Change Your Email Address in Account Settings

To change the email address on your Microsoft account, sign in at account.microsoft.com, go to Your info, and select Manage your Microsoft account. Under the Account tab, find Email & phone and click Edit. You can then add a new email address or change your primary email — the one you use to sign in.

Microsoft distinguishes between your primary email (what you log in with) and recovery emails (backup addresses for account recovery). If you want to sign in with a different email going forward, you will change the primary. If you just want a backup address on file, you add a recovery email instead. Both take about five minutes.

Key Takeaways

  • Sign in at account.microsoft.com, go to Your info, and select Email & phone to change your primary email address.
  • Microsoft will send a verification code to your new email — you must enter it to confirm the change is real.
  • Your old email address remains tied to your account as a recovery email for 30 days, then is removed automatically.
  • If you change your primary email, you will sign in with the new address on all devices — update saved passwords in your browser or password manager.
  • You can add up to three recovery email addresses to your account without changing which one you sign in with.

Add a New Email Address Before Removing the Old One

The safest way to change your primary email is to add the new address first, verify it, then set it as primary. This prevents you from locking yourself out if something goes wrong. On the Email & phone page, click Add email, type the new address, and click Next.

Microsoft will send a verification code to that new email address. Open your inbox at that email, find the message from Microsoft, and copy the code. Return to account.microsoft.com, paste the code into the verification box, and click Verify. The new address is now on your account as a recovery email.

Once verified, go back to Email & phone, find the new address in the list, and click the three dots next to it. Select Make primary. Your new email is now your sign-in address. The old email stays on your account as a recovery option for 30 days, then Microsoft removes it automatically.

What Happens to Your Old Email Address

When you change your primary email, your old address does not disappear when ready. Instead, Microsoft keeps it as a recovery email for 30 days. This is a safety feature — if you made a mistake or someone changed your email without permission, you can still use the old address to regain access during that window.

After 30 days, the old email is removed from your account entirely. You cannot sign in with it anymore, and it cannot be used to recover your account. If you want to remove it sooner, go to Email & phone, find the old address, click the three dots, and select Remove.

Update Your Sign-In Information on Other Devices

Once you change your primary email, you will need to sign in with the new address on every device where you use your Microsoft account — your computer, phone, tablet, or Xbox. The old email will no longer work for sign-in.

On Windows 10 or 11, go to Settings > Accounts > Your info and click Sign in with a Microsoft account instead. Enter your new email and password. On Mac, iPhone, or Android, sign out of your Microsoft account in the relevant app (Outlook, OneDrive, Xbox, etc.), then sign back in with the new email.

Check your browser's saved passwords too. If you saved your Microsoft password in Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Edge, update it there so you do not get stuck with an old email in the password manager. Go to Settings > Passwords in your browser, search for your Microsoft account, and edit the saved entry.

Verify Your Recovery Email Is Current

After you change your primary email, make sure you have at least one recovery email address on file. This is the address Microsoft uses to send you a reset code if you forget your password or suspect someone has accessed your account. Without a recovery email, you may have trouble getting back in.

Go to account.microsoft.com > Your info > Email & phone and look at the list of recovery emails. If the list is empty or shows only old addresses you no longer use, click Add email and add a current email you check regularly. A phone number works too — click Add phone and follow the same verification steps.

Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

The most common error is changing your primary email without verifying the new address first. If you type the new email wrong or it bounces, you may lock yourself out. Always wait for the verification code, enter it, and see the green checkmark before you set the new address as primary.

Another mistake is forgetting to update saved passwords. If your browser or password manager still has your old email saved, you may accidentally try to sign in with it and get rejected. Search your password manager for "microsoft" or "outlook" and update any entries that show the old email.

Do not remove your old email when ready after changing your primary. Leave it as a recovery email for the full 30 days in case you need to undo the change or recover your account. If you remove it right away and then forget your new password, you will have fewer ways to prove you own the account.

If You Cannot Access Your New Email Address

If you added a new email as your primary but cannot access it (the inbox is full, the account is locked, or you mistyped it), you can still recover your account using your recovery email or phone number. Go to account.microsoft.com, click Sign in, and then click Can't access your account? Microsoft will ask you to verify your identity using a recovery email or phone, then let you change your primary email again.

If you do not have a recovery email or phone on file, the process takes longer. Microsoft may ask you security questions or request a photo of your ID. This is why it is important to add a recovery email or phone before you change your primary — it makes recovery much faster if something goes wrong.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use the same email address for two different Microsoft accounts?

No. Each email address can be the primary sign-in for only one Microsoft account. If you try to add an email that is already a primary email on another account, Microsoft will reject it. You can use the same email as a recovery email on multiple accounts, but only one account can use it as the primary.

What if I change my email and then want to change it back?

You can change it back anytime. Go to account.microsoft.com > Your info > Email & phone, and if your old email is still listed as a recovery email, click the three dots next to it and select Make primary. If the 30-day window has passed and the old email was removed, you can add it again as a new email, verify it, and set it as primary.

Do I need to change my password when I change my email?

No, your password stays the same. You will just sign in with a different email address. However, if you are concerned someone else accessed your account, go to account.microsoft.com > Security > Recent activity to check for suspicious sign-ins, then change your password from the Security tab.

Will changing my email affect my OneDrive, Outlook, or other Microsoft services?

No. Your files, emails, and subscriptions stay the same. You will just sign in with the new email address. On your phone or computer, you may need to sign out and sign back in with the new email in each app (Outlook, OneDrive, Teams, etc.), but your data will not be lost.

Can I have two primary emails on one account?

No. You can have only one primary email — the address you use to sign in. You can add up to three recovery emails as backups, but only one is primary. If you need to use two different emails regularly, you would need two separate Microsoft accounts.