How to Change Your Microsoft 365 Password

To change a Microsoft 365 password you still know, sign in to your Microsoft account, open Security, select Change password, enter the current and new passwords, and save. If the Microsoft 365 password has expired or you cannot remember it, use the password-reset option on the sign-in screen and verify your identity.

What do you need before changing a Microsoft 365 password?

Before you change a password on Microsoft 365, identify whether you use a personal Microsoft account or an account supplied by an employer or school. The account type determines which security page and recovery options you will see.

• Your current Microsoft 365 sign-in email or username.
• Your current password, unless you need to reset a forgotten password.
• Access to a recovery email address, phone, or authentication method if Microsoft asks you to verify your identity.
• A new, unique password that meets the rules shown on the password screen.

If several Microsoft accounts are saved in your browser, check the email shown on the account page before making a change. Updating the wrong account will not fix the sign-in problem in Outlook or another Microsoft 365 app.

How do you change a Microsoft 365 password while signed in?

Use a direct password change when you know the current password and can access the account. For a personal account, changing the Microsoft account password also changes the password used by Microsoft 365 and Outlook.com.

1. Open {site} and sign in with the email attached to Microsoft 365.
2. Open the account or profile menu and choose the option for your Microsoft account.
3. Select Security. Complete an identity check if Microsoft requests one.
4. Select Change password.
5. Enter the current password, then enter the new password in each requested field.
6. Select Save or Submit.
7. Use the new password the next time Microsoft 365 asks you to sign in.

If the current password has expired, sign in with it and follow the password-change prompt. The screen may require the old password before it accepts a replacement.

How do you change a Microsoft 365 password from Outlook or an Office app?

Outlook, Word, Excel, and other Microsoft 365 apps can provide a route to the account page, but the actual password change normally takes place in the account’s security settings.

1. Open Outlook or another Microsoft 365 app while signed in.
2. Select your profile picture, initials, or account name.
3. Choose View account, My Microsoft Account, or a similarly named account-management option. Labels can differ between app versions.
4. Open Security and select Change password.
5. Enter the current password and the new password, then save the change.
6. Return to the app and sign in again if prompted.

Do not edit incoming-mail or outgoing-mail server settings merely to change a Microsoft 365 password. Those settings are mainly for separately hosted email accounts. Change the password at the Microsoft account level first, and then enter the new password in Outlook if the app requests it.

How do you reset a forgotten Microsoft 365 password?

A password reset replaces a password you cannot supply. It is different from a direct password change, which requires the current password.

1. Start signing in with the email or username used for Microsoft 365.
2. On the password screen, select Forgot password, Forgotten your password, or Can’t access your account.
3. Confirm the account you want to recover.
4. Choose an available verification method, such as a recovery email, phone, or authentication method.
5. Enter any requested portion of the recovery address or phone number, then request the code.
6. Enter the verification code and continue.
7. Create the new password and submit it.

If no familiar verification method appears, use Microsoft’s sign-in helper or account-recovery option shown on the screen. Microsoft support representatives cannot bypass account verification or directly change account details for you.

What password requirements does Microsoft 365 enforce?

Password rules depend on the account type and, for work or school accounts, the organization’s policy. Follow the requirements displayed on the password-change screen even if they are stricter than the general Microsoft rules.

• Personal Microsoft accounts require at least eight characters and a mix of character types. A longer password that combines uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols is safer.
• Cloud-managed work or school accounts in Microsoft Entra ID require between eight and 256 characters and at least three of these four types: uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols. Microsoft Entra ID is Microsoft’s account and identity system for organizations.
• Microsoft can reject common, weak, or organization-banned passwords.
• A direct password change cannot reuse the account’s current password. An organization may also prevent reuse of additional previous passwords.

Accounts synchronized with an organization’s local directory may follow different length, complexity, and password-history rules. The organization’s policy takes priority in that case.

What should you do if the new Microsoft 365 password does not take effect?

If the new Microsoft 365 password works in a browser but not in an app, the app may still have cached credentials, meaning an old password stored on the device.

1. Confirm that the password works by signing in through a private browser window.
2. Check that the browser and app are using the same email address and account type.
3. Close and reopen Outlook or the affected Microsoft 365 app.
4. When prompted, remove the saved old password and enter the new one.
5. Sign out of Microsoft 365 on the device and sign back in if prompts continue.
6. Allow for synchronization between services, especially when an organization connects Microsoft 365 to its own directory.

If the browser also rejects the new password, repeat the reset flow or ask the organization’s administrator whether the account is locked or subject to a separate password policy.

When does your organization control the Microsoft 365 password?

A work or school Microsoft 365 account belongs to the organization that issued it. Its administrator can set expiration and complexity rules, require specific verification methods, disable self-service password reset, or synchronize the account with another directory.

Contact the organization’s IT administrator when the reset screen tells you to contact an administrator, no self-service recovery method is available, the account is locked, or the password must be changed through an employer or school system. An administrator may need to reset the password or restore access before you can sign in.

For a personal Microsoft account, use Microsoft’s own recovery flow instead. An employer or school administrator cannot reset a personal Microsoft account password, even if that personal account is also present in Outlook.