Virgin Media Email Not Sending or Receiving? Complete Troubleshooting Guide

If your Virgin Media email is not sending or receiving, you’re likely dealing with one of the most frustrating issues Virgin Media users experience. Messages stuck in the Outbox, missing inbox emails, or constant “connection to server failed” warnings usually point to a configuration or syncing problem. The good news is that most of these issues can be fixed in just a few steps.

This guide explains why Virgin Media email stops sending or receiving messages and how to resolve the problem on webmail, desktops, and mobile devices. If you need quick assistance, you can always speak to a support specialist at 0800-090-3202.

Why Virgin Media Email Fails to Send or Receive Messages

There are several reasons your Virgin Media email may stop moving messages in or out of your account. The most common include:

• Incorrect SMTP (outgoing) settings
• Wrong IMAP (incoming) settings
• Mailbox reaching storage limit
• Blocked ports on the network
• Firewall or antivirus interference
• Virgin Media rate-limits suspicious activity
• Password changed, but not updated on devices
• Issues with old domains (Virgin.net, BlueYonder, NTLWorld)
• Outgoing messages blocked due to spam rules

Each issue requires a slightly different fix. Let’s go step-by-step.

1. Check if Your Virgin Media Mailbox is Full

Virgin Media sets storage limits. When your mailbox is full:

✓ You will not receive new messages
✓ Outgoing messages may also get blocked
✓ Sync issues begin to appear across all devices

How to fix mailbox full issues:

1. Log in to Webmail
2. Sort emails by size
3. Delete large attachments
4. Empty Junk, Spam, and Trash folders
5. Refresh your email account
6. Try sending an email again

If sending works after clearing space, the issue was storage-related.

For detailed storage fixes, see:
➡️ Virgin Media Email Storage Full – How to Fix (URL placeholder)

2. Verify Your IMAP & SMTP Settings

When emails do not send or receive, the first thing to check is your server settings. Even a single incorrect number can cause the entire connection to fail.

Correct Virgin Media Settings (2025):

IMAP (Incoming):

• Server: imap.virginmedia.com
• Port: 993
• SSL: ON
• Username: Full email address
• Password: Account password

SMTP (Outgoing):

• Server: smtp.virginmedia.com
• Port: 465 or 587
• SSL: ON
• Authentication: Required
• Username: Full email address
• Password: Same password

If your app or device uses old or auto-detected settings, sending or receiving may fail.

For the full, detailed settings guide, visit:
➡️ Virgin Media IMAP & SMTP Settings (URL placeholder)

3. Fix Outgoing Email Stuck in Outbox

If messages stay in your Outbox, the outgoing mail server isn’t authenticating properly.

Try these fixes:

• Double-check the SMTP password
• Make sure your Virgin Media account is verified
• Restart the Mail app
• Switch Wi-Fi to mobile data (test if the network is blocking the port)
• Try sending a small email without attachments

Large attachments often fail silently, especially on older devices.

4. Check if Virgin Media Has Flagged Your Account

Virgin Media may temporarily block outgoing messages if:

• You send too many emails at once
• An unusual login location is detected
• A message in your Outbox looks like spam
• You recently reset your password

In these cases, receiving may still work, but sending will fail.

How to fix it:

1. Reset your password
2. Update password across all devices
3. Clear your Outbox
4. Wait 15 minutes
5. Try again

If the issue persists, the account may be temporarily restricted.

Learn more here:
➡️ Virgin Media Email Hacked or Suspended – Recovery Guide (URL placeholder)

5. Check Spam, Junk & Blocked Sender Settings

Emails not arriving in your inbox may be redirected to:

• Spam
• Junk
• Archive
• Other folders

Also check:

• Blocked sender list
• Filter rules
• Automatic forwarding rules

Virgin Media sometimes auto-applies spam rules that affect legitimate emails.

6. Fix Virgin Media Email Not Sending or Receiving on Mobile Devices

Mobile devices frequently experience syncing issues, especially after a password change, software update, or network switch.

On iPhone (iOS):

• Remove the Virgin Media email account
• Restart the phone
• Add the account again using the correct IMAP settings
• Turn ON Mail under Settings → Accounts

On Android:

• Clear Email App cache
• Remove and re-add the account
• Enable sync
• Reset network settings

Full device setup instructions here:
➡️ Fix Virgin Media Email on iPhone & Android (URL placeholder)

7. Fix Outlook, Thunderbird & Apple Mail Sending/Receiving Issues

Desktop email clients store old settings, which leads to conflicts.

Outlook Fixes:

• Remove account profile
• Add account manually with updated ports
• Disable antivirus email scanning
• Fix error codes like 0x800CCC0E or 0x800CCC90

Thunderbird Fixes:

• Verify the authentication method
• Ensure SSL is enabled
• Refresh IMAP folders

Apple Mail Fixes:

• Delete account
• Re-add manually
• Re-sync mailbox

Detailed desktop fixes here:
➡️ Fix Virgin Media Email on Outlook, Thunderbird & Apple Mail (URL placeholder)

8. Network, Firewall & Antivirus Interference

Some security applications block email ports without notifying you.

Try:

• Temporarily disabling antivirus email protection
• Checking your router for blocked ports
• Switching to a different network

Once you identify the issue, re-enable protection.

9. When to Contact Support

If your Virgin Media email still isn’t sending or receiving despite all troubleshooting, the issue may involve:

• Advanced server problems
• Complex authentication loops
• Old-domain migrations
• Suspended or rate-limited accounts
• Corrupted mailbox sync

You can speak with a Virgin Media email support specialist at 0800-090-3202 for quick, personalised help.

FAQs – Virgin Media Email Sending/Receiving Issues