down. You can find the server status of Gmail by navigating to the official server status page. If the status is down, just wait till the problem resolves at Gmail’s end. 
• Check your internet connection – If there’s no problem with the Gmail server, you need to check whether your internet is running fine or not. The Gmail search function does not work when you have an unstable internet connection. 
• Restart your device – It is one of the simplest advice that you’ll get for fixing not only this but almost every tech issue. Hold and press the Power button and tap ‘Restart.’ When your phone reboots, use Gmail again. 
• Remove and relaunch the Gmail app – If you find that Gmail search stopped working on your Android or iOS device, remove the Gmail app to close it. Then, open the app again from your home page. 

Read Also – Why Gmail Is Not Working

 

Advanced Fixes for Gmail Search Not Working Issue

There’s no need to despair if you still find the search not working in Gmail even after employing the quick fixes. These advanced fixes will certainly help you troubleshoot the root cause of the problem.

1. Hard Refresh the Webpage of Gmail

Hard refreshing the Gmail webpage removes minor cache. It’s an effective fix to try when you find that your Gmail search stopped working.

• Windows users should hit Control plus F5 simultaneously after launching the Gmail web page. 
• Mac users should hit the Command plus Option plus R keys together for a hard reset. 

2. Utilize Advanced Search Features

Google has given many functionalities to help users use the search function seamlessly. Using them, it’s easy to find a specific email. You can use them to locate specific emails from a large list. You can also choose a ‘Filter’ button present on the search bar. It will give you access to more search tools.

Use search commands to find and filter emails according to the recipient or sender’s name. You can also filter messages based on the links or attachments it has, what’s written in the subject line, and when it was said. If you find some search options not yielding results, you can use a different strategy. For instance, you can enter ‘Before, ‘Older,’ or ‘After‘ keywords when keywords like ‘To‘ and ‘From‘ aren’t giving you the desired search result.

3. Install Gmail Updates to Fix Gmail Search Not Working Issue

Outdated Gmail versions often lead to technical bugs that impact the various features of the app. It is true for the Gmail app also. So, you need to ensure that you install the latest updates for it. Check and install pending Gmail updates through these steps. 

• Head over to the Google App Store.
• Now, type ‘Gmail app‘ on the search bar and hit on its results. 
• Locate the app and choose the Gmail app page. 
• Next, tap the ‘Update‘ option if you see any pending updates. 

4. Open Gmail in the Incognito Mode

Various factors like extensions and misconfigured data or cache can be the cause behind why the Gmail search isn’t working. To identify the precise reason, you can visit Gmail in Incognito mode or in a private window. Here, you’ll be able to browse through your Gmail without facing any problems. It’s because there’s no previously-stored cache in the Incognito mode or private window. 

Apart from that, all the add-ons and extensions are automatically disabled. You can open an Incognito window on Google Chrome by following these steps.

• Hit Control + Shift + N keys on the Windows. Mac users should press Command + Shift + N. 
• Navigate to the top-right part of your browser and tap ‘Menu.’
• Now, choose ‘New Incognito window.’

5. Re-Enable IMAP

The Internet Message Access Protocol allows you to check new emails on every device in real-time. It syncs messages from the server to your phone or system. You can re-enable it in order to make your Gmail search work properly.

• Firstly launch Gmail in your browser.
• Now navigate to ‘See all settings.’
• In the window that opens, opt for ‘Forwarding and POP/IMAP.’
• Now scroll and check ‘IMAP Access.’
• Disable it. Then enable it again. It will refresh the IMAP setting.
• Now you can access the Gmail search without any issues.

6. Configure Gmail SMTP Settings

If your Gmail SMTP settings are configured incorrectly, you will face issues with Gmail search. To set them correctly, input the following details correctly. 

• smtp.gmail.com is the outgoing mail server. 
• Type ‘Yes‘ in front of use authentication. 
• Input ‘Yes‘ in front of use secure connection. 
• Your Gmail account is your username. 
• Your Gmail password is your password. 
• The port number is 465 for SSL and d587 for TLS. They are required. 

 

Final Thoughts

A malfunctioning search makes it incredibly difficult to locate crucial items timely. But these effective yet simple fixes are there to aid you. Now when you find Gmail search not working, you can first implement quick fixes and then advanced measures in case the problem persists. Apart from that, you can also seek the help of email technical support experts. Seeking their help is the easiest and fastest resolution to any technical glitch.