How to close your Microsoft account

Closing a Microsoft account means you won’t be able to use it to sign in to any Microsoft products or services, including Outlook.com or Hotmail, OneDrive, Xbox, Skype, Office or Microsoft 365, Rewards and Microsoft Certification. You will also lose access to any saved BitLocker recovery keys. 

When you close a Microsoft account, for whatever reason, Microsoft wants to make sure of two things:

1. That it's really you, not someone else trying to close your account.

2. That you're not leaving anything important behind that you're going to need later.

If you're sure, follow these steps to close your account:

1. Sign in to start closing your Microsoft personal account.
   Close account

   Notes: 

   • To close an account, you'll need to be able to sign in. If you can't sign into your Microsoft account, use the Sign-in helper.

   • If you forgot your account info and had to reset your security info, you must wait 60 days before closing your account.

2. If you're prompted to sign in and/or verify your account, follow the instructions.

3. Check that the page shows the correct Microsoft account, and then click Next.

4. Read the list and click the checkboxes to acknowledge you’ve read each item.

5. Choose to have the re-open window set to 30 or 60 days.

6. In the Select a reason drop-down list, choose an explanation for why you're closing the account.

7. Click Mark account for closure.

Deleting accounts and removing data

As stated in the Microsoft Services Agreement, once your account has been closed and the re-open window has passed, we will delete your Data and your Content. Learn more about your data. 

Related topics

Reopen your Microsoft account

Need more help?

To close an account, you'll need to be able to sign in. If you can't sign into your Microsoft account, use the Sign-in helper.

Contact Support

For technical support, go to Contact Microsoft Support, enter your problem and select Get Help. If you still need help, select Contact Support to be routed to the best support option.