How to Change Your Microsoft Outlook Password

To change the password used for Outlook.com, sign in to your personal Microsoft account, open Security, and select Change password. If you cannot sign in, use Microsoft’s password-reset process instead; work and school accounts may require an organization’s reset service or administrator.

Before You Change Your Outlook Password

Outlook does not have a separate password for an Outlook.com mailbox. The password belongs to the account that provides the mailbox.

• Personal Microsoft account: This normally includes an Outlook.com, Hotmail, Live, or MSN address, although another email address can also be registered as a Microsoft account. You manage its password through Microsoft account security settings.
• Work or school account: An employer, school, or other organization created and manages this Microsoft 365 account. The organization controls password rules, recovery methods, and account lockouts.

Confirm which address is displayed in Outlook before making a Microsoft Outlook password change. Changing a personal Microsoft account will not update a separate work account, even when both accounts appear in the same Outlook app.

How Do I Change My Personal Microsoft Outlook Password?

If you know the current password, use Microsoft account security settings to change the password for Microsoft Outlook and other Microsoft services connected to that personal account.

1. Open {site} and sign in with the Microsoft account used for Outlook.com.
2. Open Security. Microsoft may ask you to verify your identity before showing sensitive settings.
3. Select Change password.
4. Enter the current password, then enter and confirm the new password.
5. Select Save.

The new password applies to the Microsoft account, not only to Outlook. Use it the next time Microsoft asks you to sign in on the web, in an Outlook app, or in another connected Microsoft service. Never approve a verification request that you did not initiate.

How Do I Change a Work or School Outlook Password?

A work or school Outlook password is controlled by the organization that issued the account. If you know the current password, sign in to the Microsoft My Account portal with that organizational account, select Change Password, enter the old password, create and confirm the new password, and select Submit.

Your organization may require a particular password format or another identity check. After the change, Microsoft normally asks you to sign in again.

If you forgot the password or the account is locked, select the option for being unable to access the account during sign-in. Self-service reset works only when the organization has enabled it and you previously registered an approved verification method. Contact the organization’s IT administrator when:

• The page tells you to contact an administrator.
• Self-service password reset is unavailable.
• Your registered verification method is no longer accessible.
• The organization manages passwords through another system.
• The account remains locked after you follow the displayed instructions.

How Do I Update the Saved Microsoft Outlook Password?

After you change your Microsoft Outlook password, a connected app may continue trying the old saved credential. First wait for a sign-in prompt, enter the new password, and complete any identity check shown by Microsoft.

1. Close and reopen Outlook, then select the affected mailbox and try to synchronize it.
2. If Outlook displays Password needed, Sign in, or a similar message, select it and enter the new password in the Microsoft sign-in window.
3. On a phone or another mail client, open the account settings and choose the available sign-in, reauthenticate, or repair option.
4. If the client has no way to update the sign-in, remove only the affected email account from that app and add it again. Confirm first that messages are stored on the mail server and that removing the account will not erase locally stored information.

Do not repeatedly enter the old password. Repeated failed attempts can trigger a temporary security block or an organizational lockout.

How Do I Reset a Forgotten Microsoft Outlook Password?

To reset a forgotten personal Outlook password, begin at Microsoft’s sign-in page, enter the account address, and select Forgot password. Microsoft will offer identity-verification methods already associated with the account.

1. Choose an available verification method, such as an alternate email address, an authenticator prompt, or another method displayed for the account.
2. Enter the requested identifying details and request the code or approval.
3. Complete verification, then create and confirm a new password.
4. Sign in again with the new password.

If a verification code never arrives, confirm that the masked email address or other method is yours, check the correct inbox and junk folder, and avoid making many repeated requests. Try another method if Microsoft offers one.

If none of the displayed methods is accessible, use Microsoft’s Sign-in Helper and follow the account-recovery instructions. The recovery form may ask for a working contact email and details only the account owner is likely to know, such as previous passwords, contacts, or exact email subject lines. Complete it from a familiar device and location when possible.

If Microsoft cannot verify the personal account, review the information and try the recovery process again with more accurate details. Microsoft support cannot bypass identity checks, provide a password-reset link on request, or change protected account details. For a work or school account, contact the organization’s administrator instead of using the personal-account recovery form.

Why Does Outlook Keep Asking for My Password After I Changed It?

Repeated prompts usually mean an app still holds an outdated credential, the new sign-in was not completed, or the account has been locked. Work through these checks in order:

1. Confirm that the new password works in Microsoft’s browser sign-in for the same email address.
2. Exit and reopen Outlook, then complete the Microsoft sign-in prompt with the new password.
3. Check every phone, tablet, computer, and mail client connected to the account. Update or remove the old saved credential so another device does not continue sending it.
4. If synchronization fails, use the client’s account repair or reauthentication option. Remove and add the account again only after protecting any locally stored data.
5. If a work or school account reports a lockout, policy error, or disabled account, contact the organization’s administrator.
6. If a personal account still rejects a password that works elsewhere, use Microsoft’s Sign-in Helper rather than repeatedly attempting to sign in.