Outlook search not works in Monterey

I experience the same, and I think it's the MacOS and not Outlook causing the problem, because it stopped responding to my searches the same day I installed Monterey, October 25th 2021. I have tried "everything", including reinstalling Monterey (12.1) without a positive result. I have to use Mail in parallel to search in my 37.000 mails in one of several inboxes and 2.500 contact records. I hope Mac developers take this seriously now!!

MS and Apple still on Christmas holidays... No chance in switching to new outlook version, it supports "only" Microsoft 365 Exchange Online, Outlook.com, Google, iCloud, Yahoo, POP or IMAP account. Useless if you have your Exchange on prem. Getting really angry with this situation, after 10 days still in the clue...

Just switch to "New Outlook" and your search will be back to normal.

I had the same issue on my macBook Pro 14" M1 (12.1 update). Reindexing (add/remove profile to spotlight privacy) resolved issue "no results" in outlook search.

I have Version 12.1. Monterey and a Macbook Pro 13-inch, M1, 2020. Spotlight_index is not working at all. Especially search in Microsoft Outlook (Version: 16.56.21121100) is not working. it tried to reset the spotlight index. Nothing helped. Can anyone help?

Search stopped working on my Outlook 365 client on my M1 Mini when I upgraded to Monterey. I followed the procedure here, https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/outlook/troubleshoot/outlook-for-mac/useful-tools, using the procedure for Catalina and deleted all of my Outlook profiles and built a new one. That solved the problem.

It hasn't worked for me since macOS Monterey update - I am running Monterey 12.1 with latest updates for Outlook for Mac - search not working at all VERY frustrating

Is there a way to escalate it in MS or Apple? this is impacting business.

I'm also experiencing this issue! I have OS Monterey 12.1 and Outlook 365 (version 16.55). It's adding hours of work to my life. Please provide a solution! Thank you!

I have the same issue but let me go in a bit more detail. I have a few MacBook Pros. All are running Monterey 12.0.1 or 12.1. Two are on Intel and one is on M1. Outlook version is 16.56 on all machines. Lets call the Intel Macs Intel1 and Intel2.

Like many of you here, I do not want to use the 'New Outlook' because it wipes out any mail folders listed as 'On My Computer'. IMO, Microsoft is trying (probably for corporate mail policy reasons) to stop users from archiving their own work mails on their machines.

I have tried re-indexing spotlight multiple times on the M1 MPB (the machine that is meant to Intel 2 and has files migrated from there)

As stated, the indexing starts ok (if you type in a search before starting the Spotlight re-indexing, the search will display a growing number of items. After awhile, other messages appear in results but the search term remains highlighted in the relevant mails. When mdsworker (the spotlight process) completes, the search function fails. This was true of Intel 2 and M1 MBP.

The odd thing is that on Intel 1, search works fine. How can this be?

My suspicion is that sometime in Nov/Dec 2021, a flag was inserted in the Outlook database to block search results from appearing.

Microsoft and Apple have wasted our time and we should hear from them.

I am having the same issue. M1 MacOS 12.1, Outlook 16.56, MacBook Air. This needs to be fixed ASAP. Killing productivity. Anybody hear anything about a fix soon?

The problem is Monterey OSX 12.1 Finis. Apple needs to fix this ASAP. Its killing productivity

Hi, I have a client with M1 MacBook Pro (Monterey 12.1). We tested a lot of things found on the Internet but unfortunately the Outlook search was still not working. I don't know Mac very well, but I still tried to do the following manipulation: 1- Open Terminal 2- Run the command : mdimport -i "/Users/username/Library/Group Containers/UBF8T346G9.Office/Outlook/Outlook 15 Profiles/" 3- After, I have run : mdimport -i "/Applications/Microsoft Outlook.app/Contents/Library/Spotlight/Microsoft Outlook Spotlight Importer.mdimporter" -d1 "/Users/username/Library/Group Containers/UBF8T346G9.Office/Outlook/Outlook 15 Profiles/" 4- Open Outlook 5- Try the search

For me, it worked

PS : I don't know if it's "Outlook 15 Profiles" or "Outlook 16 Profiles"

Sorry for my English, I am French ;)

Here's what fixed it for me (macOS Monterey 12.1 on MacBook Pro (14-inch 2021); Outlook 16.56.

1. Switched to "New Outlook"
2. Go to Preferences.
3. Go to Accounts.
4. Select your Default Account.
5. At the bottom of the left column, to the right of the + and - minus signs, click on the circle with three dots inside.
6. Select Reset account.

This worked. Unfortunately I am not a fan of the "New Outlook," but at least my search functions are back.

We'll see if it doesn't break over time.

That's MS's published workaround. The "New Outlook" does not support Local Folders though, so once you make the switch you loose any local mail, which for me is about 10 years worth of extremely important emails.

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/search-in-outlook-for-mac-returns-no-results-after-installing-macos-monterey-12-1-075c5f09-35db-4205-aba3-eea2f168c71b

I had the same problem, and not even Microsoft knew how to help me. BUT when you open your outlook on your mac, you will see a toggle switch "New Outlook" click it to turn it on and re-open your outlook, and that should solve the problem, as it has solved mine. Good luck!

I had the same issue after upgraded to Monterey 12.1. Outlook search function was working fine but stopped working after upgraded the OS, even the Recents tab on finder's sidebar, search Applications also stopped working. I tried to reindex, reinstall MacOS, but issue was still persist. So I had to fresh reinstall MacOS (Erase all contents and settings then setup all over again) to make it works again. I am using Macbook pro 14 M1 Pro.

You are right, it can search for few emails while indexing then stopped again after index completed. @_@.

I have several Mac's, an MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2019) running Catalina 10.15.7 and an older I-mac desktop running Monterey - the Monterey machine has become useless as the result of the loss of the search option in Outlook - warn your peers not to upgrade to Monterey and please register your complaints to M'soft ASAP -

Problem still exists in 12.2 Beta (21D5025f)

I've just updated to 16.58 and the search function has returned for me... although it has now returned to the issue I had before losing search where saved searches are only on the inbox, I can't save anything but current folder. I can amend it for say all mailboxes, but not save it that way. MBP 16" 2021 M1 Pro (Monterey 12.1) 

Experiencing the same issue. I have a MBP 15" 2018 (Monterey 12.0.1) and a MBP 16" 2019 (Monterey 12.1). Both running Outlook 16.56 (21121100)

The MPB with Monterey 12.1 - Outlook Search does not work, only works during reindex or rebuilds. Tried all the steps, kill profiles, rename, reindex, blah blah blah... Still not working.

The MBP with Monterey 12.0.1 - Outlook Search works 100%.

Seems very likely this is a Monterey 12.1 vs Outlook issue. Glad I kept the 15" around for a just in case situation...

Now I have an email appliance (MBP 15) I get to carry around with the fancy newish MBP 16.

Hopefully for a software fix in the not too distant future. For sure won't be updating the MBP 15 anytime soon.

@IDH: Thanks for this information. I've just updated Outlook to version 16.58 and the search function is working again; what a relief! Can others confirm that the search issue is gone now with this version...?

Problem solved! I downloaded beta version of Outlook 16.58.22010406 and it works.

In Outlook:

1. Tab ,,Help"
2. Choose ,,Find update"
3. Choose ,,Advanced settings"
4. Choose ,,Beta chanel" and agree with Terms and conditions
5. Program find new beta version and you will instal it
6. After this you can return back to ,,Alfa chanel" and wait for next standard update.

I am happy!!! And you?

MacBook Pro 16" M1 Max

same experience with MBP 13" M1 running 12.1 and OL 16.56 (21121100) with mailbox on on-prem Exchange server. Worked until recently when I started to notice that the search results were not showing all possible results. gone through all the common steps to re-index. bad idea. as others already noted, the index is there - try spotlight search using "kind:message "searchterm*" - and right after re-indexing a first search seems to find results but any subsequent searches only return "no results".

read in other forums that the the issue would affect mainly users of on-premises Exchange as for Exchange Online there would be a newer OL version which doesn't have the same problem. likely the issue boils down to MS sunsetting EWS 03/31/2022 with never versions switching to REST and GRAPH API https://office365itpros.com/2021/10/11/api-deprecations-signal-demise-exchange-web-services/

MS support suggested to re-assign OL as the default handler for .EML files but no joy. final response was Yes, we are aware of this issue. We had similar problem with Big Sur update previously which was fixed with another patch update from Apple. Our backend team are working together with Apple regarding this concern. This might take sometime but the fix needs to come through Apple

so for the moment I'll resort to using Outlook Webmail where searching works very well