Change your Outlook password from the web or desktop app

You change your Outlook password through your Microsoft account settings, not through Outlook itself. The steps differ slightly depending on whether you use Outlook on the web, Outlook desktop, or Outlook mobile — but all three connect to the same Microsoft account, so changing the password once updates it everywhere.

The fastest route is through Outlook on the web, which takes about two minutes. If you use the desktop app, you will need to re-enter your new password after you change it, so the desktop app knows the update. Mobile apps update automatically once you change the password on your account.

Key Takeaways

  • Your Outlook password is your Microsoft account password, so you change it in your Microsoft account settings, not in the Outlook app itself.
  • The web version (outlook.com) is the fastest way to change your password — you can do it in about two minutes without closing Outlook.
  • After you change your password in the desktop app, Outlook will ask you to sign in again with your new password before you can read email.
  • Mobile apps (iPhone, Android) update automatically once you change your password on your Microsoft account, with no extra steps needed.
  • If you forget your new password when ready after changing it, you can reset it again using your recovery email or phone number.

Change your password on Outlook.com (web)

Open Outlook.com in your browser and sign in if you are not already. Look for your profile picture or initials in the top right corner and click it. A menu will drop down with several options.

Click View account or Settings (the exact wording depends on your account type). This opens your Microsoft account page. On the left side, look for a menu and select Security. You may need to scroll down to find it, or it might be under Account settings depending on your layout.

Under the Security section, find Password and click Change password. You will be asked to enter your current password first as a security check. Type it in and click Next. Then enter your new password twice — once in the first box and again in the second box to confirm you typed it correctly. Click Next and you are done.

Outlook.com will confirm the change and you can close the settings page. You stay signed in to Outlook.com, so you can keep reading email right away.

Change your password in Outlook desktop (Windows or Mac)

The desktop version of Outlook does not have a password change option built in. Instead, you change your password through your web browser using the same steps as Outlook.com above, then return to Outlook on your computer.

After you change your password online, Outlook desktop will notice the change within a few minutes. It will show a message asking you to sign in again. Click the notification or go to File > Account Settings > Account Settings again. Find your email address in the list and click it, then click Change. Enter your new password in the password field and click Next.

Outlook will verify the new password and you will be back to your inbox. This usually takes less than a minute once you enter the password. If Outlook does not prompt you automatically, you can force it by signing out and back in: click File > Account Settings, find your account, and click Disconnect. Then click Connect and enter your new password.

Change your password on iPhone or Android

Open your web browser (Safari on iPhone, Chrome or your default browser on Android) and go to outlook.com or account.microsoft.com. Sign in and follow the same steps as the web version above: go to your account settings, find Security, and change your password.

Close your browser and open the Outlook mobile app. The app will detect the password change within a few minutes and may ask you to sign in again. If it does, enter your new password and tap Sign in. If the app does not prompt you, you can force the update by signing out: go to Settings in the app, find your account, and tap Sign out. Then tap Add account and sign in with your new password.

What to do if you forget your new password right after changing it

If you change your password and when ready forget it, you can reset it using your recovery email or phone number. Go to account.microsoft.com and click Can't access your account? at the bottom of the sign-in screen. Microsoft will ask you to enter your email address, then offer options to verify your identity — usually by sending a code to your recovery email or phone.

Enter the code you receive, and Microsoft will let you set a new password. This process takes about five minutes. Once you set the new password, sign back into Outlook with it on all your devices.

Why Outlook asks for your password again after you change it

Outlook desktop and mobile apps store your password locally on your device so they can check your email without asking you to sign in every time. When you change your password on your Microsoft account, the old password stored on your device no longer works. The app detects this mismatch and asks you to enter your new password so it can update its local copy.

This is a security feature — it ensures that only you can update the password on your devices. If someone else changed your password without your knowledge, your devices would stop working and you would know something was wrong. Once you enter the new password, the app stores it securely and you will not be asked again until you change your password once more.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to change my password in each Outlook app separately?

No. You change your password once in your Microsoft account settings, and all your Outlook apps — web, desktop, and mobile — connect to that same account. Each app will ask you to sign in again with the new password, but you only change the password itself one time.

What if I change my password but Outlook desktop still will not sign in?

Wait a few minutes for the change to sync across Microsoft's servers, then try signing in again. If it still does not work, go to File > Account Settings, click your email address, click Change, and manually enter your new password. If Outlook says the password is wrong, double-check that you typed it correctly — passwords are case-sensitive.

Can I change my Outlook password if I do not remember my current password?

No, Microsoft requires you to enter your current password before you can change it. If you do not remember it, go to account.microsoft.com and click Can't access your account? to reset your password first. Once you reset it, you can then change it to something new.

Will changing my Outlook password affect my other Microsoft accounts?

If you use the same Microsoft account for Outlook, OneDrive, Xbox, or other Microsoft services, changing your password updates all of them at once. If you have separate accounts for different services, changing your Outlook password affects only Outlook.

How often should I change my Outlook password?

Microsoft does not require you to change your password on a schedule. Change it if you think someone else knows it, if you used the same password on another service that was hacked, or if you straightforward want to. There is no penalty for changing it frequently, but you also do not need to change it regularly if your account feels find.