Outlook Drafts Duplicate When Using Multiple Devices: Fix

You open a draft on your laptop, make a few edits, and then find the same draft appears as a second copy on your phone. This duplication happens because Outlook syncs drafts through the server, but each device can create a new version of the draft instead of updating the original. The root cause is a conflict in how Outlook handles draft synchronization when the same mailbox is accessed from multiple clients.

This article explains why Outlook creates duplicate drafts when you use multiple devices. You will learn three methods to stop duplicates from appearing: disabling automatic draft saving, clearing the server draft folder, and adjusting your IMAP or Exchange account settings. Each fix targets a specific sync behavior that causes the duplication.

Why Outlook Creates Duplicate Drafts on Multiple Devices

Outlook stores drafts in the Drafts folder on the mail server. When you access the same mailbox from multiple devices, each device independently syncs the Drafts folder. The duplication happens because of how Outlook handles partial saves and sync timing.

When you start typing a new message on your phone and save it as a draft, Outlook uploads that draft to the server. If you then open the same draft on your laptop and make a change, Outlook on the laptop may treat the modified draft as a new item rather than updating the existing one. This creates a second copy on the server. Both devices then download both copies, showing you two drafts that look nearly identical.

Another common cause is the AutoSave feature. By default, Outlook saves an unsent message every three minutes. If the sync is slow or interrupted, one device may save a draft while another device has already saved a different version. The server cannot merge the two, so both versions remain as separate drafts.

How IMAP and Exchange Handle Drafts Differently

IMAP accounts store drafts on the server. Each device syncs the Drafts folder independently. If two devices save a draft at nearly the same time, the server keeps both copies. Exchange accounts use a central mailbox, but the behavior is similar when Cached Exchange Mode is enabled. Outlook may write a draft to the local cache and then sync it to the server. If the sync is delayed, another device might create a new draft before the first one appears.

Steps to Stop Outlook Drafts From Duplicating

Use these three methods in order. Start with method one because it is the simplest and often resolves the issue without deleting data.

Method 1: Disable Automatic Draft Saving

1. Open Outlook and go to File > Options
   In the left pane of the Options dialog, click Mail.
2. Locate the Save Messages section
   Scroll down to the section labeled Save Messages. Look for the option that says Automatically save items that have not been sent after this many minutes.
3. Uncheck the auto-save box
   Clear the checkbox. This stops Outlook from automatically saving drafts on a timer. Click OK to apply the change.
4. Restart Outlook on all devices
   Close and reopen Outlook on every device that accesses the same mailbox. This ensures the setting takes effect everywhere.

After disabling auto-save, drafts are only saved when you press Ctrl+S or click the Save icon. This reduces the chance of multiple devices creating separate copies.

Method 2: Clear the Server Drafts Folder

If duplicate drafts already exist, you must remove them from the server. Do not delete drafts from one device only, because the duplicates will remain on the server and sync back.

1. Log in to your email account via webmail
   Open a browser and go to your email provider’s web interface. For Outlook.com, go to outlook.live.com. For Exchange or Microsoft 365, go to outlook.office.com.
2. Navigate to the Drafts folder
   In the folder pane on the left, click Drafts. You will see all drafts stored on the server.
3. Select and delete all duplicate drafts
   Manually review the drafts. Delete any that appear twice. To delete, select the draft and click the trash icon or press the Delete key on your keyboard.
4. Empty the Deleted Items folder
   Go to the Deleted Items folder and empty it. This permanently removes the drafts from the server.
5. Sync Outlook on each device
   On each device, press the Send/Receive button or restart Outlook. The Drafts folder will now show only the remaining single copies.

Method 3: Adjust IMAP Account Settings to Prevent Duplicate Drafts

For IMAP accounts, you can change how Outlook saves drafts. This method prevents the server from receiving multiple versions of the same draft.

1. Open Account Settings
   In Outlook, go to File > Account Settings > Account Settings.
2. Select your IMAP account and click Change
   Highlight the account that shows duplicate drafts. Click Change.
3. Open More Settings
   In the Change Account dialog, click More Settings.
4. Go to the Outgoing Server tab
   Click the Outgoing Server tab. Uncheck the option My outgoing server (SMTP) requires authentication if it is enabled. This is not directly related to drafts, but it stops Outlook from writing duplicate copies to the Drafts folder when sending fails.
5. Go to the Advanced tab
   Click the Advanced tab. In the Drafts dropdown, select Do not save copies of sent items in the Drafts folder. Click OK and then Next to save changes.
6. Finish and restart Outlook
   Click Finish and restart Outlook on all devices.

If Outlook Still Creates Duplicate Drafts After the Main Fix

Drafts folder shows multiple copies after syncing

If duplicates reappear after following the steps above, the issue is likely caused by a third-party sync tool or an add-in. Disable all Outlook add-ins temporarily. Go to File > Options > Add-ins. Click Go next to Manage COM Add-ins and uncheck all add-ins. Restart Outlook. If the duplicates stop, enable add-ins one by one to identify the culprit.

Outlook for Mac also creates duplicate drafts

Outlook for Mac has its own auto-save timer. Open Outlook for Mac, go to Tools > Accounts, select your account, and click Folder Behaviors. Set the Drafts folder to None. This forces the Mac client to use the server Drafts folder without creating local copies. Combine this with disabling auto-save on Windows for consistent behavior.

Drafts sync slowly between devices after the fix

After clearing the server Drafts folder and disabling auto-save, new drafts may take longer to appear on other devices. This is normal because Outlook only syncs drafts when you manually save them. Press Ctrl+S after each edit to force a sync. On mobile devices, pull down on the Drafts folder to refresh.

Manual Save vs Auto-Save: Draft Sync Behavior

Item	Manual Save (Ctrl+S)	Auto-Save (Every 3 Minutes)
Sync trigger	User presses Ctrl+S	Timer expires
Server copy creation	One copy per save	One copy per timer interval
Duplicate risk on multiple devices	Low	High
Recommended for multi-device use	Yes	No

Manual saving gives you full control over when a draft syncs to the server. Auto-save introduces timing conflicts that cause duplicates. For users who access the same mailbox from a desktop, laptop, and phone, disabling auto-save and using Ctrl+S consistently is the most reliable approach.

Conclusion

You can now stop Outlook from creating duplicate drafts when you use multiple devices. Disable automatic draft saving in File > Options > Mail, clear existing duplicates from the server via webmail, and adjust IMAP account settings to prevent future conflicts. For Exchange accounts, the same principles apply, but you can also use the web interface to manage drafts directly. Test the fix by creating a new draft on one device and verifying it appears only once on another device.