How to Log Out of Outlook on the Web, Mac and Every Device

That second sentence is the one that confuses people. They open Outlook on a laptop or phone, hunt for Sign out, and it isn't there. It hasn't moved, it's gone. Microsoft's Outlook.com help says it's no longer possible to sign out of your Outlook app or be prompted for a password to sign in. So the right way to log out depends on where you're signed in, and for the apps the answer is to remove the account or sign out of your Microsoft account everywhere.

Where you're signed in decides how you log out

Where you use Outlook	How to log out, as of October 2026
Outlook.com or Hotmail in a browser	Your initials or picture, then Sign out, then close every browser window
The Outlook app	There's no sign-out option any more: remove the account or use Sign out everywhere
Outlook for Mac	Tools, Accounts, then Manage and Remove Account
Legacy Outlook for Mac	Tools, Accounts, the minus symbol, then Sign Out
A device you no longer have	Sign out everywhere from your Microsoft account security dashboard
A public or shared computer	Use a private browsing window, sign out, then close every private tab

Signing out of Outlook.com or Hotmail in a browser

Hotmail is now Outlook.com, so the steps are the same whichever name your address uses.

1. Go to Outlook.com.
2. Select your account initials or account picture at the top corner of your inbox.
3. Select Sign out.
4. Close all your browser windows.

Microsoft's help covers three things that can go wrong here. If you don't see your picture at the top of the screen, check whether ad blocking is turned on, because it sometimes stops the picture showing. If you don't see Profile or Account options, you can reach them at account.microsoft.com. And if there's no Sign out at all, Microsoft says you can sign out manually through the Sign out link on its help page, but you still need to close all your browser windows.

Why Outlook keeps you signed in now

If you feel like Outlook never logs you out, you're right. Microsoft says the browser sign-in experience changed, and starting in February 2025 you stay signed in automatically unless you sign out or use private browsing. On your own computer that's handy, because your browser remembers your sign-in. On anyone else's device, it means walking away without signing out leaves your mailbox open.

Your Outlook.com password is the same as your Microsoft account password, and Microsoft's private browsing advice covers your OneDrive as well as your mailbox. That's why its advice for shared devices goes further than one click.

The Outlook app has no sign-out button

Microsoft's help is short on this: it's no longer possible to sign out of your Outlook app. Its suggestion for anyone who shares a computer is to stop other people reaching your email by asking them to sign in to the computer with their own account, rather than relying on Outlook to lock itself.

If you need the app to stop showing your mail, the two routes in Microsoft's help are removing the account from the app, which is how Outlook for Mac handles it, or signing your Microsoft account out everywhere, which covers apps as well as browsers.

It's worth knowing how wide that statement reaches. The Microsoft article it comes from lists the versions it applies to, and they include Outlook for Android, Outlook for iOS, Outlook for Microsoft 365, Outlook for Microsoft 365 for Mac and Outlook.com. So on a phone and on a desktop app alike, don't expect a Sign out button in the app's menus.

Signing out in Outlook for Mac

Microsoft gives two sets of steps, one for the current Outlook for Mac and one for legacy Outlook. Both start from the Tools menu, but the last few clicks differ.

Outlook for Mac:

1. Open Outlook for Mac.
2. Select Tools > Accounts.
3. In the list, select the account you want to remove from Outlook.
4. Select the Manage option and select Remove Account.
5. Select Continue.

Legacy Outlook for Mac:

1. Open Outlook for Mac.
2. Select Tools > Accounts.
3. In the left-hand list, select the account you want to remove.
4. Select the minus symbol at the bottom of the window.
5. Select Sign Out.

Sign out of every device at once

If you've lost a phone, sold a laptop, or think someone else has your password, signing out one device at a time isn't enough. Microsoft's Sign out everywhere option signs your account out of all your trusted devices.

1. Sign in to Advanced security options on your Microsoft account security dashboard.
2. Scroll down to Sign out everywhere.
3. Select Sign out.

Two details matter. It isn't instant: Microsoft says that within 24 hours you'll be signed out of browsers, apps and anywhere else your account is used to sign in. And there's one exception. It doesn't sign you out of an Xbox console, which has its own steps. Microsoft offers it for exactly the case where you think someone might have unauthorized access to your account.

Using Outlook on a public or shared computer

Microsoft says that if you sign in on a public computer, the browser will probably remember your sign-in information. Its advice for any computer, phone or tablet that doesn't belong to you, or that other people use, is three steps: use a private browsing window, sign out when you've finished, and close all browser windows afterwards. Private browsing helps reduce the risk of others getting into your Microsoft account, OneDrive or Outlook.com mailbox, or seeing your search and browsing history.

Keep your expectations realistic. Microsoft describes private browsing as typically designed to help limit what browsing data is stored on a device, and says it may help reduce the risk, not that it removes it. Signing out and closing the window is still the step that matters.

These are the private browsing shortcuts Microsoft lists for desktop browsers:

Browser	Windows	Mac
Microsoft Edge	CTRL + SHIFT + N	SHIFT + CMD + N
Google Chrome	CTRL + SHIFT + N	SHIFT + CMD + N
Mozilla Firefox	CTRL + SHIFT + P	SHIFT + CMD + P
Opera	CTRL + SHIFT + N	Not listed
Safari	Not listed	SHIFT + CMD + N

On a phone, Microsoft's steps are taps rather than keys. In Microsoft Edge, tap Tabs, then InPrivate. In Google Chrome, the option is New Incognito tab. In Safari, Firefox and Opera, tap Tabs, then Private. Whichever you use, Microsoft's reminder is to close all open InPrivate, Incognito and other private tabs when you've finished.

If you can't get back in after signing out

Signing out is the easy part. If signing back in goes wrong, Microsoft's sign-in help says it watches for unusual sign-in activity, so if you're travelling or on a new device it might ask you to confirm it's really you. Your account might also be temporarily blocked if Microsoft notices unusual activity, and there's a separate unblock process. For a forgotten username or password, Microsoft points you to its sign-in troubleshooter.

My advice on logging out of Outlook

On your own laptop, I wouldn't bother signing out of Outlook.com every day: the browser keeps you in by design and that's fine if nobody else uses it. I'd always sign out and close every window on a work, library or hotel computer, and I'd use a private window there from the start. If a device has gone missing, skip the one-by-one approach and use Sign out everywhere, then change your Outlook password. And if you get locked out after all that, my guide to Microsoft account recovery covers the way back in.

Frequently asked questions

Why can't I find Sign out in the Outlook app?

Microsoft says it's no longer possible to sign out of your Outlook app or be prompted for a password to sign in. Remove the account from the app, or use Sign out everywhere in your Microsoft account.

How do I log out of Outlook on all devices?

Sign in to Advanced security options on your Microsoft account security dashboard, scroll to Sign out everywhere and select Sign out. Microsoft says it can take up to 24 hours.

Does Sign out everywhere include my Xbox?

No. Microsoft says it signs you out of browsers, apps and everywhere else your account is used, except an Xbox console, which has its own sign-out steps.

Why does Outlook keep me signed in?

Microsoft says that starting in February 2025 you stay signed in automatically in a browser unless you sign out or use private browsing.

I can't see my picture to sign out of Outlook.com. What now?

Microsoft says ad blocking can stop the picture showing, so check whether it's on. You can also reach your account options at account.microsoft.com.