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Help with Outlook.com account recovery

D J 0 Reputation points
2026-06-04T21:10:34.11+00:00

I have forgotten my password to my outlook.com account, however I am still signed in on my phone.

To further complicate matters my recovery e-mail for some reason has linked to an old e-mail account that I no longer use and don't know the password for. Also it has my old mobile number that I no longer have.

I have applied for account recovery and Microsoft will come back to me in 24 hours.

However, if even if they allow me to change my password I need to find a way to unlink the old recovery account and re-link to a current one. Everytime I tried this it would automatically revert to my old recovery account. What are my options here?

Outlook | Web | Outlook.com | Account management, security, and privacy
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  1. Darhyl Amizola 43,085 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-06-04T21:46:56.4533333+00:00

    Hey there! Nice to meet you!

    Just to confirm, since you mentioned that you have a recovery phone number linked to your account, did you have two-factor authentication (2FA) active on the account?

    Important: If you have an active 2FA, ACSR will inform you that your recovery request will be ignored. If you only receive a message that the recovery request is either successful or indicates insufficient information, this means that 2FA is disabled.

    Also, may I know when was the last time you successfully signed in to your account?

    Best regards,

    Darhyl

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  2. AI answer

    2026-06-04T21:10:49.8733333+00:00

    Since the Outlook.com account is still signed in on the phone, the priority is to update the security info (recovery email and phone) as soon as access is available, and before signing out anywhere.

    1. Wait for the account recovery result
      • Microsoft will email the result of the recovery request to the working email address provided. As documented, this normally happens within 24 hours.
      • If the account is verified, the message will include instructions to sign back in and reset the password.
    2. After regaining access, update security information
      • Once signed in again, go to the Microsoft account security settings (for example via https://account.microsoft.com → Security) and review all security info (recovery email addresses, phone numbers, and any authenticator apps).
      • Remove the old, unused recovery email and old mobile number.
      • Add a current email address and current mobile number as new security info.
      • If the system “reverts” to the old recovery account, ensure that all old security proofs are actually removed and replaced, not just supplemented.
    3. If verification codes still go to old info
      • When prompted to verify identity and only the old email/phone are shown, look for an option such as “I don’t have any of these” and follow the prompts to replace security information. This may put the account into a restricted state for a period (for example, up to 30 days) while new security info is validated, during which some changes or sensitive actions may be limited.
    4. If recovery fails
      • If Microsoft cannot verify the account from the recovery form, it is possible to try again (up to two times per day) with more complete and accurate information about the account’s usage, as described in the recovery-form guidance.

    During this entire process, do not sign out of the Outlook.com account on the phone or remove it from the device until the password is successfully reset and the security info has been updated, because that signed-in session may be the only remaining access path.

    References:

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

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