Your mailbox is locked

Why a mailbox locks, and how to get back in without locking it again.

A locked mailbox gives the same error as a wrong password, so the two are easy to confuse. To be sure, ask your administrator to check the mailbox status.

Why it happens

The most common cause is the wrong password being tried too many times, which trips Zimbra's failed-password policy. The mailbox then locks for a period, usually an hour, and unlocks itself afterwards. This is what stops someone guessing a password.

A mailbox also enters maintenance mode while it is being backed up, which looks like a lock and clears on its own. Less often, an administrator locks a mailbox deliberately, for instance when it has been sending spam.

Getting back in when it is not urgent

The trap here is that one misconfigured device keeps re-locking the mailbox for everything else, so deal with the devices before you try to sign in.

1. Stop every device from trying the mailbox. That means phones, tablets and computers. If you are not sure how to stop one, switch it off.
2. Wait an hour, so the automatic lock clears.
3. Before switching anything back on, sign into webmail first.
4. If that works, update each device with the correct password one at a time, checking each one works before moving to the next. A single wrongly configured device can lock the mailbox again and shut everyone out.

Getting back in when it is urgent

If you need your mail now, or the steps above did not work, ask your mail administrator to check the mailbox status. If it is not locked, they can confirm your username and reset your password if needed.

An administrator cannot read your existing password, so a forgotten one has to be reset, and you then update every device with the new one.

Rarely, a mailbox locks because someone is trying to break into it. There is little an administrator can do beyond changing your username, which is your email address.