How to Change Your Primary Account in Outlook

To change your primary account in new Outlook for Windows, open View > View settings > Accounts > Your accounts, select Manage beside the account, then select Set as primary account and Continue. In classic Outlook, you can change the default sending account or create a separate profile when an existing Exchange profile prevents the change you need.

Choose the steps for your Outlook app and the result you want: a different primary account, default sender, or Outlook.com address. Sign in only through Microsoft’s own app or website, and never share a code, password, or remote access with someone who contacts you.

Change the primary account in new Outlook

In new Outlook for Windows with multiple accounts, select File > Account info > Accounts > Your accounts. You can also reach that page through View > View settings > Accounts > Your accounts.

Under Email accounts, select Manage beside the account you want to make primary. Under Account details, select Set as primary account, then select Continue. Outlook restarts and loads that account’s app settings and policies.

If the account is missing, select Add Account on the Your accounts page and add it first. Then return to its account details and select it as primary. If your organization blocks the change, ask your administrator to review the primary-account policies described below.

Choose the default sender in classic Outlook

In classic Outlook for Windows, including Microsoft 365 and Outlook 2024, select File > Account Settings > Account Settings. On the Email tab, select the desired account, then select Set as Default > Close. This changes the default sender, not the primary Exchange account within the profile.

To use that account whenever you compose a new message, select File > Options > Mail. Under Send Messages, check Always use the default account when composing new messages, then select OK. Microsoft says this option is unavailable in new Outlook; you can choose the sender for an individual message there instead.

Create or switch a classic Outlook profile

When an existing Exchange profile prevents the account change you need, create a separate classic Outlook profile for the desired account. Keeping only that account in the new profile avoids ambiguity between its primary and default accounts.

Hold Shift while starting Outlook to open the profile picker, then select Options > New. Enter a profile name, select OK, and add the email account you want to use.

Reopen the profile picker and select Options. Choose the new profile in Profile Name, check Set as default profile, then select OK. This makes the new profile your startup choice.

You can also open the profile picker by right-clicking Start and selecting Run. Enter the following command, then press Enter.

Outlook.exe /profiles

Alternatively, select File > Account Settings > Change Profile in classic Outlook, reopening Outlook if necessary. Choose the desired Profile Name, select Options, check Set as default profile, then select OK to retain that choice. Switching profiles changes the complete set of accounts and settings Outlook loads.

Set your default account on Mac or mobile

In current Outlook for Mac, including Microsoft 365 and Outlook 2024 for Mac, select Tools > Accounts. Select the desired account, then turn on the toggle under Default Account.

In Outlook for iOS with multiple accounts, open the folder or navigation menu, then select Settings > Email > Default account. Select the account you want to use. With VoiceOver, flick to each control and double-tap to activate it.

In Outlook for Android with multiple accounts, open the navigation drawer, then select Settings > Mail > Default account. Choose the desired account. With TalkBack, flick between controls and double-tap to activate them.

Your mobile privacy account is a separate choice from your default sender. On iOS or Android, open Settings > General > Privacy Settings, then change Primary Account to an email account you have already added. If your administrator manages this choice, contact them about changing it.

Change your Outlook.com address or browser account

For Outlook.com or Hotmail, changing the primary alias changes the default From address within your personal Microsoft account. Sign in to the Microsoft account website, select Your info, then select Manage how you sign in to Microsoft. Select Make primary beside the alias you want to use.

If you need another alias first, select Add email and complete its setup and verification. Then select Make primary beside that alias. Work or school email addresses require the administrator route described below.

To use a different Outlook.com account altogether, select your account picture or initials, then select Sign out. Sign in with the account you want to use. This switches the browser session rather than changing an Outlook desktop primary-account setting.

For organizational Outlook on the web, open Account manager and select Sign in with a different account. Alternatively, select Sign out and sign in with the desired account.

Microsoft has removed adding and syncing third-party connected accounts in Outlook.com. Older instructions that use connected-account settings to make Gmail or Yahoo your main Outlook.com account no longer apply.

Choose a different sender for one message

For an individual message in new or classic Outlook for Windows, select From and choose one of your configured accounts. If the field is hidden, select Options > Show From in new Outlook, or Options > From in classic Outlook. That choice overrides the sender for the message without changing the primary account.

In Outlook.com, open the compose window and select Options > Show From. Open the arrow beside From and choose an address. If needed, select Other email address... and enter an address you have permission to send from. This does not change your primary alias.

Resolve restrictions on work or school accounts

If your organization prevents a primary-account change in new Outlook for Windows, your administrator needs to review the applicable policies. One policy requires the primary account to match the Windows signed-in account; another controls permission to change the settings account.

If you administer devices that meet Microsoft’s OneAuth identity prerequisites, open Microsoft Intune admin center and select Apps > Policies for Microsoft 365 apps. Configure Require the Primary Account to match the Windows signed-in account. Disabling this policy or leaving it unconfigured removes that restriction.

If you are an Exchange Online administrator, you can allow settings-account changes in new Outlook by running the following command for the applicable mailbox policy. Replace <policy-name> with its name.

Set-OwaMailboxPolicy -Identity <policy-name> -ChangeSettingsAccountEnabled $true

Using $false instead blocks changes to the settings account. This policy controls permission; it does not select a replacement account. Once permitted, you still choose the account through Outlook’s primary-account control.

To change an organization-provided email address, you need an appropriate Microsoft 365 administrator role. In Microsoft 365 admin center, select Users > Active users, select the user, then select Account > Manage username and email. Edit Username, choose the correct Domains value, and select Done. This changes the organizational identity and address rather than Outlook’s choice among added accounts.

Remove the previous account if needed

Removing the previous account is optional cleanup after you configure its replacement. It does not substitute for choosing the new primary or default account, and it does not close the email account with its provider.

Removing an account deletes its offline cached content. In new Outlook for Windows, select View > View settings > Accounts > Your accounts, select Manage beside the old account, then select Remove. For a non-Microsoft account, choose Remove from this device only or Remove from all devices. Remove from all devices removes Microsoft Cloud data across Outlook clients, so calendars or other items that exist only in Microsoft Cloud might be permanently lost.

Removing an account deletes its offline cached content stored on your computer. In classic Outlook, select File > Account Settings > Account Settings, choose the old account, select Remove, then select Yes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you change the primary account in new Outlook with a keyboard?

Yes, use Tab and Enter to open Settings, activate Manage, and select the desired account. Activate Set as primary account, then activate Continue.

What keyboard shortcuts change the default account in classic Outlook?

With English keyboard-access commands, press Alt + F, then I, S, and Enter. Press Tab to reach the accounts table, then use Up Arrow or Down Arrow to select an account. Press Alt + D to make it the default, then Alt + C to close.

Does changing your Outlook.com primary alias combine two Microsoft accounts?

No, making an alias primary changes an address within one personal Microsoft account. It does not merge or replace separate accounts.

Where can you review privacy settings in new Outlook for Windows?

Open Settings > General > Privacy and data > Privacy settings. The primary account governs app-wide privacy settings rather than merely the default sender.

What if your organization synchronizes account identities from a local directory?

Your administrator may need to change your work or school identity in the organization’s local directory. Directory-synchronized identities can require that route when changing the organization-provided username or email address.