Reset or recover your lost Microsoft account password
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If you know the email address that you used to set up your Microsoft account (which is used to sign in to your Xbox profile), you can reset your password now:
- Go to Reset your password and enter your email address.
- Tell us where you’d like us to send a security code (email or phone number).
- Once you receive your security code, you’ll be prompted to choose a new password and enter it twice. Passwords should be at least 8 characters long and should contain a mix of upper and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols.
Note that you must have your Microsoft account email address to reset your password. If you’ve forgotten this email address, you’ll need to recover it before you reset your password.
You can also reset your password on your Xbox console (below).
If you’re unable to access any of the contact methods associated with your account (and thus unable to receive the security code required to reset your password), skip to “Recover your Microsoft account online” below.
Reset your password on your Xbox console
Step 1: Verify your identity
You can request a password reset directly from your console if you have access to the phone number or alternate email that you previously provided.
- On the console Sign in screen, type in your email address, and then select the I forgot my password button.
- Type the characters displayed on the screen so we know you’re not a robot.
- The phone number(s) or alternate email address(es) that you previously provided for security are listed on the Show that you’re you screen.
If for some reason you can’t access any of the contact methods shown, go to “Recover your Microsoft account online” below. Otherwise, continue to Step 2: Receive a security code.
Step 2: Receive a security code
- On the Show that you’re you screen, select the security contact method (email address or phone number) where you want us to send your code.
- Check your phone, email, or authenticator app for the security code, and type it in the field provided on the Check your phone or Check your email screen.
If you use an authenticator app
Some people find it more convenient to set up an authenticator app on their phone so they don’t have to wait for a code. If you’re already using an authenticator app, Use my authenticator app will appear as an option on the Show that you’re you screen. To use the app, follow these steps:
- Choose Use my authenticator app, and then select Next.
- Retrieve the authentication code from the app, and then type the code into the field provided on the console.
If you use two-step verification
If you activated two-step verification for your Microsoft account, you’ll need to request and type the security code twice, using a different contact method each time.
Step 3: Create a new password
Once you’ve verified your identity by typing the security code that we sent to you, you’ll be prompted to choose a new password and type it twice. Passwords should be at least 8 characters long and should contain a mix of upper and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols.
- On the Pick a password screen, type your new password.
- On the One more time screen, retype the same password to verify.
That’s it! Your password has been reset.
When you complete the sign-in process, you’ll be asked if you want to save your password on the console. Make sure you remember your password even if it’s saved on your console, so you can manage your account online or access your profile on a friend’s console.
Note that if you’re still unable to sign in after resetting your password, check the Xbox status page for any service alerts that might keep you from signing in to the Xbox service.
If there are no service alerts keeping you from signing in, contact us by using the Still need help? section on this page.
Reset your password on the Xbox 360 console
Step 1: Verify your identity
You can request a password reset from Xbox 360 as you’re downloading your profile or signing in with a saved profile. The process on Xbox 360 involves using a browser on the console.
Follow these steps to reset your password on the Xbox 360:
- Select Can’t access your account? from the Download Profile or Sign In screen. This opens a browser window. (It’ll take a few seconds to load.)
- Select one of the options to tell us why you’re having trouble signing in.
- Next, enter the email address you use to sign in to your Microsoft account. (Placing the cursor in the field and pushing the A button opens the virtual keyboard.)
- Enter the code provided so we know you’re not a robot.
- The alternate email address and phone number you provided for security contact information are listed on the We need to verify your identity screen. If these contact methods are still valid and you have access to them, continue to Step 2: Receive a security code.
If for some reason you can’t access any of the contact methods shown, go to “Recover your Microsoft account online” below.
Step 2: Receive a security code
- On the We need to verify your identity screen, select the security contact method (email address or phone number) where you want us to send your code. Select the option listed to open a dropdown list of all options you have set up on your account. Follow the instructions for completing the contact email address or phone number and select Send code.
- Check your phone, email, or authenticator app for the security code, and enter it in the field provided on the Check your phone or Check your email screen.
If you use an authenticator app
Some people find it more convenient to set up an authenticator app on their phone so they don’t ever have to wait for a code. If you’re already using an authenticator app, Use my authenticator app will appear as an option on the We need to verify your identity screen. To use the app, follow these steps:
- Choose Use my authenticator app, and select Next.
- Retrieve the authentication code from the app, and then type the code into the field provided on the console.
If you use two-step verification
If you activated two-step verification for your Microsoft account, you’ll need to request and type the security code twice, using a different contact method each time.
Step 3: Create a new password
Once you’ve verified your identity by typing the security code that we sent to you, you’ll be prompted to choose a new password and type it twice. Passwords should be at least 8 characters long and should contain a mix of upper and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols.
On the Reset your password screen, type your new password. Retype it to confirm.
That’s it! Your password has been reset.
Note that if you’re still unable to sign in after resetting your password, check the Xbox status page for any service alerts that might keep you from signing in to the Xbox service.
If there are no service alerts keeping you from signing in, contact us by using the Still need help? section on this page.
Recover your Microsoft account online
Use the online account recovery form
If you’re unable to access any of the contact methods used to receive a security code, you can still access your Microsoft account by completing an online account recovery form. To access this form, go to:
- Enter your Email, phone, or Skype name in the first box if you know it.
- In the Contact email address text box, type an email address where we can contact you or send your password reset link. Note that this email address should be different from the one you’re trying to recover.
- In the third text box, type the characters displayed on the screen. This is to verify that you aren’t a robot.
- To help maintain the security of your Microsoft account, you’ll be prompted for several pieces of identification info that you provided when you initially set up your account. Fill in as many of the boxes as you can.
Tips for completing the online account recovery form
Provide an alternate email address that you can access. We’ll send the password reset link to that email once we have validated your account ownership.
Answer as many questions as you can:
- When thinking of past passwords, provide as many as you can for us to check, even if you aren’t sure they’re correct.
- Think back to when you created the account or last updated it. Have you moved since you created the account? Changed your name?
- If you can, submit the form from a computer you frequently use with this account.
- Your email address may be country-specific. For example, if you created your account in Sweden, your domain would be “hotmail.co.se” instead of “hotmail.com.”
- Select all the products that you use. The more info you provide, the more we can use to verify that you own the account.
- When answering the Xbox questions:
- Gamertag questions are not case-sensitive.
- Tell us which console your account has been used on the most.
- Console IDs and device IDs can be found in your console settings even if you’re not signed in:
After you complete the form, you'll receive an email acknowledging that your request has been received. You’ll then receive a response to that request within 24 hours.
If you reached the limit for account recovery requests, try again in 24 hours.
The password reset link expires 72 hours after delivery, so watch for it. Check your spam or junk folder for any of the account recovery emails if you don’t receive it. If you receive an email notifying you that there wasn’t enough info provided to verify your identity, or if you don’t receive an email within 24 hours, skip to “If we aren’t able to recover your account online” below.
When you receive your password reset link or code
Step 1: Enter a new password
To reset your password, select the link in the email you received. You’ll be prompted to choose a new password and type it twice. Passwords should be at least 8 characters long and should contain a mix of upper and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols.
Since you’re already online, we highly recommend that you take a few minutes to update your account so that you can easily reset your password if you need to do so in the future.
Step 2: Update your Microsoft account security info
Xbox requires that you have two security contact options on your account, and at least one must be a phone number or an email address. We recommend one phone and one email contact to provide the best security options for your account. By having two options, you’re more likely to have access to at least one of these contact methods, reducing the chance of being locked out of your account for even a short time.
To add security info to your Microsoft account:
- Go to Security settings and sign in with your Microsoft account.
- Under Security info helps keep your account secure, select Add security info.
- From the dropdown list, select whether you want to add a phone number or an alternate email address.
- We’ll send a security code to you at that phone number or email address to make sure we got it right.
- Type the code in the field provided.
For more details about managing your account security info, go to:
If we aren’t able to recover your account online
Try to reset your password online again
If you receive an email telling you that there wasn’t enough info to verify your identity and provide a password reset link, you can try again if you think you can provide additional info.
Think about how long ago you set up your account:
- Have you moved since? Is there a previous address that you may have used?
- Have you gotten married and changed your name?
- Do you go by a different first name than you did when you set up your account?
- Are there other passwords that you’ve used before? This field is case-sensitive.
- Have you updated your credit card info with us recently?
- Did you stick that old gift card in a drawer somewhere?
- Also note that if you’re using a non-Microsoft email account to sign in, you’re trying to remember your Microsoft account password and not your email account password.
Example: You may have changed the password on your @gmail.com account recently, but that doesn’t mean your Microsoft account password changed as well. Try to remember previous passwords you may have used on your @gmail.com account that you may have been using at the time you created your account with Microsoft.
Using this form is the fastest way to get your password reset if you can provide enough info.
If we can’t reset your password
Microsoft takes your security very seriously, and to protect customer privacy we can only help customers verify their account ownership through the online password recovery process.
If you remember any new details that might help with the recovery process, we encourage you to keep trying to recover your account using the online account recovery form.
You might also want to create a new account at this point.
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