How to Search Inside Hotmail

Co-authored by Christopher Batchelor

Last Updated: June 27, 2017

Are you having trouble finding a specific mail or a chain of emails in your Hotmail message list? Use this article, to find out how to search for that one (or several) pieces of emails so that one troublesome email doesn't get misplaced ever again.

Steps

Download Article

{"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/d\/db\/Search-Inside-Hotmail-Step-1-Version-2.jpg\/v4-460px-Search-Inside-Hotmail-Step-1-Version-2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/d\/db\/Search-Inside-Hotmail-Step-1-Version-2.jpg\/aid2184562-v4-728px-Search-Inside-Hotmail-Step-1-Version-2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>License: <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer noopener\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/3.0\/\">Creative Commons<\/a><br>\n<\/p><p><br \/>\n<\/p><\/div>"}
{"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/a\/a3\/Search-Inside-Hotmail-Step-2-Version-2.jpg\/v4-460px-Search-Inside-Hotmail-Step-2-Version-2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/a\/a3\/Search-Inside-Hotmail-Step-2-Version-2.jpg\/aid2184562-v4-728px-Search-Inside-Hotmail-Step-2-Version-2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>License: <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer noopener\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/3.0\/\">Creative Commons<\/a><br>\n<\/p><p><br \/>\n<\/p><\/div>"}

Visit the Hotmail website .

Advertisement
{"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/9\/9c\/Search-Inside-Hotmail-Step-3-Version-2.jpg\/v4-460px-Search-Inside-Hotmail-Step-3-Version-2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/9\/9c\/Search-Inside-Hotmail-Step-3-Version-2.jpg\/aid2184562-v4-728px-Search-Inside-Hotmail-Step-3-Version-2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>License: <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer noopener\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/3.0\/\">Creative Commons<\/a><br>\n<\/p><p><br \/>\n<\/p><\/div>"}
{"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/b\/be\/Search-Inside-Hotmail-Step-4-Version-2.jpg\/v4-460px-Search-Inside-Hotmail-Step-4-Version-2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/b\/be\/Search-Inside-Hotmail-Step-4-Version-2.jpg\/aid2184562-v4-728px-Search-Inside-Hotmail-Step-4-Version-2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>License: <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer noopener\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/3.0\/\">Creative Commons<\/a><br>\n<\/p><p><br \/>\n<\/p><\/div>"}

Click the link "Go to Inbox" which is strategically positioned underneath "Hotmail Highlights" in about the center of the resulting webpage.
{"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/8\/84\/Search-Inside-Hotmail-Step-5-Version-2.jpg\/v4-460px-Search-Inside-Hotmail-Step-5-Version-2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/8\/84\/Search-Inside-Hotmail-Step-5-Version-2.jpg\/aid2184562-v4-728px-Search-Inside-Hotmail-Step-5-Version-2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>License: <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer noopener\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/3.0\/\">Creative Commons<\/a><br>\n<\/p><p><br \/>\n<\/p><\/div>"}

Most of the way over to the left on top of the folders, you'll see a search box.
{"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/7\/78\/Search-Inside-Hotmail-Step-6.jpg\/v4-460px-Search-Inside-Hotmail-Step-6.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/7\/78\/Search-Inside-Hotmail-Step-6.jpg\/aid2184562-v4-728px-Search-Inside-Hotmail-Step-6.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>License: <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer noopener\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/3.0\/\">Creative Commons<\/a><br>\n<\/p><p><br \/>\n<\/p><\/div>"}
{"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/e\/e8\/Search-Inside-Hotmail-Step-7-Version-2.jpg\/v4-460px-Search-Inside-Hotmail-Step-7-Version-2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/e\/e8\/Search-Inside-Hotmail-Step-7-Version-2.jpg\/aid2184562-v4-728px-Search-Inside-Hotmail-Step-7-Version-2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>License: <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer noopener\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/3.0\/\">Creative Commons<\/a><br>\n<\/p><p><br \/>\n<\/p><\/div>"}

7
Type in whatever search term you want to use, or you can type in a to-address, or a contact name. one of several other terms.
- You can also type in a Bing web search term, to further search the web, if you don't find the intended message in Hotmail/your Windows Live account.
{"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/b\/b4\/Search-Inside-Hotmail-Step-8-Version-2.jpg\/v4-460px-Search-Inside-Hotmail-Step-8-Version-2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/b\/b4\/Search-Inside-Hotmail-Step-8-Version-2.jpg\/aid2184562-v4-728px-Search-Inside-Hotmail-Step-8-Version-2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>License: <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer noopener\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/3.0\/\">Creative Commons<\/a><br>\n<\/p><p><br \/>\n<\/p><\/div>"}
{"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/4\/49\/Search-Inside-Hotmail-Step-9-Version-2.jpg\/v4-460px-Search-Inside-Hotmail-Step-9-Version-2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/4\/49\/Search-Inside-Hotmail-Step-9-Version-2.jpg\/aid2184562-v4-728px-Search-Inside-Hotmail-Step-9-Version-2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":147,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":233,"licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>License: <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer noopener\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/3.0\/\">Creative Commons<\/a><br>\n<\/p><p><br \/>\n<\/p><\/div>"}
{"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/a\/a8\/Search-Inside-Hotmail-Step-10.jpg\/v4-460px-Search-Inside-Hotmail-Step-10.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/a\/a8\/Search-Inside-Hotmail-Step-10.jpg\/aid2184562-v4-728px-Search-Inside-Hotmail-Step-10.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>License: <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer noopener\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/3.0\/\">Creative Commons<\/a><br>\n<\/p><p><br \/>\n<\/p><\/div>"}

Allow a few seconds for Hotmail to search your Inbox, as well as all your other folders for messages with the intended search setting-terms displayed in the box.
{"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/2\/2e\/Search-Inside-Hotmail-Step-11-Version-2.jpg\/v4-460px-Search-Inside-Hotmail-Step-11-Version-2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/2\/2e\/Search-Inside-Hotmail-Step-11-Version-2.jpg\/aid2184562-v4-728px-Search-Inside-Hotmail-Step-11-Version-2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>License: <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer noopener\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/3.0\/\">Creative Commons<\/a><br>\n<\/p><p><br \/>\n<\/p><\/div>"}

Expert Q&A

Search

Add New Question

Ask a Question

200 characters left

Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.

Submit

Tips

To the right of the search box, you'll see a button with 3 upward-pointing arrows. This button, when clicked, will give you further "Advanced" options, to modify your search even more.

Thanks
Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
Although Hotmail is most known by it's main name, over the last 5 years, it has gotten a major name upgrade. It's now become part of the Windows Live system and now has become called Windows Live Hotmail . The account you are dealing with is not just called a Windows Live Hotmail account, but more properly called a Windows Live ID .

Thanks
Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

Submit a Tip

All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published

Submit

Thanks for submitting a tip for review!

Things You'll Need

Internet access
Windows Live/Hotmail account
computer mouse and keyboard

Log in

How to Search Inside Hotmail

Steps

Expert Q&A

Tips

Things You'll Need

You Might Also Like

About This Article

Is this article up to date?

Quizzes

You Might Also Like

Featured Articles

Trending Articles

Featured Articles

Featured Articles

Watch Articles

Trending Articles

Explore Categories