How to Remove an Email Account From Outlook Safely

Changed jobs, retired an old email address, or added the wrong account by mistake? Taking an account out of Outlook is quick, but the warnings Outlook shows on the way can sound alarming. The good news is that removing an account from Outlook doesn't delete your email. Here's how to do it in each version, what those warnings really mean, and the one option that can lose data if you pick it carelessly.

Remove an account in new Outlook

1. On the View tab, select View settings, or from the File tab choose Account info.
2. Go to Accounts, then Your accounts.
3. Under Email accounts, find the account and select Manage.
4. Under Account details, select Remove.

Remove an account in classic Outlook

1. Select File at the top left.
2. Choose Account Settings, then Account Settings again.
3. Select the account and click Remove.
4. Read the warning and click Yes.

Remove an account on your phone

In the Outlook app on Android or iPhone, open Settings, tap Accounts, choose the account and tap Remove Account.

What the warning means

Outlook warns that offline cached content for the account will be deleted. Microsoft explains that this only affects content downloaded and stored on your computer. Your actual mailbox lives with your email provider, so the messages are still there when you sign in to that account elsewhere. Removing an account simply disconnects it from this copy of Outlook.

The option to be careful with

For accounts where Microsoft isn't the email provider, such as Gmail, Yahoo, iCloud or other IMAP and POP accounts, new Outlook asks whether to remove the account from this device only or from all devices. Microsoft warns that Remove from all devices removes the account and its Microsoft Cloud data across your Outlook apps, and that calendars or other items that exist only in the Microsoft Cloud, and not in your provider's webmail, might be permanently lost.

My advice: unless you're sure, choose this device only. You can always remove it from your other devices one at a time.

Removing doesn't close the email address

This catches lots of people. Microsoft says removing an account from Outlook doesn't deactivate it. The email address keeps working and keeps receiving mail; you just won't see it in Outlook any more. If you want to close the account for good, you need to do that with your email provider, whether that's Google, your hosting company or your employer.

You want to	Do this
Stop seeing an account in Outlook	Remove it from Outlook
Close the email address entirely	Contact your email provider
Keep a copy of the emails first	Export or archive them before removing
Swap which account is your main one	Set a different account as primary instead

Removing your last account in classic Outlook

If the account is the only one in classic Outlook, Microsoft says you'll be warned that you must create a new location for your data before removing it. In practice, that means adding another account or creating an Outlook data file first. It's Outlook's way of making sure it still has somewhere to keep things.

Before you remove an old work account

• Check whether you're allowed to keep copies of any emails; many employers don't permit it.
• Move personal contacts and calendar events you created to your own account.
• Set up an out of office or forward on the old account if it's still active, so people know where to find you.
• Tell clients and suppliers your new address before the old one disappears.

Adding it back later

Removed an account and changed your mind? Add it again from the same Your accounts page in new Outlook, or File, Add Account in classic Outlook. Because the mailbox lives with your provider, your emails download again once you sign in. Give it a little time if the mailbox is large, especially on a slow connection, and don't worry if older emails appear in batches rather than all at once.

Just want a different main account?

If the problem is that the wrong account is your default, you don't need to remove anything. In new Outlook, go to the same Your accounts page, select Manage on the account you want and choose Set as primary account.

If you're tidying up because you're switching how your business handles email, my roundup of AI email marketing tools covers sending to customers the right way, and this guide to connecting lead ads to email shows how to stop leads landing in a personal inbox.

My verdict

New Outlook: View settings, Accounts, Your accounts, Manage, Remove. Classic Outlook: File, Account Settings, select it, Remove. Your emails stay with your provider, and the cached content warning only affects your computer. Choose this device only unless you're sure, and close the address with your provider if you want it gone for good.

Frequently asked questions

Will removing an account from Outlook delete my emails?

No. It removes the account from Outlook only. Your emails stay with your email provider.

How do I remove an email account from classic Outlook?

Go to File, Account Settings, Account Settings, select the account and click Remove.

What does removing from all devices mean in new Outlook?

It removes the account and its Microsoft Cloud data across your Outlook apps. Items stored only in the Microsoft Cloud might be lost.

Does removing an account from Outlook close the email address?

No. Microsoft says it doesn't deactivate the account. Contact your provider to close it.

How do I remove an email account from the Outlook app?

Open Settings, Accounts, choose the account and tap Remove Account.