primary email issue

عبدالله بدر محمد الحمودي 0 Reputation points
2026-09-08T15:55:50.4+00:00

basically i am trying to change my current account primary email into a different one, it sends me an email saying i should click on a link that verify the email and i should be able to make it primary, but after doing so nothing happens, tried refreshing the page too, and also sometimes it shows me a message saying that the link is expired or something like that, i did it multiple times till it told me to wait until tomorrow for more links

Outlook | Web | Outlook.com | Account management, security, and privacy
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  1. AI answer

    2026-09-08T15:56:08.5033333+00:00

    The most likely causes are an unverified alias flow getting stuck, an expired verification link, or a temporary block from too many repeated verification requests.

    Try this in order:

    1. Open an InPrivate/Incognito browser window.
    2. Sign in to Manage how you sign in to Microsoft.
    3. Look for the new email address. If it shows Verify, select it and send the verification email again.
    4. Open the verification message from Microsoft in a second InPrivate/Incognito window and use the link there.
    5. If the page opens but nothing changes, go back to Manage how you sign in to Microsoft and check whether the alias now appears as verified.

    Important checks:

    • Verification emails can only be sent to the primary alias or to another email added as a way to verify sign-in.
    • Check the junk/spam folder for the Microsoft verification message.
    • Do not keep requesting links repeatedly. Excessive or repetitive requests can trigger a temporary block, which matches the message telling to wait until tomorrow.
    • If the link says it is expired, wait for the temporary block to clear, then request a fresh verification email and use the newest message only.

    If the alias still does not verify:

    1. Go to Your info > Manage how you sign in to Microsoft.
    2. Remove the unverified alias if it is listed.
    3. Add the email again using Add email.
    4. Verify it again from a private browsing session.

    Also note these limits:

    • An alias cannot be added if it is already associated with another Microsoft account.
    • Existing @hotmail.com, @live.com, @outlook.com, and @msn.com addresses cannot be added as aliases to another Microsoft account.

    If sign-in or alias changes still fail after waiting and retrying, use the Microsoft guided support or Contact Support options from the account support page.

    References:

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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  2. Hornblower409 14,425 Reputation points
    2026-09-09T05:55:12.1733333+00:00

    @عبدالله بدر محمد الحمودي said

    it sends me an email saying i should click on a link that verify the email ... but after doing so nothing happens

    Sounds like you are hung up on the Add Alias page https://account.live.com/AddAssocId
    Not the Make Primary page https://account.live.com/names/manage

    If you are not getting the verification email to the account you are trying to add as an alias:

    Try sending that email address a normal email from your Outlook client. Does it get delivered? (i.e. Is the email valid?)

    Check the Junk/Spam folders for the email you are trying to add as an alias. The verification emails come from a Microsoft Service (not your existing account email). Might be getting blocked.

    And be aware that even once you get it added as an Alias, you may run into problems trying to promote it to Primary.
    https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/5997647/how-to-make-a-different-email-the-primary

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