Need to change the password you use in the Xbox app? That password belongs to the Microsoft account linked to your Xbox profile. Open its security settings in a browser to change it, or use Microsoft's reset process if you've forgotten it.
Change your Xbox password in a browser
Grab your phone, tablet, or computer and use the Microsoft account linked to your Xbox profile.
- 1.Open Microsoft account security and sign in.
- 2.Select Change Password, also called Change my password in Xbox's instructions.
- 3.Complete identity verification and enter your current password if requested.
- 4.Enter and confirm your new password.
- 5.Select Save.
Reset a password you've forgotten
Don't remember the old password? You can create a replacement from a phone, tablet, or computer browser after verifying that the account is yours.
Open Microsoft's password-reset page. Enter your account username, then select Next. Choose an available verification method, then select Next.
Confirm the requested email-address or phone-number details. Select Get code, enter the security code, then select Next. Enter your new password, then select Next to finish.
Use Windows Settings when the accounts match
Already on your PC? Windows 11 and Windows 10 offer another route, as long as Windows uses the same Microsoft account as your Xbox profile. Changing a local Windows account password won't change your Xbox password.
Open Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options > Password > Change. Enter your existing Microsoft account password, then follow the prompts to create its replacement.
If you signed in to Windows with your PIN and don't remember the password, select Forgot my current password instead. Complete identity verification before creating the replacement password. If the Password option is missing or this route fails, use Microsoft account security in your browser.
Check for account and PIN mix-ups
On PC, your Xbox profile and Microsoft Store can use different Microsoft accounts. Change the password for the account linked to your Xbox profile. Changing the Store account's password doesn't change the other account's password.
Your Windows Hello PIN and Xbox profile PIN are separate from your Microsoft account password. Changing either PIN, or editing a saved password-manager entry, doesn't replace your Xbox account password.
Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S have no settings command for changing a known Microsoft account password. Xbox 360 menu instructions don't apply to those consoles. Use the Microsoft account website for a password change.
Microsoft Family no longer offers a direct parent-account password-reset command, either. To reset a child's password, use the child's Microsoft account in the standard reset process and verify through that account's recovery information. Family organizer status doesn't override verification.
Add a password to a passwordless account
Sign in to your Microsoft account's Additional security options. Under Passwordless account, select Turn off, then select Next. Follow the prompts to create a password. Remember, a passwordless account has no existing password to change, so this creates one.
Recover access when you can't receive a code
A previously saved Microsoft account recovery code gives you another way back in. The sequence below varies with your account's security settings.
Start signing in at Microsoft account with your account username. Select Other ways to sign in, then select Use my password. Select Forgot password?.
Select Use a different verification option, then select I don't have any of these. Enter your saved code at Do you have an account recovery code?
Follow the password-update prompts. For accounts with two-step verification enabled, Microsoft requires a 30-day wait for changes to take effect.
No usable recovery code? Use Microsoft's Sign-in Helper first. If it directs you to account recovery, open Microsoft's account recovery form from a familiar device and location.
Enter your account identifier. Supply a working contact email address, then complete the displayed character challenge. Answer the ownership questions, including previous passwords and Xbox information when requested.
If Microsoft verifies ownership, follow the emailed recovery instructions to regain access and reset your password. The form cannot bypass two-step verification when all alternate verification methods are inaccessible.
If Microsoft can't verify your ownership, add more detail to your answers and resubmit the form. You can try up to twice per day. Support agents cannot change account details or bypass verification.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I reset a forgotten password on an Xbox console?
Yes. On Xbox One or Xbox Series X|S, enter your account email address on the sign-in screen. Select I forgot my password. Complete the character challenge. On Show that you’re you, choose a verification method and enter the security code. Enter your replacement password on Pick a password, then confirm it on One more time. An already-configured authenticator can provide verification. Two-step verification requires two different verification methods.
Can I reset my Xbox password without signing in to Windows?
Yes, when Windows uses the same Microsoft account as your Xbox profile and the recovery option appears. At the Windows sign-in screen, select I forgot my password and complete the identity-verification and password-reset prompts. If that option isn't available, use Microsoft's password-reset website from another device.
Will reinstalling the Xbox app change my password?
No. Uninstalling the app, resetting its data, removing a profile, or restarting hardware doesn't replace your Microsoft account password. Xbox documents restarting the console and removing and re-adding a profile as sign-in troubleshooting after a successful password change.