Change Your Email Address in Outlook

You can change the email address associated with your Outlook account in two ways, depending on what you need to do. If you want to add a new email address to your existing account so you can send and receive from both addresses, you add an alias. If you want to replace your current email address entirely with a new one, you change your primary email. Both take a few minutes and happen in your account settings, not in the Outlook app itself.

The steps differ slightly depending on whether you use Outlook.com (the free web version) or Outlook as part of a Microsoft 365 subscription. This guide covers both.

Key Takeaways

  • Adding an alias lets you send and receive from a new email address while keeping your old one active on the same account.
  • Changing your primary email replaces your main address entirely, which affects your Microsoft account sign-in and password recovery.
  • Outlook.com users manage aliases and primary email through account.microsoft.com, not through the Outlook app.
  • Microsoft 365 subscribers may need to contact their organization's IT department if their email is managed by a workplace account.
  • After you add an alias, you must set it as your default sending address in Outlook if you want it to appear as the "from" address on new messages.

Add an Email Alias to Your Outlook Account

An alias is a second email address attached to your existing Outlook account. You can send and receive from both addresses, and both inboxes feed into the same account. This is the safest option if you are not sure whether you want to keep your old address.

Go to account.microsoft.com and sign in with your current Outlook email and password. Click Your info in the left menu, then scroll down to find Manage your Microsoft account. Look for the section labeled Email and accounts or Aliases. Click Add alias or Add email address. Type the new email address you want to use. Microsoft will ask you to verify the new address by sending a confirmation code to it — check the inbox of that new address and enter the code when prompted.

Once the alias is confirmed, it appears in your account. You can now receive mail at both addresses. To send from the new address, open Outlook, click Settings (the gear icon), then View all Outlook settings. Go to Mail > Compose and reply. Under Default from address, select the new alias from the dropdown. From that point forward, new messages will show the new address as the sender unless you manually change it.

Change Your Primary Email Address

Changing your primary email address replaces your old address as your main account email. This is permanent and affects how you sign into Microsoft, recover your password, and receive account notifications. Only do this if you are certain you no longer need the old address.

Sign in to account.microsoft.com with your current email and password. Click Your info, then find Email and accounts. You will see your current primary email listed. Click Change primary alias or Make primary next to the address you want to use instead. Microsoft will send a confirmation code to the new address — enter it to complete the change. Your old address becomes an alias (you can delete it later if you want), and your new address becomes your primary sign-in email.

After you change your primary email, you may need to sign out of Outlook and sign back in using the new address. Any saved passwords in your browser or app may no longer work, so update them.

Remove an Old Email Address Completely

If you have added an alias or changed your primary email and no longer want to keep the old address on your account, you can delete it. Go to account.microsoft.com, click Your info, then Email and accounts. Find the address you want to remove and click Remove or the trash icon next to it. Confirm the removal when prompted.

Once you delete an address, you can no longer receive mail at that address through this account. If you think you might need it again later, consider leaving it as an alias instead of removing it entirely.

Change Email on a Work or School Outlook Account

If your Outlook account is managed by your workplace or school (a Microsoft 365 subscription through an organization), you usually cannot change your email address yourself. Your organization's IT department controls these accounts. Contact your IT help desk or administrator and ask them to change your primary email address or add an alias.

Some organizations allow you to add a secondary email for personal use, but the main work email address is locked. Ask your IT department what options are available to you.

Update Your Outlook App After Changing Email

If you use the Outlook desktop app or mobile app and you have changed your primary email address, the app may prompt you to sign in again. When it does, use your new email address and your password. If the app does not prompt you, sign out manually, then sign back in with the new address.

If you added an alias and want to send from it by default, the web version of Outlook (Outlook.com) is the easiest place to set that up. The desktop and mobile apps may take longer to reflect the change, so check your settings there as well. In the Outlook app, go to File > Account Settings > Account Settings, select your account, click Change, and verify that your preferred sending address is listed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use both my old and new email addresses at the same time?

Yes, if you add an alias. Both addresses will receive mail and feed into the same inbox. You can choose which one appears as the sender on new messages by setting a default sending address in your Outlook settings. If you change your primary email instead, your old address becomes an alias automatically, so you can still use it.

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

If you keep your old address as an alias, all mail sent to it will still arrive in your inbox. If you delete the old address completely, new mail sent to it will bounce back to the sender. Old emails you received at that address stay in your inbox.

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

Your password stays the same. However, you will sign in using your new email address instead of the old one. If you have saved your old email and password in your browser or app, update those saved credentials to use the new address.

Can I change my email address back if I change my mind?

Yes. If you changed your primary email, you can go back to account.microsoft.com and make your old address primary again. If you deleted an address, you can add it back as an alias, though Microsoft may not allow you to use the exact same address if someone else has claimed it in the meantime.

Why does Outlook keep asking me to verify my new email address?

Microsoft sends a confirmation code to any new email address you add to verify that you own it and can access it. This is a security step. Check the inbox of the new address for the code, or look in spam if it does not appear in the main inbox. You must enter this code before the address becomes active on your account.