Deleting a Hotmail account removes it from Microsoft's servers
When you delete a Hotmail account, Microsoft closes it permanently after 60 days. During those 60 days, you can still sign back in and cancel the deletion if you change your mind. After 60 days pass, the account and all its contents — emails, contacts, calendar events, photos stored in OneDrive — are gone for good and cannot be recovered.
Hotmail accounts are now part of Microsoft's Outlook service, so the deletion process happens through your Microsoft account settings, not through a separate Hotmail portal. You will need to sign in with your Hotmail email address and password to start.
Before you delete, understand that this affects more than just your email. If you use the same Microsoft account for OneDrive, Skype, Xbox, or Microsoft 365 subscriptions, deleting your account will cut off access to all of those services at the same time.
Key Takeaways
- You have 60 days after requesting deletion to change your mind and restore your account by signing back in.
- Deleting your Hotmail account also closes access to OneDrive, Skype, Xbox, and any Microsoft 365 subscriptions tied to that account.
- The deletion process takes place in your Microsoft account settings, not in Outlook itself.
- After 60 days, your account and all its data are permanently removed and cannot be recovered under any circumstances.
- If you only want to stop using Hotmail but keep other Microsoft services, you can delete just the email without closing your entire account.
How to delete your Hotmail account in five steps
Go to account.microsoft.com in your web browser and sign in with your Hotmail email address and password. If you have two-factor authentication turned on, you will need to verify your identity using the method you set up — usually a code sent to your phone or generated by an authenticator app.
Once you are signed in, look for Your info in the left sidebar menu. Click it, then select Manage your Microsoft account at the top of the page. This opens your account dashboard.
In the left sidebar of your account dashboard, click Security. Scroll down until you see the section labeled Close your account. Click the button that says Close account.
Microsoft will show you a warning page explaining what happens when you delete. Read through it — it lists all the services you will lose access to. At the bottom, check the box next to I understand and want to close my account, then click Next.
You will be asked to enter your password one more time to confirm. Type it in and click Next. Microsoft will send a confirmation email to your Hotmail address. Open that email and click the link inside it to finalize the deletion. Your account is now scheduled for permanent removal in 60 days.
What happens during the 60-day waiting period
For the first 60 days after you request deletion, your account still exists but is marked for removal. You can still sign in at account.microsoft.com using your Hotmail email and password. If you do sign in, you will see an option to Restore your account — click it to cancel the deletion and regain full access to everything.
During these 60 days, other people cannot sign into your account, and your email address will not receive new messages. However, your data is still stored on Microsoft's servers. This waiting period exists so you have time to recover if you deleted by mistake or changed your mind.
If you do nothing during the 60 days, the account will be automatically and permanently deleted when the period ends. You will not receive a reminder email when you are close to the important date, so mark your calendar if you think you might want to restore it.
Deleting just your email without closing your entire Microsoft account
If you use your Microsoft account for OneDrive, Skype, Xbox, or other services and only want to stop using Hotmail, you can remove the email address without deleting your whole account. This keeps your other services running.
Go to account.microsoft.com and sign in. Click Your info, then Manage your Microsoft account. Select Email & accounts from the left sidebar. Under Your email addresses, you will see your Hotmail address listed. Click the three dots next to it and select Remove. Confirm the removal when prompted.
After you remove the email address, you will no longer be able to sign into Microsoft services using that Hotmail email. You will need to use a different email address or phone number associated with your account instead. Make sure you have another sign-in method set up before you remove your Hotmail address, or you could lock yourself out.
Before you delete: back up your data
Once your 60-day waiting period ends, everything in your account is gone permanently. If there are emails, photos, documents, or contacts you want to keep, read them before you request deletion.
For emails, sign into Outlook at outlook.com, select the messages you want to save, and use the read option to save them as files. For photos and documents stored in OneDrive, go to onedrive.live.com, select the files, and read them to your computer. For contacts, go to outlook.com, click the People icon, select your contacts, and export them.
If you have a large amount of data, this process can take time. Plan to spend at least an hour backing up if you have years of emails or hundreds of files. There is no automatic backup tool built into Hotmail, so manual read is your only option.
What to do if you cannot sign in to delete your account
If you have forgotten your password or lost access to the phone number or email address you use for two-factor authentication, you cannot complete the deletion process through the normal steps. Microsoft requires you to verify your identity before closing an account for security reasons.
Go to account.microsoft.com/security and click I forgot my password. Follow the recovery steps — Microsoft will ask you to verify your identity using backup email addresses, phone numbers, or security questions you set up when you created the account. Once you regain access, you can proceed with the deletion steps above.
If you cannot recover your account through the password reset process, you will need to contact Microsoft Support. Go to support.microsoft.com, search for "close my account", and select the option to chat with or call a support agent. They can verify your identity through other means and help you delete the account.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I get my Hotmail account back after the 60 days are up?
No. After 60 days, your account and all its data are permanently deleted from Microsoft's servers. There is no way to recover it after that point, even if you contact Microsoft Support. This is why the 60-day waiting period exists — to give you time to change your mind.
Will deleting my Hotmail account affect my Microsoft 365 subscription?
Yes. If your Microsoft 365 subscription (Office, Word, Excel, etc.) is tied to the account you are deleting, you will lose access to it. Before you delete, check whether your subscription uses the same Microsoft account. If it does, you may want to transfer the subscription to a different account first or cancel it separately.
What if I share my OneDrive with other people before I delete?
Files you have shared with others will become inaccessible to them once your account is deleted. If other people depend on access to shared files, read them and re-upload them to a different account before you delete, or ask those people to save copies first.
Can I delete my Hotmail account on my phone?
The deletion process works best on a computer using a web browser, but you can start it on your phone by going to account.microsoft.com in your phone's browser and following the same steps. You will still need to click the confirmation link in the email Microsoft sends, which is easier to do on a computer.
What if someone else is using my Hotmail account without permission?
If you believe your account has been hacked, change your password when ready before deleting it. Go to account.microsoft.com/security and select Change password. If you see activity you do not recognize, click Review recent activity to see where your account was accessed from. After you find it, you can decide whether to delete or keep it.