Buzz
This article provides a comprehensive guide on resetting a lost password for your Microsoft Outlook account. Currently, Microsoft Outlook serves as the official email service provider for any email address ending with "@hotmail.com." Therefore, you will use Outlook to reset passwords for Hotmail, Live, and/or Outlook accounts.
Steps
On a Phone
Launch Outlook by tapping on the app featuring a blue "O" inside a white square.
Tap on Get Started (Start). Skip this step if Outlook is already open.
- You should only reset your Outlook password if you have never logged into Outlook on your smartphone or tablet, or if your account password has recently been changed.
Enter your email address into the input field located in the middle of the page.
Tap on Add account (Add Account) below the email field to access the password entry page.
- Skip this step if you are logging into Outlook after resetting your password or reinstalling the Outlook app.
Tap on the Forgot my password (Forgot Password) link near the bottom of the screen.
Check the box labeled "I forgot my password" (I Forgot My Password) at the top of the page.
Tap on Next (Continue) at the bottom of the screen.
Enter the verification code. Tap on the "Enter the characters you see" field, then input the characters displayed in the code box above the input field.
- You can tap New next to the code box to generate a new code.
- Note that the characters in the code box are case-sensitive.
Select Next.
Tap on the account recovery option. You can choose either Email or Text (SMS) here.
- If you haven’t registered a recovery phone number, only the Email option will appear.
- If you haven’t registered a recovery email or phone number, select I don't have any of these, choose Next, and follow the on-screen instructions to recover your account.
Enter your email address or phone number. Tap on the input field below the selected recovery option and enter your email address (if you chose Email) or the last 4 digits of your phone number (if you chose Text) to verify your identity.
Tap on Send code (Send Code) at the bottom right corner of the page. This action will send a recovery code to your email or phone number.
Retrieve the recovery code using one of the following methods:
- Email - Open your recovery email account, locate the email from "Microsoft account team," and find the code next to the "Security code" heading.
- Text - Open your phone's messaging app, tap on the message from Microsoft (usually a 6-digit number), and view the code within the message.
Enter the recovery code. Tap on the "Enter the code" field, input the code received via email or text, and select Next (Continue). If the code is correct, you will be redirected to the password reset page.
Enter your new password. Type the new password into the "New password" and "Reenter password" fields, then select Next.
Select Next (Continue) when prompted. This will take you back to the login page, allowing you to sign in with your new password.
On a Computer
Open the password reset page by navigating to https://account.live.com/resetpassword.aspx in your web browser.
Check the box labeled "I forgot my password" (I Forgot My Password) at the top of the page.
Click on Next (Continue) at the bottom of the page.
Enter your email address. Type in the Hotmail, Live, or Outlook email address for which you want to reset the password.
- You can also input your phone number or Skype username if these are linked to your account.
Enter the verification code. Input the code displayed in the box below the email address field into the "Enter the characters you see" field near the bottom of the page.
- You can click New next to the code box to generate a new code.
- Note that the characters in the code box are case-sensitive.
Click Next.
Choose the account recovery option by clicking Text (SMS) or Email on this page.
- If you haven’t registered a recovery phone number, only the Email option will appear.
- If you haven’t registered a recovery email or phone number, select I don't have any of these and click Next, then enter your recovery email and follow the on-screen instructions to recover your account.
Enter your email address or phone number. Input your email address in the field below the Email option, or enter the last 4 digits of your phone number in the field below the Text option.
Click the blue Send code (Send Code) button at the bottom of the page. This will send a recovery code to your email or phone number.
Retrieve the recovery code using one of the following methods:
- Email - Open your recovery email account, locate the email from "Microsoft account team," and find the code next to the "Security code" heading.
- Text - Open your phone's messaging app, tap on the message from Microsoft (usually a 6-digit number), and view the code within the message.
Enter the recovery code. Input the code into the field in the middle of the page, then click Next. If the code is correct, you will be redirected to the password reset page.
Enter your new password. Type the new password into the "New password" and "Reenter password" fields, then select Next.
Click Next when prompted. This will take you back to the login page, allowing you to sign in with your new password.
Tips
- If you lack a recovery email or phone number to contact when facing account-related issues, such as forgetting your password, the password reset instructions in this article are sufficient to assist you.
Warning
- If you haven’t accessed your Hotmail account for several years, it’s possible that Microsoft has deactivated the account.
