- January 13, 2026
- by Sky Help Service
- Outlook
- 0 Comments
This guide explains what happens when you forget your Outlook password and the official recovery options available across all devices, including Android, iPhone, Windows, and Mac.
Outlook login uses your Microsoft account, and password security is tight, but here are the simple, easy steps to follow. You can’t look at the old password, but you can safely reset it with Microsoft’s tools and keep all your emails.
What “forgot Outlook password” really means
Forgetting your Outlook password means you can no longer sign in to Outlook.com or the Outlook app because the Microsoft account password is no longer remembered.
All Microsoft email services, including Outlook.com, Hotmail, Live, and MSN, all use the same Microsoft account set up, and thus your mail password is the same as your Microsoft password.
The password is stored in a special code within Microsoft that cannot be read like ordinary text. The system will verify that what you type matches the code, but it cannot convert the code into your previous password and display it. Microsoft does not provide any method to view or retrieve an existing password.
Can you see or get back your old Outlook password?
No, you can not access or retrieve your old Outlook or Microsoft password in their system. Their only option when they cannot remember is to reset or recover their Microsoft Password using their recovery steps and make a new password.
It is occasionally possible on your own machine that the old password is stored in a browser or password management tool, but that is on your side rather than on the side of Outlook or Microsoft. When you reset, you are not deleting your emails, contacts, or calendar in Outlook; they are automatically saved in your account.
Forgot Outlook password? Your main choices
If you forgot your Outlook password, the recovery options depend on what account information you can still access.
If you can get codes on your phone or backup email
- Use your phone number, extra email, or an app like Microsoft Authenticator to reset in just minutes with the Forgot password option.
If no recovery info works
- Fill out Microsoft’s recovery form with details about your account, like contacts or email subjects, so they can check it by hand.
If the account got locked for a bit
- Too many wrong tries can lock it to keep hackers out; wait for the lock to end, then use recovery again.
This page explains your situation and what comes next, but not the full reset steps. Check the guide on how to reset your Outlook password for those.
Phone vs computer – does the device matter?
If you forgot your Outlook password on a phone or computer, the issue is the same. You can’t prove who you are to your Microsoft account. Recovery links to your account on Microsoft’s side, not the phone or computer you use.
You’ll need a web browser anyway, even from the app, since reset happens on their website. After resetting, log in with the new password on every device you use for Outlook, like phone, tablet, or desktop.
Common mistakes when you forget Outlook password
People often make errors that make what do if I forgot my Outlook password take longer or riskier. Also, when people don’t have the option to change the Outlook password, too.
Looking for “password show” tips
- Lots of guides promise to reveal your Outlook password, but Microsoft doesn’t store it that way; they might just check your browser saves, if you had them.
Trying third-party apps or fake sites
- Sites or programs that say they fix or show your Outlook password can steal your account; never share your login there.
Guessing the password over and over
- Many wrong logins set off alerts and lock you out with “too many tries” for a while.
Guessing the password over and over
- Ads show fake Outlook support numbers that charge or take over your PC; Microsoft uses free online tools only.
Skip these to stay safe and get in faster.
How long for Outlook password recovery?
Outlook forgot password fix is quick in simple cases. If codes reach your phone or email, resetting and logging in takes 5-10 minutes.
No recovery access means using the form, and Microsoft might take 24-72 hours to check. Things that slow it:
- There are a few wrong details on the form
- New device or place not like your usual logins
- Lots of wrong tries or repeated requests
Avoid repeated login attempts while waiting, and monitor emails from Microsoft regarding the recovery request.
In almost all cases, no, you cannot recover the existing password from Microsoft’s systems; you can only create a new one by proving your identity. The only exception is if you previously saved the password in a browser or password manager on your own device, which you can check locally.
Changing the password of your Microsoft account will replace the credentials you use to log in to your account, but it does not remove emails, contacts, and calendar information in your Outlook.com account. After the successful reset, you should be able to access your mailbox content as usual.
This is true; in the case of Outlook.com, Hotmail, Live, and MSN email, the password of the email is the same as that of the Microsoft account that is entered at the main sign-in page. Once you reset or change that Microsoft password, the new password will update access to your Outlook inbox and other services that are linked to it.
No standard number is applied publicly, but excessive and incorrect attempts within a short time interval lead to the use of security measures and a temporary lockage of your account. When you see messages indicating there are too many attempts or that you are not allowed to sign in, you are typically required to wait (usually around 24 hours or longer) before attempting the correct recovery program.
No, customers cannot know or view what the old password is since it is saved in a form that is not readable. It can only assist you in walking through the formal reset and recovery procedure, which will always culminate with you selecting a new password rather than disclosing the old one.