Cancel Outlook.com Account – Everything You Need to Know
If you are planning to cancel Outlook.com account, trust me, you are not the only one who is considering this. Personally, I have seen most of the users planning to do the same because of spam issues or don’t want to depend on Microsoft services. I still remember the day when I decided to close my Outlook account; trust me, it is not as straightforward as it seems because Microsoft links Outlook.com with its entire ecosystem, which makes it an even more difficult task to do.
In this guide, I will walk you through everything you need to know. It includes what to do before deletion and how the deletion process works. I will also help you with how to close Outlook.com account safely without losing important emails or data.
Things I Checked Before Deciding to Cancel My Outlook.com Account
Before I proceed, I reviewed a few points. As we all know, Outlook.com is a part of Microsoft, which simply means that closing it affects other services as well, like OneDrive, Skype, Xbox, and Microsoft 365 subscriptions. Here are some points that I checked:
- If the Outlook.com email is linked with the bank accounts or social media, then first I change it from everywhere.
- There is any active Microsoft subscription
- Are there any important emails or attachments stored in the inbox
- Files saved in OneDrive
- Contacts and calendars linked to the account
If you ignore these steps, then it might be possible that you will end up losing access to your valuable data. When learning how to close Outlook.com account, it is better if you are prepared.
Why I Backed Up My Emails Before Closing the Account
I have seen many people assuming that Microsoft keeps a permanent copy of their emails while trying to cancel Outlook.com account, which is far from the truth. Once the account is closed, all the data will be automatically deleted.
In order to avoid this, I personally recommend backing up Outlook.com emails before starting the process to delete the account. This is where I personally rely on a trustworthy and professional tool like SysTools Outlook.com Backup Tool. It allows users to securely download emails, attachments, and calendars from Outlook.com into local formats like PST.
Having a backup gives me peace of mind as I don’t need to be afraid of losing my important data while doing the deletion process, and I know that I can restore my data after backing up at any point.
How to Close Outlook.com Account Using Microsoft’s Official Method
Now, let’s dive into the process of learning how to close the account step by step. Microsoft doesn’t give the privilege to delete Outlook.com individually. When you delete Outlook.com, you are deleting Micorsoft account entirely. First check is Outlook.com down then, Follow these steps carefully:
- Sign in to your Microsoft account using your Outlook.com email
- Then, find the Microsoft account closure page
- You need to verify yourself using a security code
- Review the checklist provided by Microsoft
- Select a reason for account closure
- Confirm that you want to cancel the account
Once you are done with these steps, then Microsoft places your account in 60-days waiting period. You have the option to recover your account if you change your mind within the 60 days.
Cancel Outlook.com Account Vs Delete Outlook Profile
Let’s see the key difference between cancelling an Outlook.com account and delete outlook profile.
Cancel Outlook account:
- It closed your entire Microsoft account
- Deletes all the data, including emails, contacts, etc.
- After confirming the deletion, the account goes in 60 days recovery period; after that, the deletion is permanent.
- You are unable to use the email again once it is closed
Delete Outlook profile
- It only removes email setup from a specific device
- Don’t delete your Outlook.com account or emails
- You can access the mailbox via the web or by re-adding the account
- You can consider this option if you just want to stop using Outlook on one device
Key difference:
- How to close Outlook.com account: it deletes the account and data permanently after a certain period of time
- Deleting an Outlook profile: local, one device can be removed completely
Related article: How to Combine Outlook.com Accounts
How I Switched to a New Email After Cancelling Outlook.com
In this section, I will share my personal experience and what I have done after deleting the account, and the key points that I kept in mind while switching.
- Before I decided to cancel Outlook.com account, I created a new email address and tested it for my regular use.
- Once the test is successful, I will update my new email ID on different platforms like banking apps and social media.
- I informed my important contacts about the new email address with my Outlook.com address.
- In order to avoid missing important emails, I enabled automatic reply that shared my new email ID before completing how to close Outlook.com account.
- I go through my inbox and select important emails, attachments, and other details that I need later.
- I used a backup tool to securely back up my important emails and data before I started the process of cancelling the account.
What Happens After You Cancel Outlook.com Account
Once you have initiated the process of deleting your account, Microsoft doesn’t just delete your account; it gives you a time period of 60 days, during which your account is suspended, and during this period:
- You are unable to access your emails
- Unable to send or receive messages
- All the Microsoft services that are linked to the email stopped working.
- Account recovery is still possible within 60 days
After 60 days, your account and all the data stored in it will be permanently deleted. This is the reason understanding how to close Outlook.com account properly is so important.
Can I Recover My Account After Cancellation?
I have heard this question from many users who are trying to cancel Outlook.com accounts. My answer is simple: Yes, the account recovery is still possible, but only with in 60 day window. If you log in during that period, then Microsoft automatically reactivates the account without asking.
After 60 days, the recovery is impossible. All emails, files, and other things get erased permanently. That’s one of the strongest reasons why I recommend backing up your data using the helpful tool that I mentioned above before proceeding with the deletion process.
Common Problems Users Face While Closing Outlook.com Account
The biggest fear a user can think of in the process of cancel Outlook.com is losing important data. The most concerning part is that Microsoft also doesn’t provide any option to export all mailbox data in just one click. That’s why, depending on a third-party solution like the tool I have mentioned above, is a wise decision one can make. It allows you to:
- Download all emails locally in PST format. For this, you need to learn how to download emails from Outlook.com
- Keep the original folder structure as it is
- Safely export all email attachments
- Save your contacts and calendars data securely
Using a backup tool makes sure that even after learning how to close Outlook.com account, your data is safe and secure. You still have access to it without disturbing any structure.
Author’s Verdict
After following the entire process myself, I can confirm that the process to cancel Outlook.com account is not difficult, but it requires the user to be more careful and pre-planned. The biggest risk that everyone is afraid of is losing emails, attachments, and other important things. My final advice is:
- Review all the services that are linked to your email
- Create a backup of your important emails and data
- Always keep in mind that Microsoft gives 60 days waiting period before deletion, and in case you change your mind, you can recover the account within that time.
- Make sure that you are following Microsoft’s official account closure steps carefully
If you follow these good habits and use a reliable tool like the one I mentioned above, then the entire process of how to close Outlook.com account becomes safe and stress-free.
FAQs
Q. Is it possible to use Outlook on my phone after cancelling the account?
No, you are unable to use the Outlook and Microsoft services linked with the account, but you can recover the account within 60 days.
Q. Do I lose all emails when I close my Outlook.com account?
Yes, all the emails get deleted permanently after 60 days of period
Q. Is it mandatory to cancel all the Microsoft subscriptions before cancelling the account?
Yes, the subscriptions need to be cancelled to successfully close the account.
Q. Is it possible to cancel Outlook.com account without deleting the Microsoft?
No, it is not possible to cancel the outlook.com account without deleting the Microsoft account it is attached to.