How to Close Your Microsoft Account (Outlook, Hotmail, Xbox)

Last reviewed: October 2026 · Independent guide, not affiliated with Microsoft

One Microsoft account covers Outlook.com and Hotmail email, OneDrive, Microsoft 365 subscriptions, Xbox profiles and purchases, Windows sign-in and more. Closing it deletes all of them.

Microsoft does not delete immediately. You choose a waiting period of 30 or 60 days; signing in during that time cancels the closure.

Microsoft: close your account (official site) ↗

Before you delete

• Back up OneDrive and Outlook (download files; export mail or move it to another address).
• Cancel Microsoft 365, Xbox Game Pass and other subscriptions, and spend your Microsoft account balance.
• Turn off BitLocker or save its recovery key if it’s stored in your Microsoft account.
• Switch Windows to a local account on PCs that use this account to sign in.
• Remove the account from family groups and from Xbox consoles.

How to close your Microsoft account

1. Go to the Close your account page (account.live.com/closeaccount.aspx) and sign in.
2. Verify your identity with the security code Microsoft sends.
3. Read the checklist, confirm the account shown is the right one, then click Next.
4. Tick each box to acknowledge what will be lost, choose a reason and pick 30 or 60 days before permanent deletion.
5. Click Mark account for closure. Microsoft shows the date when the account will be permanently closed.

Menus change often. If a button has moved, use the search box in the app's settings or the official help link above.

Changed your mind?

Sign in to your Microsoft account before the date shown and follow the prompts to reopen it. After the waiting period, the account and its data cannot be recovered.

Only want to stop using Outlook email?

You cannot delete just the mailbox while keeping the account, but you can add another email address as an alias, make it your primary sign-in, and stop using the Outlook address.

Frequently Asked Questions