A Microsoft account is more interconnected than most people realize when they first consider deleting it. The same credentials that log you into Outlook also connect to OneDrive, Xbox, Microsoft 365, Windows sign-in, the Microsoft Store, Skype, and in some cases your Windows digital license. Deleting the account affects all of these simultaneously.
Before you close the account, it’s worth understanding exactly what gets deleted, what you can back up, and what the 60-day grace period actually means — because Microsoft’s deletion process has more nuance than most platforms.
TL;DR: Before deleting, download your OneDrive files, export your Outlook emails, cancel all subscriptions, and unlink the account from any Windows PCs you still use. Then go to account.live.com/closeaccount, complete the process, and you have 60 days to change your mind. After 60 days, deletion is permanent. Starting fresh? A new Microsoft account takes about 5 minutes to create.
What a Microsoft account connects to
Understanding the scope helps you know what to back up. Microsoft accounts are used as the authentication layer for:
Outlook / Hotmail / Live email. All emails, folders, contacts, and calendar events. The email address itself ([email protected], @hotmail.com, etc.) is permanently associated with the account — if deleted, no one can register that same address in the future.
OneDrive. Everything stored in OneDrive cloud storage — documents, photos, videos, backups. If you use OneDrive as your primary storage or backup, this is usually the most significant data loss risk.
Xbox. Your Xbox profile, gamertag, achievements, game library (purchased digital games), saved game data synced to the cloud, and Xbox Game Pass subscription. Console owners should be particularly careful here.
Microsoft 365 (formerly Office). Subscriptions linked to the account stop working. Documents created with Microsoft 365 remain accessible, but without a subscription, you lose the ability to edit them in the full desktop apps.
Windows sign-in. If you sign into Windows with a Microsoft account (rather than a local account), deleting the account affects your ability to use those features. Your local files remain — they’re on the device, not in the cloud — but features like synced settings, Microsoft Store apps tied to the account, and Windows Hello with account sync are affected.
Microsoft Store purchases. Apps, games, and movies purchased through the Microsoft Store are tied to the account. Deleting the account means losing access to those purchases.
Windows digital license. If your Windows license is linked to your Microsoft account (common for Windows 10/11 upgrades or OEM digital activations), deletion can complicate future Windows re-activations.
Skype. Contacts, conversation history, and any Skype Credit balance.
Other Microsoft services. LinkedIn does not use Microsoft account authentication despite Microsoft’s ownership of LinkedIn — your LinkedIn account is unaffected. Microsoft Teams (personal) uses Microsoft account and is affected. Microsoft Teams (work/school) typically uses an organizational account, not a personal Microsoft account.
Before you delete: what to back up
Work through this list before initiating the deletion process. Once you start the closure and the 60-day period passes, none of this can be retrieved.
OneDrive files. Download everything you want to keep. On Windows, right-click the OneDrive icon in the taskbar and choose “Open settings” → confirm all files are synced locally to your machine. On Mac, ensure OneDrive has fully synced. Alternatively, log into onedrive.live.com, select all files, and download as a ZIP file. For large archives, download in batches to avoid ZIP size limits.
Outlook emails. In Outlook desktop, go to File → Open & Export → Import/Export → Export to a file → Outlook Data File (.pst). This exports all your emails, folders, contacts, and calendar. You can import this file into another email client later. In Outlook on the web, Microsoft also offers a download option through the Privacy Dashboard at account.microsoft.com/privacy.
Contacts. In Outlook on the web, go to People → Manage → Export contacts. Download as a CSV. This can be imported into Gmail, Apple Contacts, or another address book.
Calendar events. Export your calendar as an ICS file from Outlook Web. Go to Calendar → Settings → Shared calendars → Publish a calendar → export. Or in Outlook desktop, File → Open & Export → Import/Export → Export iCalendar.
Xbox game data. Cloud saves for Xbox games are stored with your account. There’s no way to export Xbox cloud saves to local storage — once the account is deleted, cloud saves are gone. If you have an Xbox console, some games support local save storage. Check individual game settings for this option before proceeding.
Microsoft Store purchase history. Digital purchases (apps, movies, games) cannot be transferred to another account. Note what you’ve purchased in case you need to repurchase important items on a new account.
Skype Credit. Check your Skype credit balance at skype.com. Unused credit is non-refundable after account deletion. Use it before closing the account.
Cancel active subscriptions. Microsoft 365, Xbox Game Pass, Xbox Live Gold, OneDrive storage plans, and any other subscriptions must be cancelled before deletion. Go to account.microsoft.com/services to see and cancel all active subscriptions. An uncancelled subscription on a closing account is non-refundable.
Unlink from Windows. If any PCs sign in using this Microsoft account, switch them to a local account first: Settings → Accounts → Your info → Sign in with a local account instead. This decouples the PC from the account before deletion. Otherwise, the PC still functions but loses account-based features after deletion.
How to delete the Microsoft account
With backups done and subscriptions cancelled:
- Sign in to account.live.com/closeaccount
- Microsoft will ask for identity verification — email, phone, or authenticator app
- Microsoft lists all services that will be affected — review the list to confirm you haven’t missed anything
- Check each acknowledgment box (Microsoft requires you to confirm you understand each consequence)
- Choose a reason from the dropdown menu
- Click Mark account for closure
The account is not deleted immediately. It enters a 60-day grace period.
Understanding the 60-day grace period
After marking the account for closure, Microsoft waits 60 days before permanently deleting the data. During this period:
The account still exists. You can sign in during the grace period. Signing in cancels the closure — the account returns to normal.
Services are suspended, not deleted. Your Outlook inbox still exists, OneDrive files are still there, Xbox profile is still there — but services are degraded or inaccessible to varying degrees depending on the service.
Reactivation is simple. Go to account.live.com, sign in, and follow the prompts to cancel the closure. All your data returns to its previous state.
After 60 days, deletion is irreversible. Microsoft permanently deletes all associated data. The email address cannot be reregistered by anyone. There is no appeal path once the grace period passes.
When Microsoft requires phone verification
During the closure process — and during subsequent login attempts if you sign in during the grace period — Microsoft may require verification via phone number. This is separate from your regular password sign-in and is part of Microsoft’s identity protection for account changes.
If the phone number on your Microsoft account is no longer accessible (changed carriers, old number), this can block you from completing the closure. Options:
Update your phone number before deleting. If you still have account access, go to account.microsoft.com/security and update your contact number while you can. If you need a number that’s reliably accessible, a virtual number registered to your account works for this verification step. See using a virtual number for Microsoft account verification for setup details.
Use authenticator app verification instead. The Microsoft Authenticator app, if already set up on your account, can handle identity verification without an SMS code. Go to the Security settings page and check what verification methods are currently set up.
Creating a new Microsoft account
After closing the old account — or without closing it, if you simply want a separate account — creating a new Microsoft account is straightforward:
- Go to signup.live.com or account.microsoft.com
- Click Create a Microsoft account
- Choose an Outlook email address or use an existing email (Gmail, Yahoo, etc.) as the username
- Set a password
- Microsoft asks for a phone number for verification
- Enter a mobile number or a virtual number and receive the verification code
- Complete security setup (security questions, recovery email)
SMSCode provides virtual numbers for Microsoft account verification starting at $0.005. Choose a country, select Microsoft as the service, get a number, and use it to receive the verification SMS. The full verification step takes about 30 seconds.
For guidance on which countries work reliably for Microsoft verification, see choosing the right country for virtual number verification.
Common reasons people delete Microsoft accounts
Switching email providers. Moving to Gmail, ProtonMail, or another provider and wanting to stop the old inbox. Note: the @outlook.com or @hotmail.com address is gone permanently. If you’ve given this address to contacts, it won’t bounce — it simply won’t exist, and mail sent to it will result in an error to the sender after deletion.
Security or privacy concerns. Concern about Microsoft’s data collection or a compromised account that you’d rather replace than recover.
Consolidating accounts. Some people have multiple Microsoft accounts (work, personal, old test accounts) and want to simplify.
Closing a child’s account. Microsoft Family Safety accounts can be closed through the family dashboard, not the standard closure process.
Whatever the reason, the most important step is the data backup and subscription cancellation before initiating closure. The actual deletion process is straightforward — the preparation is where most people make mistakes.
FAQ
Can I recover a deleted Microsoft account after the 60-day grace period?
No. Once the 60-day period passes and Microsoft permanently deletes the account, there is no recovery process. All data — emails, OneDrive files, Xbox saves, purchase history — is gone. The 60-day window exists specifically to allow recovery if you change your mind.
Will deleting my Microsoft account affect Windows on my PC?
Your local files on the PC are not affected — they’re stored on the device, not in the cloud. However, if you sign into Windows with a Microsoft account, features that depend on it (synced settings, Windows Hello account sync, Microsoft Store app licenses) will stop working. Switch to a local account before deleting: Settings → Accounts → Your info → Sign in with a local account instead.
What happens to my Xbox games if I delete my Microsoft account?
Digital games purchased through Xbox or the Microsoft Store are tied to your account. Deleting the account means losing access to those games permanently. Physical game discs are not affected. Game Pass subscription games cannot be played after the account is closed. Cloud saves for Xbox are deleted with the account after the grace period.
Can I transfer my Outlook email address to a new Microsoft account?
No. Outlook.com, Hotmail.com, and Live.com email addresses cannot be transferred between accounts. Once an account is deleted, that email address is permanently retired — it cannot be registered by you or anyone else on a new account. If the email address is important, don’t close the account; instead, maintain it and simply stop using it actively.
Is there a way to keep my email address but delete everything else?
Not directly. Microsoft doesn’t offer selective data deletion — the account closure deletes everything. If you want to keep the email address, the practical approach is to keep the account active, remove OneDrive content manually, let subscriptions expire, and simply stop using Microsoft services you don’t want. The account and email address remain registered to you without active use.