How to Recover Your Outlook or Hotmail Account When You Are Locked Out

You go to sign in to your Outlook.com or Hotmail inbox, and something stops you. Maybe the password is rejected, maybe a message says your account is locked, or maybe the code you need is going to a phone you no longer own.

The good news: Microsoft has a clear set of self-service recovery paths, and most lockouts are fixable in minutes. The right path depends on exactly why you are locked out, so this guide walks them in order, quickest and most common first.

One thing to know up front, because it shapes everything below: Microsoft support agents cannot send you a reset link or look inside your account. Every route here is self-service, and the recovery flows run through a web browser, so do this work in a browser rather than the Outlook mobile or desktop apps.

Before guessing at causes, run Microsoft's own triage tool. It checks whether your account still exists under the identifier you give it and routes you to the correct recovery or compromised-account path.

1.Open the "I can't sign in to my Microsoft account" support article and select the "Sign-in Helper" button.
2.Enter your email address or mobile phone number when prompted.
3.Follow the path it gives you. If you simply know your password and want to change it, sign in and use "Change password" instead.

If you see "We couldn't find an account with that username," double-check the domain (.com versus .co.uk) and the spelling before assuming the account is gone.

Reset a Forgotten Password

This is the single most common reason people get locked out, and it is the fastest to fix if you still have access to a registered phone or email.

1.On the sign-in page, select "Forgotten your password?"
2.Enter your Outlook.com or Hotmail address and select "Next."
3.Choose how to receive a verification code, then select "Next."
4.Confirm by re-entering the first part of your email address or the last four digits of your phone number, then select "Get code."
5.Retrieve the code, type or paste it, and select "Next."
6.Enter your new password and select "Next" to finish.

If none of the contact methods shown are ones you can still reach, use the Sign-in Helper instead, then move to the recovery form further down.

Unblock an Account Locked for Unusual Activity

If Microsoft detected suspicious or unusual sign-in activity, it temporarily locks the account to protect it. This is quick to clear because you just need a security code.

1.Go to account.microsoft.com and select "Sign in."
2.When prompted, request a security code to any phone that can receive text messages. It does not need to be the number on your account, and you do not need a smartphone or internet on that phone.
3.Read the code from the body of the text message, not the subject or header, and enter it. The code expires after 10 minutes.

You can also start from the Sign-in Helper at aka.ms/sign-in-helper, which walks you through entering a code or changing your password.

Recover When Your Username or Password Stopped Working

Sometimes the credentials that worked yesterday suddenly fail. Often this is a typo in the domain, a misspelled name, or the wrong alias rather than a true lockout.

1.Select "Recover your account" and enter your email, phone number, or Skype name.
2.Choose a code delivery method and select "Next."
3.Type the requested confirming information and select "Send code."
4.Enter the security code in the "Verify your identity" field and select "Next."
5.Create and confirm a new password.

If the identifier is not recognized, verify the domain (.com, .co.uk, and so on), check the spelling of your name (for example, "rachel" versus "rachael"), and try an alternate alias or phone number. If you still cannot get in, select "Contact support."

A recovery code is a 25-digit code that lets you back in if you forget your password or your account is compromised. It only helps if you generated and saved one before being locked out.

1.Go to account.microsoft.com/account and enter your username.
2.Select "Other ways to sign in."
3.Select "Use my password," then "Forgot password?"
4.Select "Use a different verification option," then "I don't have any of these."
5.At "Do you have an account recovery code?", enter your code. It is not case-sensitive and needs no spaces or dashes.
6.Create a new password once verified.

For the future, while you can still sign in, go to account.live.com/proofs/manage/additional, find the Recovery code section, and select "Generate a new code." Store it somewhere safe; generating a new code invalidates the previous one, and you can never download an existing code.

Use the Account Recovery Form When You Have No Verification Method

If you cannot sign in and cannot receive a code through any of your options, the recovery form is your path. Microsoft reviews the details you provide to confirm you own the account.

1.Have a working contact email ready that you can access. It can be a friend's or relative's, or a new free Outlook.com account. Do not use the address you are trying to recover.
2.Open the recovery form and enter the email, phone number, or username you are recovering, plus that contact email.
3.Fill in as much accurate detail as possible: previous passwords; for Outlook or Hotmail, the names of email contacts and exact subject lines of recent emails; for Skype, your SkypeID and contacts; for Xbox, the console or device ID; any saved browser credentials.
4.If you can, complete the form on a device you previously used to sign in, and at a location where you normally used the account, so Microsoft recognizes it.
5.Submit. Responses arrive by email, generally within 24 to 72 hours. Check Junk and Spam.

A few field tips: match the first and last name registered on the account; enter your birthdate in MM/DD/YYYY format; if unsure of the country, give your current location; and list any aliases or phone numbers you use to sign in. You can try up to two times per day.

Handle a Lock for a Terms of Use Violation

If your account was locked for violating Microsoft's Services Agreement (for example, spam, phishing, malware, or bot-created accounts), the sign-in screen behaves differently. The signal is clear: there is no "Next" button.

1.When signing in, if you do not see "Next," select the link beginning with "aka.ms/" to start a reinstatement request.
2.Follow the instructions and submit your information.
3.Wait for a Microsoft Online Safety agent to review and contact you by email. Do not resubmit the form, because resubmitting delays the response.

Fix Code Delivery and Add a New Verification Method

If codes are not arriving, the problem is often the delivery method, not the account.

Try a different method connected to the account, such as switching from text to an alternate email.
VOIP numbers cannot receive verification codes; use a real mobile number.
On mobile, switch between Wi-Fi and cellular data, or try another Wi-Fi network.
Heavy traffic from your region can delay codes and usually clears on its own. Avoid many repeated attempts, which can reset a time lock. If nothing changes, wait 24 hours, then up to about a week.

If you know your password but lost access to some security info, sign in at account.microsoft.com/security, select "Manage how I sign in," then "Add a new way to sign in or verify," and choose an email, authenticator app, or passkey. You can keep multiple verification methods on file.

When Recovery Is Unsuccessful

If the form does not get you in, you can resubmit up to two times per day. Before retrying, review Microsoft's form-filling guidance and add more accurate information rather than submitting the same answers again.

If the form rejects you because your security information is not recognized, switch back to the Sign-In Helper. And remember the hard limit: support agents are not allowed to send reset links or change account details, so there is no manual override beyond these self-service tools.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is there no "Next" button when I try to sign in?
That is a deliberate signal, not a glitch. It means the account is locked for suspicious activity or a Terms of Use violation, so you must use the "aka.ms/" reinstatement flow rather than a standard password reset.

The phone with my code is gone. Can I still get back in?
Yes. For an unusual-activity lock, the security code can go to any phone that receives texts, even one not linked to your account. If you have no working verification method at all, use the account recovery form and provide as much identifying detail as you can.

I removed and replaced all my security info and now I am restricted. What happened?
Replacing all of your security info puts the account into a 30-day restricted state. You can still use email, Xbox, and OneDrive, but you cannot change your password, update a credit card, change aliases, or open the OneDrive vault. Microsoft cannot speed this up unless you cancel the change from the Security page.

How long does the recovery form take?
Microsoft's pages state responses generally come within 24 to 72 hours, sent to the contact email you provided. Check your Junk and Spam folders, and do not resubmit unless you have new information to add.

Can I send and receive mail again if I can sign in but mail is blocked?
A full Outlook.com mailbox or full OneDrive stops you from sending or receiving email even when sign-in works, which is easy to mistake for a lockout. Free up storage to restore email function.

My account has been inactive for years. Can it still be recovered?
Possibly not. An account left unused for two or more years may be deleted, and a deleted account cannot be reopened or recovered.