How to Create an Email Alias in Outlook with Minimal Effort

Earlier, my mailbox used to be a mess, which was before I knew how to create an email alias in Outlook.

Once I made one for my personal account, I didn’t look back. This email buffer not only protects my email PII but also makes it easier to set archive rules in Office 365 or any other rules I place on my Outlook account.

If you don’t know exactly what an Outlook email alias is, think of it like wearing a mask. It allows you to use a different email address that still delivers mail to your original inbox. No need to sign in or create a new password. It just works.

I know many new Outlook users don’t know where to start. That is why, in this guide, I will show you exactly how to create an email alias in Outlook using multiple methods. Whether you use the web or access your account on the desktop client.

Moreover, being an admin, I have also tested the approach in PowerShell and will teach you the same. So without further ado, let’s get started.

What You Need to Know Before You Start Creating Email Aliases in Outlook?

Although making a new alias for our Outlook is the topic for today, I must first tell you about a few caveats. The major one is that the alias you make does not automatically offer you free storage. Its not a new account.

Every email that you receive still goes to fill your primary account mailbox. So if the alias gets spammed with heavy attachments, you may face the Outlook Mailbox Full error. However, unlike the regular email address, you can revoke the alias anytime, and spam stops. Although you still have to clean up the account.

Be careful when you remove aliases, or you might end up accidentally deleting Outlook.com account data permanently. An issue that I had to deal with myself when I was inexperienced.

Another point to watch out for is when you are handed over another person’s account. This situation is pretty common in businesses. As every alias must be unique, you should view all existing aliases in Office 365 Outlook before making a new one.

Now let’s explore the methods one by one.

Method 1: How to Create an Alias Email in Outlook.com (Personal)

This is the method I use for my personal @outlook.com or @hotmail.com accounts. It is perfect for adding to shopping lists or subscribing to newsletters.

Steps I follow:

• Step 1: Open Outlook.com on any browser and sign in.
• Step 2: Tap the Gear icon (top right) to open the Settings menu, then select Mail.
• Step 3: Look for the “Forwarding and IMAP” option. You might be asked to sign in again, as these are sensitive settings.
• Step 4: Under Email aliases, click on Manage or choose a primary alias.
• Step 5: A new page titled “Manage how you sign in to Microsoft” will open. Click on Add email.
• Step 6: You will have two options:
  • Create a new email address and add it as an alias.
  • Add an existing email address as a Microsoft account alias.
• Step 7: Once you have made your choice, click the Add alias button.
• Step 8: You will be taken back to the management page, where you should see the alias you just added in the list.

Note: You can repeat Steps 5 through 7 to add up to 10 Outlook aliases.

This is my standard answer whenever a free-tier personal account holder asks me how to create an alias email in Outlook, which is the majority of the audience. The same process works on premium accounts.

However, regardless of your account type, one thing that I always recommend is to use an Outlook.com Backup Tool to secure your data, especially if you plan to switch your primary alias later.

To Verify the Changes:

1. Return to Outlook (click the App Launcher / “Candy Box” menu on the top left and choose Outlook).
2. Draft a new email message.
3. The From field should now feature a dropdown menu containing all the email aliases you created.

Method 2: How to Create an Email Alias for Outlook 365 Business Users

If you are an IT admin like me, you are not looking for a personal account guide but rather a way to manage work accounts. I must tell you the process is entirely different here. At the same time, it is quite easy; all you need is access to the Microsoft 365 Admin Center.

Steps I follow:

1. Log in to the Microsoft 365 Admin Center.
2. Go to Users > Active users.
3. Click on the user name to which you want to add an alias (don’t select the checkbox).
4. In the slide-out pane, under the Accounts tab, look for Aliases.
5. Click Manage username and email.
6. Type the new alias and click Add.
7. Finally, press Save changes.

This is the official way to create an email alias in Outlook 365 for business. The user has no involvement, and all the changes propagate instantly.

For one or two odd users, the M365 Admin Center method is ok, but what if I need to add aliases for 50 users at once?

No need to struggle with menus. Just use PowerShell. This is the fastest way of bulk Outlook alias creation.

Command I use:

Set-Mailbox "User Name" -EmailAddresses @{add="[email protected]"}

You can make modifications to it as you see fit. However, make sure you are connected to the Exchange Online PowerShell portal before running this.

Using the Desktop App (Classic vs. New)

Many people add their Outlook to the official desktop client and never log in to the web portal again. Those users might also want to know how to create an alias email in Outlook. Moreover, as there are two different iterations of the Outlook client, the confusion increases. Let me clear it up for once and for all.

The Classic Outlook: Unfortunately, the Classic client has no “Create Alias” button. With the Outlook Classic End of Life on the horizon, Microsoft is moving all these admin features to the web.

The New Outlook: Even here, when you scan the setting, you will be redirected towards web portal.

So just bookmark the web settings page.

Can I Do This on Mobile?

Short answer: No.

Although you can send emails via an alias you set up elsewhere, neither the Android nor the iOS Outlook app offers the ability to add new aliases.

There is a workaround where you log in to the Outlook web portal on your phone’s browser (Chrome or Safari). However, I found the icons to be too small, and zooming in and out makes the process too clumsy. You are better off performing these steps on a PC or Mac.

When an Alias Isn’t Enough: Merging Accounts

If your goal with an alias is to take control over another email account and its content, then what you are trying to achieve isn’t possible.

Thisis a common problem with novice admins who are given the task to merge two different O365 tenants.

In those scenarios, I don’t use aliases. I migrate via the SysTools Office 365 Migration Tool. It allows you to migrate Outlook emails to Office 365 professionally.

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Instead of just creating a forwarding address, it moves every single email, contact, and calendar event from your old account to your new one.

Conclusion

Here, I taught you from my own experiences on how to create an email alias in Outlook. It doesn’t matter whether you are performing this privacy protection for a personal account or a bulk of users as an M365 admin. The steps are clear and concise.

Making aliases is just one way of protecting your email account. It is not a substitute for a backup. Check out my guide where I explain how to download emails from Outlook.com.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Is it possible to use my old Hotmail account as an alias on my new Outlook account?

A: No, you won’t be able to add an existing Hotmail account as an email alias in Outlook because it is part of a reserved domain.

Q: Can I add my Gmail account as an email alias in Outlook?

A: Yes, you can; however, when you do that, you must verify that you are the owner of the account. Outlook will send you a verification email. Unless and until you verify the account, you won’t be able to use it.

Q: How long does the create alias process take?

A: It is a fairly simple process that shouldn’t take more than 10 minutes to complete.