The two ways to change your Outlook email address

You can change your Outlook email address in two ways: add a new email address to your account and make it your primary address, or change the address itself if you own the domain. The method depends on whether you want to keep your old address working or replace it entirely.

If you use Outlook.com (the free webmail service), you can add an alias — a secondary address that receives mail and sends from your account — without losing the original. If you use Outlook through work or school, or if you own a custom domain, the process is different and may require administrator help.

The steps below cover the Outlook.com path, which is the most common. If your email is through an organization, contact your IT department or help desk, as they control address changes.

Key Takeaways

  • Outlook.com lets you add up to 4 aliases (alternate addresses) to one account without losing your original address.
  • To add an alias, go to Settings > Mail > Sync Email, select "Add alias", and choose either an Outlook.com address or a custom domain you own.
  • You can send and receive from any alias, and set which one appears as your default when you send mail.
  • If you want to stop using your original address entirely, you can hide it from the send list, but you cannot delete it from an Outlook.com account.
  • Work or school email addresses cannot be changed by you — contact your organization's IT support or help desk.

Adding an alias to your Outlook.com account

An alias is a second (or third, or fourth) email address attached to your existing account. Mail sent to any of your aliases lands in the same inbox, and you can send from any of them. Outlook.com lets you have up to 4 aliases on one account.

To add an alias, sign into your Outlook.com account at outlook.com. Click the gear icon in the top right, then select "View all Outlook settings". Go to the "Mail" tab, then find "Sync email" and click it. Select "Add alias". You will see two options: create a new Outlook.com address (like yourname@outlook.com) or add a custom domain you already own (like yourname@yourdomain.com).

If you choose a new Outlook.com address, type the name you want and check that it is available. If you choose a custom domain, you must own it and have access to its DNS settings — Outlook will ask you to verify ownership by adding a record to your domain's DNS. Once verified, the alias is active and ready to use.

Setting your primary send address

Once you have added an alias, you can choose which address appears in the "From" field when you send mail. By default, your original address stays as the primary sender, but you can change this.

In Outlook settings, go to Mail > Sync email. Under your aliases, find the one you want to use as your default and click "Make primary". From that point on, new messages you send will show that address in the From field. Recipients will reply to that address, not your original one.

You can change your primary address at any time. If you switch back and forth, Outlook remembers which address you used last and may suggest it for your next message, but you can override it by clicking the From field before you send.

Hiding or removing your original address from the send list

If you have added a new alias and want to stop using your original Outlook address for sending, you can hide it from the From dropdown without deleting it. The address will still receive mail, but it will not appear as an option when you compose a message.

In Mail > Sync email, find your original address in the list. Click the three dots next to it and select "Hide from send list". The address is still part of your account and still receives incoming mail — it is just not shown as a sending option anymore.

You cannot permanently delete an Outlook.com address once it is created. If you want to stop using it entirely, hiding it is the closest option. If you own a custom domain alias, you can remove it by clicking the three dots and selecting "Remove", but you cannot remove your original Outlook.com address.

Changing email for work or school accounts

If your email is through your employer, school, or organization, you cannot change the address yourself. The account is managed by your organization's IT department or administrator.

To change your work or school email address, contact your IT help desk or support team. They can tell you whether address changes are allowed, what the process is, and whether any data or forwarding rules need to be set up. Some organizations do not allow address changes at all, or only allow them under certain conditions.

If you are leaving the organization, ask whether you can forward your work email to a personal address, or whether you need to migrate important messages before your account is closed.

What happens to mail sent to your old address

If you add a new alias and make it your primary address, mail sent to your old address still arrives in your inbox. Both addresses feed into the same mailbox, so you will not miss anything.

If you want people to stop using your old address, you can set up an automatic reply or update your signature and contact information. However, there is no way to redirect old mail to a new address or to prevent people from sending to the old one.

If you have shared your old address widely (on a website, business card, or social media), consider keeping it active as an alias for at least a few months. This gives people time to update their records before you hide it from your send list.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a Gmail address as an Outlook alias?

No. Outlook aliases must be either Outlook.com addresses or custom domains you own. If you want to receive mail from a Gmail address in Outlook, you can set up mail forwarding in Gmail to send it to your Outlook account, but that is not the same as having a Gmail alias.

What if the email address I want is already taken?

If an Outlook.com address is taken, try a variation — add a number, a middle initial, or a different word. If you own a custom domain and want to use a specific address on it, you can create any address you want as long as the domain is registered to you and you have access to its DNS settings.

Can I have more than 4 aliases?

Outlook.com limits you to 4 aliases per account. If you need more addresses, you would need to create a second Outlook account. Some organizations with custom domains can create more addresses, but that is managed by your IT department, not by you.

If I hide my original address, will people still be able to send mail to it?

Yes. Hiding an address from your send list only removes it from the dropdown when you compose a message. People can still send mail to that address, and it will arrive in your inbox. The address itself does not stop working.

Can I change my Outlook address if I use it for Microsoft 365 or Office?

If your Outlook account is linked to a Microsoft 365 subscription, you can add aliases the same way. However, if your email is managed by your workplace or school through Microsoft 365, contact your IT department — they control address changes for organizational accounts.