Where to find the email settings in Outlook
The steps to change your email address depend on which version of Outlook you use — the desktop process, Outlook on the web, or Outlook on your phone. The location of settings differs slightly in each one, but the process is straightforward once you know where to look.
In the desktop version of Outlook (Windows or Mac), go to File in the top menu, then select Account Settings and choose Account Settings again from the dropdown. This opens a window showing all your email accounts. In Outlook on the web, click the gear icon in the top right corner, then View all Outlook settings, and navigate to Mail > Accounts. On a phone or tablet, the settings menu is usually accessed through a hamburger menu (three horizontal lines) or your profile icon.
Key Takeaways
- Changing your email address in Outlook means updating the account settings to reflect a new email, not creating a brand new account.
- Desktop Outlook requires you to go through File > Account Settings, while Outlook on the web uses the gear icon and settings menu.
- If you are changing to a completely different email provider, you may need to add that account as a new account rather than edit the existing one.
- Changing your email address in Outlook does not change your actual email account with your provider — you must make that change with them first.
- After updating your email in Outlook, you should test sending and receiving mail to confirm the change took effect.
Updating your email address in desktop Outlook
Open Outlook and click File in the top left corner. Select Account Settings, then click Account Settings again in the dropdown menu. A window will open showing all your email accounts. Find the account you want to change and click it once to select it, then click the Change button.
In the dialog that appears, you will see fields for your email address and password. Update the email address field to your new address. If your new email is with the same provider (for example, changing from john.smith@gmail.com to j.smith@gmail.com), Outlook will usually detect the correct server settings automatically. Click Next and let Outlook verify the connection. If the verification succeeds, click Finish and close the settings window.
If you are switching to a completely different email provider (for example, from Gmail to Outlook.com), Outlook may not recognize the server settings. In that case, you may find it easier to remove the old account and add the new one as a separate account instead of trying to change the existing one.
Changing your email in Outlook on the web
Log into Outlook.com or your organization's Outlook web portal. Click the gear icon in the top right corner of the page. Select View all Outlook settings. In the left sidebar, click Mail, then click Accounts.
You will see a list of connected email accounts. Click the account you want to change. Outlook on the web does not allow you to edit the email address directly from this menu in most cases. Instead, you may need to remove the account and add it again with the new address, or contact your email provider to change the address on their end first, then update it in Outlook afterward.
If you are trying to change your primary Outlook.com address itself (not a connected account), you cannot do that through settings. You must go to your Microsoft account page at account.microsoft.com, sign in, and change your email alias there. Changes made on the Microsoft account page will sync to Outlook automatically within a few hours.
Updating email on Outlook mobile apps
On an iPhone or Android phone, open the Outlook app and tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines) at the bottom left, or your profile picture at the top left, depending on your app version. Tap Settings. Find the account you want to change and tap it. Look for an option labeled Account Settings or Change Account.
Tap the email address field and enter your new address. You may be asked to re-enter your password to verify the change. Tap Save or Done. The app will attempt to reconnect using the new address. If the connection fails, check that you entered the address correctly and that your password is still valid.
What to do before you change your email in Outlook
Before you change your email address in Outlook, make sure the new address actually exists and is working. Log into the new email account directly through your provider's website to confirm you can send and receive mail there. If you are changing your address with your email provider (for example, adding an alias or updating your name on the account), complete that change with the provider first, then update Outlook.
If you are switching to a completely new email account with a different provider, consider keeping the old account connected to Outlook for a few weeks while you notify your contacts of the change. This way, you can still receive mail sent to the old address and forward important messages to the new one. You can add multiple accounts to Outlook at the same time, so there is no need to remove the old one when ready.
Troubleshooting when the change does not work
If Outlook shows an error after you change your email address, the most common cause is an incorrect password. Double-check that you entered your password correctly — passwords are case-sensitive. If you are unsure of your password, use your email provider's "Forgot Password" tool to reset it, then try updating Outlook again.
Another common issue is that your email provider requires an app-specific password instead of your regular password. Gmail, Microsoft accounts, and some corporate email systems use this security feature. If you see an error mentioning authentication or security, visit your email provider's account settings and generate an app password, then use that password in Outlook instead of your regular one.
If Outlook still cannot connect after you have verified the password, restart the Outlook process completely. Close it entirely (not just minimize it), wait a few seconds, and open it again. Sometimes Outlook needs to refresh its connection to recognize the new address. If the problem persists, try removing the account and adding it again from scratch rather than editing the existing one.
Confirming the change worked
After you have updated your email address in Outlook, send a test email to yourself from another email account. Check that the message arrives in your Outlook inbox and that the sender sees your new address in the reply. This confirms that both sending and receiving are working correctly with the new address.
If you changed your email address with your provider but Outlook is still showing the old address, wait 15 to 30 minutes and restart Outlook. Provider-side changes sometimes take a few minutes to sync to the Outlook process. If the old address persists after an hour, remove the account from Outlook and add it again.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does changing my email in Outlook change my actual email account?
No. Outlook is just the process you use to read and send mail. Changing your email address in Outlook only updates where Outlook sends mail from. You must change your actual email address through your email provider's website first — Gmail, Outlook.com, Yahoo, or whoever hosts your account. Outlook will then use that new address.
Can I have two email addresses in Outlook at the same time?
Yes. You can add multiple email accounts to Outlook, and they will all appear in your inbox list on the left side. This is useful if you are transitioning from one email to another and want to receive mail from both for a while. Add the new account through Account Settings (desktop) or Settings > Accounts (web), and both will work side by side.
What if my email provider does not show up when I try to add the new address?
Outlook recognizes most major providers automatically, but some smaller or corporate email systems require manual setup. When you enter the new address, Outlook will ask if you want to set up the account manually. You will need your email provider's incoming and outgoing server addresses — these are usually found in your provider's help documentation or account settings. Contact your email provider's support if you cannot find this information.
Will changing my email address delete my old messages?
No. Your messages stay in Outlook and on your email provider's servers. Changing your email address only affects where new mail is sent from. Old messages remain in your folders and are still searchable. If you remove the old account from Outlook entirely, the messages stay on the provider's servers and you can access them by adding the account back later.
How long does it take for the change to take effect?
Changes usually take effect when ready in Outlook. If you are changing an address with your email provider, it may take a few minutes to an hour for the change to sync across all their servers. If Outlook does not recognize the new address right away, restart the process and try again after 15 to 30 minutes.