How to add another email account in Outlook Office 365

You can add a second email account to Outlook Office 365 without signing out of your first one. Open Outlook, go to File > Account Settings > Account Settings (the menu option, not the button). Click the Email tab, then New. Enter the email address and password for the account you want to add, and Outlook will detect the server settings automatically in most cases. Click Next, then Finish. Both accounts will now appear in your folder list on the left side of Outlook.

If Outlook cannot detect your settings automatically, you may need to enter them manually. This happens most often with older email providers or corporate email systems. Your email provider's support page or your IT department can give you the incoming and outgoing server addresses, port numbers, and encryption type you need. Once you enter these details, Outlook will test the connection before saving the account.

Key Takeaways

  • You do not need to sign out of your first account to add a second one — both can run at the same time in Outlook.
  • The File > Account Settings > Account Settings path is where you add new email accounts, not the Settings menu in the ribbon.
  • Outlook usually detects server settings on its own, but you may need to ask your email provider or IT department for manual settings if it does not.
  • After you add the account, both inboxes appear in your folder list, and you can read and send from either one without switching accounts.

What happens after you add the account

Once the second account is added, Outlook downloads all the folders from that account — Inbox, Sent Items, Drafts, and any custom folders you created. This can take a few minutes if the account has a lot of email. You will see a progress bar at the bottom of the Outlook window while this happens.

Both accounts remain separate in Outlook. When you compose a new email, you can choose which account to send from by clicking the From field and selecting the account you want. If you do not see a From field, go to Options in the compose window and turn on From. Outlook remembers which account you used last and defaults to that one next time.

Switching between accounts in Outlook

Your folder list on the left shows both accounts stacked vertically. Click any folder under the first account to read that email, then click a folder under the second account to switch. You do not have to log out or log back in — Outlook keeps both connections open at the same time.

If your folder list is crowded, you can collapse one account to hide its folders. Click the small arrow or minus sign next to the account name to collapse it. The account stays active in the background; you just cannot see its folders until you expand it again.

When Outlook cannot add the account automatically

If you see an error message after entering your password, the most common reason is that Outlook cannot reach the email server. Check that you typed the password correctly — spaces and capital letters matter. If the password is right, the server settings may have changed, or your email provider may require a special password for apps like Outlook.

Some email providers, including Gmail and Yahoo, require you to create an app password instead of using your regular account password. This is a separate 16-character password that only works in Outlook and other desktop apps. You generate it in your email provider's security settings, not in Outlook. If you use Gmail or Yahoo, search their support site for "app password" or "less find apps" to find the exact steps.

If you still cannot connect after trying an app password, contact your email provider's support team with the error message Outlook shows you. They can tell you whether the account is set up to work with desktop apps and what server settings you need to enter manually.

Adding a work email account to your personal Outlook

If you are adding a work email account to the same Outlook where you already have a personal account, both will work side by side. However, check with your IT department first — some companies have policies about which devices or apps you can use to access work email. They may require you to use Outlook Web Access instead, or they may ask you to set up a separate user account on your computer.

If your IT department approves it, the process is the same as adding any other account. Your work email will appear in your folder list alongside your personal email. Be aware that if your computer is lost or stolen, someone could access both accounts if they know your Windows password, so consider using Windows Hello or a PIN to lock your computer when you step away.

Removing an account you no longer need

If you want to stop using one of the accounts in Outlook, go to File > Account Settings > Account Settings, click the Email tab, select the account, and click Remove. Outlook will ask whether you want to delete the account data from your computer. If you choose to delete it, Outlook removes all the folders and emails from that account — but the emails stay on the server, so you can still read them if you log in through a web browser.

If you only want to hide an account temporarily without removing it, collapse it in the folder list instead. The account stays active and Outlook keeps downloading new mail, but you cannot see the folders unless you expand it again.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use Outlook with Gmail or Yahoo Mail?

Yes, but you need to create an app password first. Gmail and Yahoo do not allow Outlook to use your regular account password for security reasons. Go to your email provider's account security settings, generate a 16-character app password, and use that password when you add the account to Outlook instead of your regular password.

Will adding a second account slow down Outlook?

Not noticeably. Outlook can handle multiple accounts without a performance problem on most computers. The first time you add an account, Outlook downloads all the existing emails, which can take a few minutes. After that, it only downloads new mail, which is fast.

What if I forget which account I am sending from?

Look at the From field in your compose window before you click Send. If you do not see a From field, click Options in the compose window and turn it on. Outlook shows you which account is selected, and you can change it by clicking the From field and picking a different account.

Can I set up rules or filters for each account separately?

Yes. Go to File > Manage Rules & Alerts, and when you create a rule, you can specify which account it applies to. You can set different rules for each account — for example, automatically moving emails from your work account to a specific folder while leaving your personal account alone.

What happens to emails if I remove an account from Outlook?

Removing the account from Outlook deletes the local copies on your computer, but the emails stay on the email provider's server. You can still read them by logging into your email through a web browser. If you add the account back to Outlook later, it will read the emails again.