Unable to add outlook email account on the mail app on my Mac

Marilyn Burstin 0 Reputation points
2026-09-02T18:46:43.9966667+00:00

When I try to add outlook email account on the mail app on my Mac, I see an error message "the operation cannot be completed and it says com.apple.accounts error 3" tried in safe mode as well but no help

Outlook | MacOS | New Outlook for Mac | For home
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  1. John Jefferson Doyon 86,625 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-09-02T19:20:45.9866667+00:00

    Hi, @Marilyn Burstin

    Since the error is com.apple.accounts error 3, this appears to be coming from macOS rather than Outlook itself.

    First, go to System Settings > Internet Accounts and check if the Outlook/Microsoft account is already listed there. If it is, remove it, restart the Mac, then try adding it again.

    Also, please confirm:

    1. Are you adding the account to the built-in Apple Mail app, or to the Microsoft Outlook app?
    2. Is this a personal @outlook.com/@hotmail.com account, or a work/school account?
    3. Can you sign in successfully at https://outlook.live.com using the same account?

    If the account works on the web but still gives the same error when adding it to Apple Mail, that will help narrow this down to the macOS account setup.

    Click "Add comment" to let me know.

    Thanks!

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