Where to find the email change setting in Outlook

The steps to change your email address depend on which version of Outlook you use. If you use Outlook on the web (the browser version), you change it through your Microsoft account settings, not through Outlook itself. If you use Outlook as a desktop process on Windows or Mac, the process is different and happens inside the program.

The most common route — and the one that works across all devices — is to change your email through your Microsoft account. This is the account that powers your Outlook mailbox. Once you change it there, the new address appears in Outlook everywhere you sign in.

Key Takeaways

  • Your Outlook email address is tied to your Microsoft account, so you change it by signing into account.microsoft.com, not inside Outlook.
  • You can add a new email address as an alias without deleting your old one, which lets people reach you at both addresses for a period of time.
  • If you want to stop using your current email entirely and switch to a new one, you must make the new address your primary address in your Microsoft account settings.
  • The change takes effect when ready in Outlook on the web, but may take a few minutes to show in the desktop app.

Adding a new email address as an alias

An alias is a second email address attached to the same account. People can send mail to either your old address or your new one, and both arrive in the same inbox. This is the safest way to transition to a new email if you are not ready to abandon the old one.

Go to account.microsoft.com and sign in. Select "Your info" on the left side. Under "Manage your Microsoft account," click "Email and phone." Click "Add email" and type the new address you want to use. Microsoft will send a confirmation code to that address. Check the inbox for that new email, copy the code, and paste it back into the Microsoft account page to confirm you own it.

Once confirmed, both addresses work. Mail sent to your old address and your new address both land in your Outlook inbox. You can send mail from either address by selecting it in the "From" field when you compose a message.

Making a new address your primary email

Your primary address is the one that appears when someone receives an email from you, and it is the address you use to sign into your Microsoft account. If you have added a new address as an alias and want to make it your primary, go back to account.microsoft.com and select "Your info."

Under "Email and phone," find the address you want to make primary and click the three dots next to it. Select "Make primary." The change takes effect right away. Your old address remains attached to your account as an alias, so you can still receive mail there, but outgoing mail will now show your new address.

If you want to remove the old address entirely instead of keeping it as an alias, you can delete it from the same menu. However, you cannot delete an address if it is your only one — you must have at least one email address on your account at all times.

Changing your email in the Outlook desktop app

If you use Outlook as a program on your computer, the email change you made in your Microsoft account will show up automatically. Open Outlook and look at the top left corner. Your email address appears there. If it still shows your old address after you changed it online, close Outlook completely and open it again.

If you use multiple email accounts in Outlook (for example, a work account and a personal account), each one is tied to a different Microsoft account. To change the email for one of them, you must sign into that account's Microsoft account page separately and make the change there.

What happens to mail sent to your old address

If you keep your old address as an alias, all mail sent to it continues to arrive in your inbox. You do not lose access to it, and people who still have your old address can still reach you. This is why adding an alias first is safer than deleting your old address outright.

If you delete your old address entirely, mail sent to it will bounce back to the sender with a message that the address no longer exists. Microsoft does not forward old mail to your new address automatically. For this reason, it is a good idea to keep the old address as an alias for at least a few weeks or months while you notify your contacts of the change.

Troubleshooting: Your change is not showing up

If you changed your primary address on account.microsoft.com but Outlook on the web still shows the old one, try signing out and signing back in. Close your browser completely, then go to outlook.com and sign in again. The new address should appear.

If you use the Outlook desktop app and the change is not showing, close the program entirely (not just minimize it). Open it again. If it still shows the old address after a restart, sign out of your Microsoft account within Outlook and sign back in. On Windows, go to File > Account Settings > Account Settings, find your account, and click "Change." On Mac, go to Outlook > Preferences > Accounts and double-click your account to re-enter your credentials.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I change my email address without losing my old messages?

Yes. All your messages stay in your inbox no matter what you do with your email address. Whether you add an alias, make a new address primary, or delete the old one, your message history does not change. The address is just the label people use to reach you.

What if I want to use a completely different email provider, like Gmail?

Changing to a different email provider is different from changing your Outlook address. You would need to set up a new Gmail account, forward your Outlook mail to it if you want, and then notify your contacts. Your Outlook account and inbox remain, but you would stop using it. This guide covers changes within the Outlook and Microsoft ecosystem only.

Can I have two primary addresses at the same time?

No. You can have multiple aliases, but only one can be primary. The primary address is the one that shows in the "From" field when you send mail and the one you use to sign in. If you need to send from multiple addresses, use aliases and select which one to send from each time you compose a message.

How long does it take for the change to show everywhere?

In Outlook on the web, the change is when ready. In the Outlook desktop app, it may take a few minutes to sync. If it does not show after five minutes, close and reopen the app. If you use Outlook on a phone or tablet, the change may take up to 30 minutes to appear.

What if I forgot the password to my Microsoft account?

You cannot change your Outlook email address without signing into your Microsoft account. If you have forgotten the password, go to account.microsoft.com and click "Can't access your account?" Follow the steps to verify your identity using a recovery email or phone number. Once you regain access, you can change your email address.