How to Change Your Hotmail Password (Step-by-Step Guide)

Hotmail has been fully integrated into Microsoft's Outlook.com platform for years now, but millions of people still use their @hotmail.com addresses daily. If you need to change your password — whether for security reasons, because you've forgotten it, or just as routine maintenance — the process runs through your Microsoft account, not a separate Hotmail system.

Here's exactly how it works, plus the variables that affect how the process plays out for different users.

What "Hotmail Password" Actually Means Today

When you change your Hotmail password, you're changing your Microsoft account password. That single password controls access to:

• Hotmail / Outlook.com email
• OneDrive cloud storage
• Microsoft 365 apps (if subscribed)
• Xbox accounts linked to the same email
• Any app or service you've signed into with your Microsoft credentials

This matters because a password change ripples across every connected device and service — something worth knowing before you start.

How to Change Your Hotmail Password When You Know the Current One 🔐

On a Desktop Browser

1. Go to account.microsoft.com and sign in with your Hotmail address.
2. Click on Security in the top navigation bar.
3. Select Change my password under the Password security section.
4. Enter your current password, then your new password twice to confirm.
5. Click Save.

Microsoft will ask you to verify your identity before making the change. Depending on your account settings, that verification arrives via a code sent to a backup email address, a text message, or through the Microsoft Authenticator app.

On a Mobile Device (iOS or Android)

The steps are nearly identical through a mobile browser. Alternatively:

1. Open the Outlook app and tap your profile icon.
2. Tap Settings → your account name.
3. You'll be redirected to your Microsoft account settings in a browser window.
4. Follow the same Security → Change password path from there.

There is no dedicated "change password" option buried inside the Outlook app itself — it always routes through the Microsoft account portal.

How to Reset a Forgotten Hotmail Password

If you can't remember your current password, the path is a password reset rather than a change.

1. Go to the Hotmail or Outlook sign-in page.
2. Enter your @hotmail.com address and click Next.
3. Click Forgot my password on the password entry screen.
4. Choose a verification method: backup email, phone number, or security questions (if configured).
5. Enter the verification code you receive.
6. Set a new password.

The recovery options available to you depend entirely on what you set up when you created the account. If no backup contact information was added — and you no longer have access to any of them — Microsoft's account recovery process becomes significantly more involved. You'll be asked to fill out an Account Recovery Form, where you provide identifying details about the account to prove ownership. This process can take several days and isn't guaranteed to succeed without enough verifiable information.

Variables That Affect Your Experience

Not every Hotmail password change goes the same way. Several factors shape how straightforward — or complicated — the process is.

After You Change the Password: What Happens Next

Once the password is updated, every active session is signed out. That means:

• Your phone's Outlook app will prompt you to sign in again.
• Any desktop email client (like Outlook for Windows or Mac) will ask for new credentials.
• Other apps using your Microsoft account — Teams, OneDrive, Xbox — will also require re-authentication.

This is expected behavior, not an error. It's also a useful security feature: if someone else had access to your account, changing the password immediately revokes their active sessions.

If you use a password manager, updating the saved entry right after the change prevents future confusion. If you use the same password across multiple services (a practice generally worth reconsidering), each of those accounts would need separate updates — Microsoft's password change only affects the Microsoft account itself.

Password Strength: What Microsoft Requires vs. What's Actually Secure

Microsoft enforces minimum password requirements — typically a mix of letters, numbers, and symbols above a certain character length. Meeting the minimum and creating a genuinely strong password are two different things. 💡

Longer passwords — particularly passphrases combining unrelated words — tend to be both more secure and easier to remember than short strings of random characters. Password managers remove the burden of memorizing complex credentials entirely and are widely used for accounts like this one, where the login controls access to multiple linked services.

When the Standard Process Doesn't Work

A few situations fall outside the typical flow:

• No access to recovery email or phone: The Account Recovery Form is the only path forward, and outcomes vary based on how much verifiable information you can provide.
• Suspicious activity or account compromise: Microsoft may lock the account proactively. In this case, you'll be walked through an identity verification process before regaining access.
• Microsoft 365 work accounts: Password reset policies are controlled at the organizational level. Your IT department — not the standard consumer portal — handles these.

Your specific combination of recovery options, linked devices, account history, and whether the account falls under personal or organizational management all determine which of these paths applies to you.