How to delete an Outlook account

So you have a Microsoft Outlook email account and you no longer want to use it. This is an important decision that can have serious repercussions depending on how you delete the account.

If you want to delete the account entirely, that means deleting any Microsoft account linked to it. This removes everything you might use a Microsoft account for, including Skype, OneDrive, Office 365, and other services tied to that account. This includes all PCs configured to sign in using this Microsoft account. You can follow our guide on how to remove a Microsoft account from Windows 11 before proceeding so that you don’t run into any problems later.

You can also simply delete an Outlook account from your email client – for example, Microsoft Outlook (which is the one we’ll be using for this guide). This does not delete the account and does not affect your Microsoft account. This can be a good choice if you want to keep the account active but just don’t want it cluttering up your email.

We will review both methods here. Remember the impact of shutting down your Outlook account completely.

Deleting your Outlook account from Microsoft Outlook

It’s quite easy to remove your Outlook account from Microsoft Outlook, and again, it has no impact on your Microsoft account in general.

Step 1: Go to Case > Account settings.

2nd step: Select the account you want to delete. Note that you cannot delete the default account, so you will need to switch to another account first. If you only have one account, you’ll need to add another to serve as the default location for your data.

Step 3: Once you’ve changed your default account, click Eliminate. This will delete the account and all local data associated with it. Again, this won’t affect your Outlook account in general, which you can still access through the web or another email app. In the warning about deleting a cached offline contact, click Yes.

Complete closure of your Microsoft Outlook account

To completely close your Outlook account, you need to close your Microsoft account.

Step 1: Go to close your Outlook.com account on the Microsoft website. Make sure you’re signed in using your Microsoft account. Click on Close your account. You will probably be prompted to enter your password.

2nd step: You will be redirected to a page that outlines a number of steps to follow when closing your account. Follow each step carefully – they are important.

Note that you have the option of waiting 30 or 60 days before the account is closed. This gives you time to make sure everything is ready and that you have informed everyone important that your email address is changing.

Click on Following when ready.

Step 3: The next page will ask you to tick each box to acknowledge that you understand the impact of closing your account. You can also select a reason for closing the account. Once you’re ready to go, click Mark account for closure.

We can’t stress it enough: closing your Outlook.com account has serious consequences that you should keep in mind. Microsoft has used this account to link so many services that it is the central hub for all things Microsoft. Be absolutely certain that you want to take this step before following this handy guide.

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