Change your email address directly in Outlook settings

You can change the email address associated with your Outlook account through the account settings menu. The process takes about five minutes and does not require you to create a new account or lose your existing emails and folders.

Open Outlook on your computer or go to outlook.com in your browser. Select the gear icon in the top right corner, then choose "View all Outlook settings." Navigate to "Mail" and then "Accounts and import." Under "Send mail as," you will see your current email address listed. Click "Edit" next to it to change how your address appears to recipients.

If you want to change the actual account email address itself — not just the display name — the process is different and depends on whether you use Outlook.com or a work account through Microsoft 365 or Exchange. The steps below cover both scenarios.

Key Takeaways

  • Changing how your email appears to others ("Send mail as") takes five minutes and happens in Outlook settings under Mail and Accounts and import.
  • Changing your actual Outlook.com address requires you to add a new email alias in your Microsoft account settings, then set it as your primary address.
  • Work accounts through Microsoft 365 or Exchange cannot be changed by the user; contact your IT department or administrator to request the change.
  • Your old emails and folders stay in Outlook after you change your address; nothing is deleted or moved automatically.
  • If you add a new email alias, you can receive mail at both addresses, but only one can be set as your primary sending address at a time.

Change your display name or "from" address for Outlook.com accounts

If you use Outlook.com (not a work account), you can add a new email alias and set it as your primary address. This is the closest option to changing your email address without losing access to your account.

Go to account.microsoft.com and sign in. Click "Your info" on the left side, then scroll down to "Manage your Microsoft account." Select "Email and accounts" and look for "Add email alias." Type the new email address you want to use. Microsoft will send a confirmation link to that address — open the link to confirm it belongs to you.

Once confirmed, return to the Email and accounts section. You will see both your old and new addresses listed. Click the new address and select "Make primary." From that point forward, emails you send will show the new address as the sender, though you can still receive mail at your old address.

Change your display name without changing your actual address

The quickest change is updating only the name that appears next to your email address when you send messages. This does not change the actual email address itself, only what recipients see.

In Outlook on your computer, go to File, then Account Settings, then Account Settings again. Select your email account and click "Change." In the "Your Name" field at the top, type the name you want to display. Click "Next" and then "Finish."

In Outlook.com, select the gear icon, go to "View all Outlook settings," then Mail and Accounts and import. Under "Send mail as," click "Edit" next to your address. Change the name in the "Display name" field and click "Save." The change takes effect on your next sent email.

Add a secondary email address to receive mail at both addresses

Instead of replacing your current address, you can add a new one and receive mail at both. This is useful if you want to transition gradually or keep both addresses active.

In Outlook.com, go to account.microsoft.com, select "Email and accounts," and click "Add email alias." Enter the new address and confirm it. You can now receive messages at both addresses in the same inbox. To send from the new address, go back to Mail settings, find "Send mail as," and click "Add email address." Select the new alias from the dropdown when you compose a message.

On Outlook desktop, you can add another email account entirely by going to File, Account Settings, and clicking "New." This creates a separate folder structure for that account, so emails do not mix in one inbox.

What to do if you use Outlook through work or Microsoft 365

Work email accounts managed through Microsoft 365, Exchange, or your employer's system cannot be changed by you. Your IT department or email administrator controls these addresses.

Contact your IT support team or help desk and request an email address change. They will need to update it in your organization's directory and may need to migrate your mailbox, which can take a few hours to a day. During that time, you may not be able to send or receive mail. Ask them when the change will happen and whether you should inform colleagues.

Some organizations allow you to add an alias — a secondary address that routes to the same mailbox — without changing your primary address. Ask your IT team whether this option is available.

Recover access if you no longer have your old email address

If you changed your primary address but lost access to your old one, you can still sign into Outlook using your new address. Microsoft links all your aliases to a single account, so either one will work to log in.

If you cannot remember your new address or cannot access either one, go to account.live.com/password/reset. You will be asked to verify your identity using a phone number or backup email on file. Once verified, you can reset your password and regain access to your account.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will I lose my old emails if I change my address?

No. All your existing emails, folders, and contacts stay in your account. Changing your address only affects how new messages appear to recipients and where incoming mail is routed. Your message history is not affected.

Can I change my address back to the old one later?

Yes. If you added a new alias, you can set your old address as primary again by going to account.microsoft.com, selecting Email and accounts, and clicking "Make primary" next to the old address. If you completely removed the old address, you cannot use it again unless you add it as a new alias.

What happens to emails sent to my old address after I change it?

If you added a new alias instead of removing the old one, mail sent to the old address still arrives in your inbox. If you removed the old address entirely, emails sent to it will bounce back to the sender. You can add the old address back as an alias at any time to receive mail there again.

Do I need to tell people my new email address?

Yes. Contacts in your address book will not be notified automatically. You should send a message to people who email you regularly, letting them know your new address. Update your email signature and social media profiles if you use your email address there.

Can I use two email addresses at the same time in Outlook?

Yes. You can add multiple aliases to your Outlook.com account and receive mail at all of them in one inbox. When you compose a message, use the "From" dropdown to choose which address to send from. On Outlook desktop, you can add multiple accounts, which creates separate folders for each one.