Microsoft has signed me out of my hotmail account EVERY TIME I turn off my phone today!

Microsoft is changing the web sign-in behavior for Outlook.com/Hotmail so that, by default, accounts stay signed in unless explicitly signed out or a private browsing session is used.

From the documented behavior:

• When signing in to Outlook.com/Hotmail in a browser with a Microsoft account, the browser normally remembers the sign-in on that device.
• If private browsing (InPrivate/Incognito) is used, or if cookies/sessions are cleared (which can happen with some device or browser settings when the phone is turned off or restarted), the sign-in state is lost and a new sign-in is required.

To stay signed in more reliably:

1. Avoid using private or incognito browsing for Outlook.com on the phone’s browser.
2. Ensure the browser is allowed to keep cookies and site data for outlook.com / outlook.live.com so that the session is not cleared when the phone is turned off.
3. When finished using Outlook.com on a personal device, do not select Sign out unless wanting to be prompted again next time.
4. If using a shared or public device, use private browsing instead so that others cannot access the account; in that case, signing in again each time is expected.

If signed in via a browser and wanting to explicitly sign out (for example on a shared device), select the profile picture in Outlook on the web and choose Sign out, or use the provided sign-out link. Always close all browser windows after signing out.

If there is concern that the account is being signed out due to security checks (for example, unusual sign-in activity or traveling), review the account’s sign-in and security status and follow any prompts to confirm identity.

References:

• How to sign in to Hotmail

Hello,

Is this on your iphone? If so, there has been a service issue earlier today, but looks like it has been resolved, at least with the solution posted here: https://status.cloud.microsoft/

User impact: iOS users may experience issues accessing Outlook and Hotmail from the default Mail app.

More info: iOS users on iPhones MUST take the following steps to re-enter their password and access their accounts:

1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
2. Scroll down and tap on Mail.
3. Select Accounts under the Mail settings.
4. Tap on the email account for which you need to reenter the password.
5. Tap on Account Settings or directly on the Password field (depending on your iOS version).
6. Enter the updated or correct password in the Password field.
7. Tap Done to save the changes.
8. Open the Mail app to confirm that the account is syncing properly and emails are being sent/received.

Final status: iOS users MUST take the additional steps listed in the "More info" section above to resolve impact. We’ve confirmed service health has returned to normal and reporting users that have completed the additional steps are now able to access Outlook and Hotmail. We'll keep this post up for 24 hours to ensure users are able to review and take the mitigating actions.

Start time: Monday, April 27, 2026, at 8:45 AM UTC

End time: Monday, April 27, 2026, at 7:16 PM UTC

This is the final update for the event.