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Hotmail address

Peter Edward 0 Reputation points
2026-06-03T14:30:16.4633333+00:00

I have asked to add an alternative email address to my hotmail but am worried that I might have requested to change my email address instead. I want to retain my hotmail address as my main email address

Outlook | Web | Outlook.com | Email
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  1. Alice-N 10,035 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-06-04T03:56:17.0033333+00:00

    Hi Peter Edward

    I understand you’re concerned that when you added another email address, it may have replaced your Hotmail address instead of being added as an alias. I’m happy to help.

    Please check the account:

    • Open Manage how you sign in to Microsoft and sign in: https://account.live.com/names/manage.
    • Under Account aliases, confirm whether your Hotmail address is still listed. Aliases on the same Microsoft account use the same inbox, contacts, subscriptions, and settings, and adding an alias does not by itself create a separate mailbox.
    • If the new address was only added as an extra alias and your Hotmail address is still marked as primary, then nothing was replaced and you can continue using your Hotmail address as your main address.
    • If the new address is listed and you do not want to keep it, select Remove next to that alias on the same page.
    • If you want to keep the added address but do not want it used for sign-in, open Sign-in preferences from your Microsoft account and turn off sign-in for that alias. See: Block an email address from signing in | Microsoft Support
    • If your Hotmail address is missing from the alias list, please do not remove anything yet. Instead, reply with the following:
      • whether the Hotmail address still appears under aliases,
      • which address is currently marked primary,
      • whether the new address shows Remove or Make primary.

    Please tell me how it goes. If the problem persists, please don’t hesitate to reply to this thread and I will be happy to help. Have a lovely day!  

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  2. AI answer

    2026-06-03T14:30:36.5366667+00:00

    Adding an alternative email address to a Hotmail/Outlook.com account creates an alias and does not automatically change the primary (main) email address.

    To confirm and keep the Hotmail address as the main address:

    1. Go to Manage how you sign in to your account: https://account.live.com/names/manage and sign in.
    2. Under Account username / Your info, review the list of aliases (email addresses) on the account.
    3. If the Hotmail address should remain the main one, select Make primary next to the Hotmail address.
    4. Ensure the alternative email is listed only as an additional alias, not set as primary.

    Notes:

    • An alias is just an additional email address that uses the same inbox, contacts, and settings as the primary address.
    • Any alias can be used to sign in, but the primary alias is the one that appears on Microsoft devices and is used for some notifications.
    • If a primary alias is changed by mistake, it can be switched back by repeating the steps above and choosing the Hotmail address as Make primary.

    References:

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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