How to delete a Microsoft account

How to delete a Microsoft business relationship

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

Wondering how to delete a Microsoft account, because you don't use yours anymore? You're certainly not alone.

Your Microsoft account gives you access to many unlike services, including Outlook, Skype, Office, and Xbox Live. But allow's face it: most or all of these accept alternatives available, and in some cases those are even better than what Microsoft has to offer. Plus, if you take concerns about privacy, and so deleting your Microsoft business relationship is the best fashion to go about protecting your personal data.

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Before you go alee though, brand sure that you are ready to close your Microsoft account — go along in mind that you will lose access to your emails, Skype letters, and the documents stored in your OneDrive account. If yous have an Xbox, you will also lose your Gamertag, the games you've bought, and your progress and achievements. You lot'll also lose access to the money in your Windows Store wallet.

Additionally, make sure you lot've canceled any subscriptions that are associated with your Microsoft business relationship before you delete information technology, as it can exist difficult to cancel subscriptions when you tin no longer access the account they are connected to.

For a full list of services and subscriptions you lot should bank check before closing your business relationship, check out the Microsoft support page on this field of study.

How to delete a Microsoft account

1. Head to Microsoft's account closure page and log into your account. You may demand to ostend your account is yours by getting a code sent to either your phone number or some other electronic mail address associated with your Microsoft business relationship.

2. Read the account closure data, and choose the account recovery window. This is the corporeality of fourth dimension yous have to log back in and finish your account from being deleted if y'all change your mind. Yous can choose between either 30 or 60 days. Then click "Next."

How to delete a Microsoft account - a screenshot of Microsoft's account deletion page, showing account deletion information and the option to choose when the account will be deleted — (Image credit: Future)

3. Read the data and tick the boxes to confirm your agreement. Then select a reason y'all would like to close your account from the drop-down menu.

How to delete Microsoft account - a screenshot of the Microsoft account deletion page, asking the user to choose a reason why they would like to delete their account — (Epitome credit: Future)

4. Click "Marking account for closure."

five. Your account will now be deactivated. If you change your mind, y'all'll have either xxx or sixty days to log back in to finish your business relationship being deleted, depending on which choice you chose before in step 2.

After this, your account will be deleted for adept. Cheque the date that Microsoft lists to see when your account volition be deleted.

How to delete a Microsoft account - a screenshot of the Microsoft account deletion page, showing when the account will be deleted — (Paradigm credit: Future)

Are you lot planning a big clean-upwards of onetime online accounts yous no longer use? We have more tutorials that volition help you.

We'll bear witness yous how to delete a Pinterest business relationship, how to delete a Twitter account, and how to delete an Instagram account. We tin can also show you how to delete your Gmail business relationship, and how to delete your Google search history.

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Millie is a Deals writer at Tom'due south Guide covering the latest tech news and specializing in deals content and how-to articles about everything from phones, streaming devices and headphones to games and software. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, gaming on her Nintendo Switch and creating digital art.