How to Delete an Email Account in Outlook (And What Happens When You Do)

Removing an email account from Outlook is a straightforward process — but the steps vary depending on which version of Outlook you're using, your operating system, and whether you want to remove the account entirely or just stop syncing it. Understanding the difference matters, because the consequences aren't the same across every setup.

What "Deleting" an Account in Outlook Actually Means

When you remove an email account from Outlook, you're disconnecting the account from the app — not deleting the email account itself. Your inbox, sent messages, and contacts on the mail server (Gmail, Yahoo, your work Exchange server, etc.) remain untouched. You're simply telling Outlook to stop syncing with it.

This distinction is important. If you're using IMAP or Exchange, your emails live on the server, so removing the account from Outlook won't delete any messages. If you're using POP3, some emails may only exist locally in Outlook's data files. In that case, removing the account could mean losing access to messages that were downloaded but never stored elsewhere.

How to Remove an Email Account in Outlook for Windows (Microsoft 365 / Outlook 2016–2021)

This applies to the classic desktop version of Outlook on Windows:

1. Open Outlook and go to File in the top-left corner
2. Click Account Settings, then select Account Settings again from the dropdown
3. In the Email tab, select the account you want to remove
4. Click Remove
5. Confirm when prompted

Outlook will warn you that removing the account will also delete any locally cached data associated with it — this includes the offline data file (.ost file) for Exchange and Microsoft 365 accounts. Your server-side data is not affected.

How to Remove an Email Account in the New Outlook for Windows

Microsoft has been rolling out a redesigned "New Outlook" that functions more like the web app. The process here is slightly different:

1. Click the gear icon (Settings) in the top-right corner
2. Select Accounts from the left menu
3. Choose Email accounts
4. Find the account you want to remove and click Manage
5. Select Delete account from this device

The new Outlook stores less data locally than the classic version, so this process is generally cleaner.

How to Remove an Email Account in Outlook on Mac

For Microsoft Outlook on macOS:

1. Open Outlook and go to Tools in the menu bar
2. Click Accounts
3. Select the account you want to remove in the left sidebar
4. Click the minus (–) button at the bottom of the sidebar
5. Confirm the removal

On Mac, Outlook also stores a local cache. Removing the account deletes that local data, but your server-side emails and folders are preserved.

How to Remove an Email Account in Outlook Mobile (iOS and Android)

On the Outlook mobile app, the steps are:

1. Tap your profile icon or initials in the top-left
2. Tap the gear/settings icon at the bottom-left
3. Scroll down and tap the account you want to remove
4. Tap Delete Account
5. Confirm

Mobile removal is clean — since the app doesn't store much data locally, there's minimal risk of data loss here. 📱

Key Variables That Affect the Outcome

Not every account removal plays out the same way. Several factors determine what happens after you hit "Remove":

What Happens to Your .PST and .OST Files

This is where things get nuanced. 🗂️

• .OST files are offline copies of Exchange/Microsoft 365 mailboxes. When you remove the account, Outlook typically deletes the .ost file. Since it's a mirror of the server, this usually isn't a problem — but if the account has been deprovisioned or you've lost server access, that local copy may be your only remaining data.
• .PST files are standalone data files used by POP3 accounts (or manually created archives). Removing a POP3 account does not automatically delete the .pst file — it stays on your hard drive but becomes disconnected. You'd need to re-add it manually or open it via File > Open & Export if you need access later.

When It Gets More Complicated

A few scenarios add complexity:

• Work or school accounts managed through Microsoft 365 may be subject to IT policy. Your admin may need to be involved, and simply removing the account from your device might not fully de-authorize it.
• Shared mailboxes added as secondary accounts behave differently from primary accounts and may need to be removed differently depending on your Outlook version.
• Aliases tied to a single Microsoft account don't show up as separate accounts in Outlook — removing the primary account removes access to all aliases linked to it.

The mechanics of removal are consistent enough across Outlook versions that most users can follow the steps above without issues. But what those steps actually mean for your data, your workflow, and any connected services depends heavily on how your account was set up in the first place — and whether it's a personal account, a work account, or something in between. 🔍