How to Recover a Microsoft Account (Outlook, Hotmail, Xbox)

Recover a Microsoft account from the sign-in page with Forgot password, using your email, phone or authenticator. If none work, use the account recovery form.

One account for many services

Outlook.com, Hotmail, Live, Xbox, Skype, OneDrive and Windows sign-in all use the same Microsoft account. Recovering it brings back all of them.

If you still have a security method

1. Go to the Microsoft sign-in page and enter your email or phone.
2. Choose Forgot password.
3. Pick where to get a code: phone, email or the Authenticator app.
4. Enter the code and set a new password.

If you have no security method

Use Microsoft's account recovery form. It asks for details only the owner would know.

• Use a device and network you have used before, such as your home computer.
• Give an email address you can check for the reply.
• Include old passwords, email subjects you sent, and contacts you wrote to.
• For Xbox, list gamertags and recent purchases.
• Answer as fully as you can; partial answers are better than none.

If the form is not accepted, you can try again, but wait and gather more detail first.

Hacked account

If someone changed your password and security info, act quickly: Microsoft may still have a record of your old details for a while. Use the recovery form and mention that the account was compromised.

After you are back in

• Review Security › Sign-in activity.
• Update your phone and email.
• Turn on two-step verification with the Authenticator app or a passkey.
• Save a recovery code somewhere safe.

Codes not arriving? See when Microsoft does not send the code.

Signs your recovery details are out of date

Microsoft shows only part of each phone and email when it offers to send a code, such as a number ending in two digits. If none of them look familiar, your security info is old, and the recovery form is the only way in. Once you are back, check Security › Advanced security options and remove any phone or email you no longer use, so you are never stuck the same way again.

FAQ

How do I recover my Microsoft account without a phone?

Use the email or Authenticator app on the account, or the account recovery form.

Is Xbox recovery the same as Microsoft recovery?

Yes, Xbox uses your Microsoft account.

How long does the recovery form take?

Microsoft usually replies to the email you give within about a day.

Related: Microsoft two-step verification · Xbox security code · Microsoft code texts.