What you can and cannot change in Outlook

Outlook lets you change the display name — the name that appears when you send mail — but not the actual email address itself. If you have an Outlook.com, Hotmail.com, or Live.com account, you cannot alter the username part of your address. What you can do is add a different email address to your account, set it as your primary sending address, or create an alias that looks like a separate address but routes to the same inbox.

If you need a completely different email address because your current one is compromised, unwanted, or no longer fits your needs, you will need to create a new Outlook account. This guide covers both paths: changing how your name appears on outgoing mail, and the steps to set up a new address if that is what you actually need.

Key Takeaways

  • You can change your display name in Outlook settings, but the email address itself (the part before @outlook.com) cannot be altered on an existing account.
  • Adding an alias gives you a second email address that delivers to the same inbox, letting you send from either address without creating a new account.
  • If you need a completely new email address, you must create a fresh Outlook account and migrate your contacts and important messages yourself.
  • Changing your display name takes two minutes and affects only how your name appears to recipients, not your login credentials.

Changing your display name in Outlook

Your display name is what people see in the "From" field when you send them an email. To change it, sign into your Outlook account at outlook.com, then select the gear icon in the top right corner and choose View all Outlook settings. From the settings menu, click Mail in the left sidebar, then Compose and reply.

Under the "Compose and reply" section, find the field labeled Default from address or Display name. Type in the name you want to appear on outgoing mail — this can be your full name, a nickname, a business name, or anything else. Click Save at the bottom of the page. The change takes effect when ready on new messages you send, though recipients who have already saved your contact may still see your old name until they refresh their contacts.

Adding an alias to send from a different address

An alias is a secondary email address attached to your main account. Mail sent to the alias arrives in your regular inbox, and you can send messages from either address without logging out or switching accounts. This is useful if you want a professional address and a personal address, or if you want to use a different name without creating a separate account.

To add an alias, go to outlook.com and select the gear icon, then View all Outlook settings. Click Mail, then Sync email. Look for the section called Linked accounts or Add alias (the exact label varies by region). Enter the new email address you want to use. Microsoft will send a confirmation link to that address — you must click it to set up the alias. Once confirmed, you can select which address to send from when composing a new message by clicking the From field and choosing from your list.

Keep in mind that an alias is not a separate account. Anyone who knows both addresses can see they belong to the same person by looking at your account recovery options or by checking your contact card. If you need complete separation between two email identities, you need two distinct accounts.

Creating a new Outlook account if you need a fresh start

If your current address is compromised, unwanted, or you straightforward want a completely separate account, you will need to create a new Outlook.com account. Go to outlook.com and select Create free account. Choose a new username (the part before @outlook.com), enter a password, and complete the verification steps. You can use a phone number or an existing email address for recovery purposes.

Once your new account is active, you will need to manually transfer anything you want to keep. Export your contacts from your old account by going to settings, selecting People, then Manage contacts, and choosing Export contacts. Save the file, then import it into your new account using the same menu. For important emails, you can forward them to yourself or move them to a folder, then access that folder from your new account if both accounts are linked in Outlook.

Do not delete your old account when ready. Instead, set up a forwarding rule so that mail sent to the old address automatically redirects to your new one for at least 30 days. This catches messages from contacts who have not updated your address. To set up forwarding, go to your old account settings, click Mail, then Forwarding, and enter your new address.

Updating your address across other services

Once you have changed your display name or created a new account, you will need to update your email address in any service that uses it. This includes social media accounts, banking portals, shopping sites, work systems, and subscription services. Start with the most important ones — financial accounts, work email, and accounts tied to password recovery.

For each service, log in, find the account settings or profile section, and look for an option to change your email address. Most services will send a confirmation link to your new address before the change takes effect. If you are switching to a completely new Outlook account, you may want to keep your old account active for a few weeks so you can still receive those confirmation emails, then delete it once everything has been transferred.

Troubleshooting common problems

If you change your display name and it does not appear on outgoing mail, clear your browser cache and sign out of Outlook completely, then sign back in. Sometimes Outlook caches your old settings in the browser. If the change still does not show, wait a few hours — occasionally the change takes time to sync across Microsoft's servers.

If you are trying to add an alias and the confirmation email does not arrive, check your spam folder. If it is not there, go back to the alias settings and request a new confirmation link. If you have already confirmed an alias but cannot send from it, make sure you are clicking the From field when composing a new message — replying to an existing message will always send from the address that received it, regardless of your default setting.

If you created a new account and are having trouble forwarding mail from your old account, check that you entered the new address correctly and that the forwarding rule was actually saved. Some organizations block forwarding to external addresses for security reasons, so if you are using a work Outlook account, you may not be able to forward to a personal address.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I change the part of my email address before the @ symbol?

No. Microsoft does not allow you to change the username portion of an Outlook.com, Hotmail.com, or Live.com address. If you need a different username, you must create a new account. You can add an alias to send from a different address, but the original address remains tied to your account.

Will changing my display name affect my login password?

No. Your display name and your login credentials are separate. You log in with your email address and password, which never change when you update your display name. Only the name that appears to recipients on outgoing mail will be different.

If I add an alias, do people know it is the same person?

Not unless they look. An alias appears as a separate address in your inbox and on outgoing mail. However, someone with access to your account recovery settings or contact card could see that both addresses belong to you. If you need complete anonymity between two addresses, create two separate accounts instead.

What happens to mail sent to my old address after I create a new account?

Mail sent to your old address will still arrive in that account's inbox. You can set up forwarding to redirect it to your new address, but you must do this manually. Microsoft does not automatically forward mail when you create a new account. If you do not set up forwarding, you will need to check both inboxes or ask people to update your address.

Can I delete my old Outlook account right away?

You can, but it is safer to wait 30 to 60 days. During that time, keep forwarding enabled so you catch any confirmation emails or messages from contacts who have not updated your address. Once you are confident everything important has been transferred and no one is still using the old address, you can delete the account. Deletion is permanent and cannot be undone.