How to Change an Outlook Email Account Password on PC, Mac, & Web

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Update your old Outlook password with this simple guide
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When you add an account to Outlook, you provide an email username and password so the program can send and receive your emails. If you've changed your account password through your email provider (such as work, school, or an ISP), you'll need to update Outlook with the new password. This guide will teach you how to change your password in Outlook, whether you're using Outlook.com or the Outlook program on your PC or Mac. We'll also show you how to change the password on an Outlook data file (PST).

Changing Your Outlook Password

  • To change your Outlook.com password, you'll need to change your Microsoft password at account.microsoft.com.
  • For the Outlook desktop app, you must change your password through your email provider. Then, you can update the password in Outlook.
  • In Outlook for Windows, open the app and check your email—if your old password is no longer valid, you'll be prompted to enter a new one.
Method 1
Method 1 of 7:

Change Outlook.com (Microsoft) Password

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  1. 1
    Click the profile icon in Outlook and select My Microsoft account . You'll see the profile icon at the top-right corner of Outlook.com when you're logged in. This takes you to your Microsoft account management page.
    • Because your Microsoft password and your Outlook.com passwords are the same, you'll need to change your Microsoft password in your account info. This will change the password for all of your Microsoft services.
    • You can also go to https://account.microsoft.com directly.
  2. 2
    Click Change password . It's at the top-right corner of your Microsoft account page.
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  3. 3
    Log in with your current password. If you don’t remember your password, click the Forgot password? link to reset it. [1]
    • Depending on your security settings, you may have to perform a second step, such as enter a code that's sent to you via text or the Microsoft Authenticator app.
  4. 4
    Enter a new password and click Save . To change your Outlook email password, you'll need to enter your current password, type your new password, and then reenter it to ensure it matches. Once you're finished, click Save to change your password.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 7:

Change Password in Outlook for Windows

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  1. 1
    Change your password through your email service provider. If you use Outlook for Windows to send and receive email through your work, school, or a third-party email service (including Gmail , Yahoo , or an ISP like Xfinity), you'll first need to change your password through that service. Once your password is changed, you can update Outlook with the new password.
    • If you use Outlook.com, Live.com, Hotmail.com, or a domain name connected to your Microsoft account, you will need to change your Microsoft password at https://account.microsoft.com . [2]
    • Contact your ISP or admin if you're not sure how to change your email server password.
  2. 2
    Open Outlook and check your email. If you're using Outlook Classic, click the Send / Receive tab, then click Send/Receive All Folders . If your old password does not match your new one, you will see a pop-up asking you to enter a new password. In New Outlook, Outlook will try to check your email automatically and display a password error when it cannot connect.
  3. 3
    Enter your new password to update it. As long as the password you enter matches the new password you created through your email service, Outlook will save the password and send/receive any emails. [3]
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Method 3
Method 3 of 7:

Change Password in Outlook for Mac

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  1. 1
    Change your password through your email service provider. If you use Outlook for Mac to send and receive email through your work, school, or a third-party email service (including Gmail , iCloud , or an ISP like Xfinity), you'll first need to change your password through that service. Once your password is changed, you can update Outlook with the new password.
  2. 2
    Open Outlook and click the Tools menu. You'll see it at the top of the screen when Outlook is open. [4]
  3. 3
    Click the account you want to update. You'll see your added accounts in the left panel.
  4. 4
    Click the circle with a lightning bolt inside. You'll see this icon next to your account name if the password saved in Outlook doesn't match the new password on the server.
  5. 5
    Follow the on-screen prompts to log in with your new password. If you are using Outlook to check your Microsoft account email, you'll be prompted to log in with your Microsoft account. If your email is through another service, you'll be prompted to log in to that service, or just enter your new password. Once the password is accepted, Outlook will save your new email password.
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Method 4
Method 4 of 7:

Change Password in Outlook 2016, 2013, & 2010

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  1. 1
    Click the File menu and select Info . This will display the "Account Information" screen.
    • If you haven't already changed your password through your email provider, such as through your work, school, or ISP account, you will need to do that first. Once your email account's password has changed, you can use this method to update that password in Outlook.
  2. 2
    Click the Account Settings tile. This opens another menu.
  3. 3
    Click Account Settings… . You'll see a pop-up containing a list of email accounts you've added to Outlook.
  4. The Change button is just above the list of accounts.
  5. Replace the current password with your new password, and check the "Remember password" box.
    • If you use a password to authenticate for SMTP, you can change that password by clicking More Settings , selecting the Outgoing server tab, and replacing the password there.
  6. Once your password is accepted, it will be saved in Outlook.
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Method 5
Method 5 of 7:

Change Password in Outlook 2007 and Earlier

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  1. If you've changed your email account password through your email service provider, use this method to update older versions of Outlook to use the right password.
    • If you haven't already changed your password through your email provider, such as through your work, school, or ISP account, you will need to do that first. Once your email account's password has changed, you can use this method to update that password in Outlook.
    • If you're using Outlook 2003, select View or change existing email accounts .
  3. The Change button is just above the list of accounts.
  4. Replace the current password with your new password, and check the "Remember password" box.
    • If you use a password to authenticate for SMTP, you can change that password by clicking More Settings , selecting the Outgoing server tab, and replacing the password there.
  5. Once your password is accepted, it will be saved in Outlook.
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Method 6
Method 6 of 7:

Change Outlook Data File (PST) Password

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  1. 1
    Open Outlook Classic. New Outlook does not currently support PST files, so you can't use it to change the password on a PST data file. If you need to do so, you'll have to switch back to Outlook Classic.
    • If you're using Outlook Classic already, you'll see a slider at the top-right that says "Try the new Outlook." You don't have to do anything if you see this.
    • If you're using New Outlook, the slider will say "New Outlook." Click the toggle switch to switch back to Outlook Classic.
  2. 2
    Click the File menu and select Account Settings . You'll see the "File" tab at the top, and "Account Settings when you open the menu. A menu will expand.
  3. 3
    Click Account Settings… on the menu. This opens the Account Settings panel.
  4. A list of added PST and OST files will appear.
  6. This option is only available if you're not using a Microsoft Exchange account and not trying to change an OST password.
  7. You can only change the password if you know the old password. If you lost the old PST file password, there is no way to reset it.
  8. 8
    Enter a new password and click OK . You will need to enter the new password twice to confirm. It.
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Method 7
Method 7 of 7:

Change Outlook Web App Password

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  1. 1
    Sign in to the Outlook Web App for your organization. If your work or school account requires you to use the Outlook Web App to send and receive email, you can change your password easily in any browser.
    • This method only applies if your organization uses Exchange Server 2013 or 2010.
  2. 2
    Click the gear icon and select Change password . You'll see the gear icon at the top-right corner.
  3. 3
    Follow the on-screen instructions to change your password. Use a minimum of 8 characters and a mix of capital and lowercase letters, numbers, and punctuation marks. [6]
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Community Q&A

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  • Question
    How do I set up a new Microsoft account?
    Community Answer
    Go to Outlook.com and click "Sign In." Below the space where you'd type your e-mail address, you'll see a link that says, "No account? Create one!" Click that and follow the steps to create a new account.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
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    Yes No
    Not Helpful 2 Helpful 6
  • Question
    How can I change my password if, when I select my name on the home screen of Microsoft Outlook 2010, my emails load without having to sign in using a password?
    Community Answer
    You may have clicked on something called "Save My Password", which will appear on the top right corner if you were on Google Chrome and using gGoogle as your search engine.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
    Yes No
    Not Helpful 13 Helpful 13
  • Question
    I can't remember the network password for my 2007 Windows Outlook. I can't send any emails from Outlook without filling that information in. What can I do to access it?
    Community Answer
    You can try contacting Microsoft customer support and see if they can help you recover your password. You probably won't be able to use it otherwise.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
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    Not Helpful 7 Helpful 8
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      References

      1. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/account-billing/reset-a-forgotten-microsoft-account-password-eff4f067-5042-c1a3-fe72-b04d60556c37
      2. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/account-billing/change-your-microsoft-account-password-fdde885b-86da-2965-69fd-4871309ef1f1
      3. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/change-or-update-your-email-password-in-outlook-for-windows-58b62e89-6a9b-467b-8865-d5633fcacc3f
      4. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/change-or-update-email-password-on-outlook-for-mac-8f9f0366-0411-4f52-8390-2085263a0b0e
      5. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/change-the-password-for-an-outlook-data-file-pst-a2eeefc2-aca4-49f9-9761-10e295e9fb85
      6. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/change-password-in-outlook-web-app-50bb1309-6f53-4c24-8bfd-ed24ca9e872c

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      To change the password that Outlook uses to connect to your outside accounts, like your Gmail, start by clicking the “File” tab and selecting “Info” to display the “Account Information” screen. From this screen, click “Account Settings” to open a new window with all of your connected accounts. Pick the account you want to change the password for and click the “Change” button to open details about this account. Type the corrected information into the “Password” field to change the password that Outlook uses to access your account. In order to save your settings, click “Next.” To learn how to change your Outlook.com password by changing your Microsoft Account password, keep reading!

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