You can delete an Outlook email account from your device, but the account itself stays active at Microsoft
When you want to stop using an Outlook email address, you have two separate choices: remove the account from the Outlook app on your device, or close the account entirely at Microsoft. Most people need only the first one — removing the account from your phone, tablet, or computer so it no longer shows up in Outlook. Closing the account itself is permanent and affects every device and service tied to that email address, including OneDrive, Office subscriptions, and any Microsoft accounts linked to it.
The steps differ depending on whether you use Outlook on a computer, phone, or web browser. This guide covers all three, starting with the simplest route: removing the account from the app you use most often.
Key Takeaways
- Removing an account from Outlook on your device does not close the account — it just stops showing new messages on that device.
- On Windows or Mac, right-click the account name in the left sidebar, select "Remove account", and confirm the deletion.
- On iPhone or Android, go to Settings, find the account, and choose "Remove account" or "Delete account".
- Closing your Outlook account permanently at Microsoft requires going to account.microsoft.com and cannot be undone.
- Before closing an account, read or forward any emails you want to keep, because they will be deleted within 90 days.
Removing Outlook from Windows or Mac
Open Outlook on your computer. In the left sidebar where your account name and email address appear, right-click directly on the account name. A menu will pop up with several options. Select "Remove account" or "Delete account" — the exact wording depends on your Outlook version.
Outlook will ask you to confirm. Click "Yes" or "Remove" to finish. The account disappears from your sidebar when ready, and Outlook stops downloading new messages from that address. The account itself remains active at Microsoft, and you can add it back to Outlook anytime by entering your password again.
If you use Outlook on both your computer and phone, removing it from one device does not affect the other. You will need to remove it separately on each device if you want it gone from all of them.
Removing Outlook from iPhone or Android
Open the Outlook app and tap the menu icon — usually three horizontal lines in the bottom right or top left corner. Scroll down and tap "Settings". Find the account you want to remove and tap it.
On iPhone, tap "Remove account" at the bottom of the screen. On Android, tap the three dots next to the account name and select "Delete account". Confirm when the app asks you to verify. The account is now removed from your phone, but remains active at Microsoft.
You can still access this email address on any other device or through Outlook.com in a web browser. Removing it from your phone straightforward stops the app from checking for new messages there.
Removing Outlook from the web version
If you use Outlook through a web browser at outlook.com, you cannot remove the account from within the app itself. Instead, you sign out by clicking your profile picture in the top right corner and selecting "Sign out". This logs you out of that session, but the account remains active.
To stop using the account entirely, you need to close it at Microsoft's account page — see the section below on closing your account permanently. Signing out of the web version alone does not delete anything.
Closing your Outlook account permanently at Microsoft
Closing your Outlook account is permanent and cannot be reversed. Before you do this, read or forward any emails you want to keep. Microsoft deletes all messages, contacts, and calendar events within 90 days of closure.
Go to account.microsoft.com in a web browser and sign in with your Outlook email and password. Click "Your info" or "Account" in the left menu. Scroll down and look for an option that says "Close your account" or "Delete account". Click it.
Microsoft will show you a list of services tied to this account — OneDrive, Office subscriptions, Xbox, or others. Read through this list carefully. If you use this email for anything important, closing it will cut off access to all of those services. Microsoft will ask you to confirm multiple times because this action cannot be undone.
Once you confirm, the account closes when ready. Your email address becomes unavailable, and you cannot create a new Outlook account with the same address for 90 days.
What happens to your emails when you remove or close an account
If you only remove the account from Outlook on one device, your emails stay on Microsoft's servers. You can still read them on other devices or through outlook.com. Nothing is deleted.
If you close your entire Outlook account at Microsoft, all emails are deleted within 90 days. During those 90 days, you can contact Microsoft support to reopen the account and recover your messages. After 90 days, recovery is not possible.
If you want to keep your emails but stop using Outlook, forward them to another email address before you remove or close the account. Open Outlook, select all messages in a folder, and use the forward or move function to send them elsewhere. This takes time if you have many emails, but it is the only way to preserve them.
Removing an account that is synced across devices
If you use the same Outlook account on your phone, tablet, and computer, removing it from one device does not remove it from the others. You must remove it separately on each device. Start with the device you use least often and work toward the one you use most, so you always have access on at least one device while you are making changes.
If you have synced your Outlook account with other apps — like your phone's calendar or contacts app — removing the account from Outlook may not remove it from those other apps. Check your phone's settings to remove it from the native calendar or contacts app as well if you want it completely gone.
Frequently Asked Questions
If I remove Outlook from my phone, will my emails be deleted?
No. Removing the account from your phone only stops the Outlook app from checking for new messages there. Your emails remain on Microsoft's servers and you can still read them on your computer or through outlook.com. Nothing is deleted.
Can I use the same email address again after I close my Outlook account?
Not for 90 days. After you close an account, Microsoft blocks that email address from being used to create a new account for 90 days. After that period, you can create a new Outlook account with the same address if you want to.
What if I close my account by mistake?
Contact Microsoft support within 90 days and explain what happened. They can reopen your account and restore your emails if you act quickly. After 90 days, the account and all messages are permanently deleted and cannot be recovered.
Will closing my Outlook account affect my Microsoft Office subscription?
Yes. Your Office subscription is tied to your Microsoft account. Closing your Outlook account closes your entire Microsoft account, which means you lose access to Office, OneDrive, and any other Microsoft services. Check what is linked to your account before you close it.
How do I move my emails to a different email provider before I close Outlook?
Open Outlook, select the emails you want to move, and use the forward function to send them to your new email address in batches. Alternatively, some email providers have an import tool that can pull emails directly from Outlook if you give it your password. Check your new provider's help section for their import process.