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How to change your Outlook password

If you’re like most computer users, you probably created your email account years ago and haven’t updated your login info since. Most email services like Outlook don’t require you to update it, so most people don’t bother to make changes unless there's a security concern. 

Difficulty

Easy

Duration

5 minutes

What You Need

  • Device with Outlook

It’s important to know that changing your Outlook password on a semi-regular basis can protect your information more effectively. Even if you don’t want to change your info frequently, knowing how to do it is essential. Here are the steps you need to follow.

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Change your Outlook.com password

Changing your password in the Outlook desktop client doesn’t change your email provider password. If you’re using an Apple, Yahoo, or Gmail email in Outlook, follow our guides on how to change your password with those services, then skip to the section directly below to learn how to alter your credentials in the Outlook app itself. Other email providers will require you to visit their respective websites to change your credentials there.

If you’re using an Outlook email address, follow the steps below.

Step 1: Log in to the Microsoft security page. Visit Microsoft’s dedicated security page and sign in.

Step 2: Select Password Security from the dashboard, and follow the on-screen security instructions.

how to change your outlook password changing
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Step 3: Choose a new password.

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Step 4: The next page will ask you to confirm your current password again and input your new password.

Step 5: Choose something unique, secure, and long — mixing numbers, special characters, and both lowercase and uppercase letters — and input it twice as requested. Then hit the blue Save button.

And that’s it! You’ve changed your Outlook.com password. If you’re using the Outlook email client, read the next section to learn how to change your password there.

Change your Outlook client password

If you’ve changed your password with your email provider and you want to make sure that your Outlook email client knows it, follow these steps below to change it.

Note: If you are using an email account other than Outlook, you will need your app password. You can get help finding or generating those at the respective pages for Yahoo, Gmail, and Apple.

Step 1: Open Outlook’s account settings.

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Step 2: Launch the Outlook application.

Step 3: When it’s loaded, select File in the top menu.

Step 4: Click Account Settings.

Step 5: Click Account Settings again in the drop-down menu.

Step 6: Change your password.

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Step 7: If you have an Office 365 subscription that gives you semiannual updates or a standalone version of the Outlook client, select the email address you want to change, click Change, and type in your new password in the respective fields.

Step 8: Click Finish.

Note: According to Microsoft, if you have a monthly update subscription for Office 365, you should instead choose File > Account Settings > Update Password. Change your password and click OK.

Step 9: Make sure it works. The last and most important duty of this whole process is testing out your new password to ensure that you’ve successfully changed it.

Step 10: Close all of your open windows and then select Outlook. When it launches, input your new password.

Step 11: Click on the Send/Receive button to see if all your emails showed up. If they’re all there, then your password change was successful.

If you find that you’re not able to access your email account, make sure you’re entering the password correctly. Often, we think we know the password by heart but accidentally input it incorrectly.

If you use Gmail, Yahoo, or Apple, you may have to sign in by using an app password service instead of signing in at a typical login page. Click these links for Yahoo, Gmail, and Apple for more information.

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Alina Bradford
Alina Bradford has been a tech, lifestyle and science writer for more than 20 years. Her work is read by millions each month…
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