How to recover my accounts

If the phone verification method is not working and the recovery form has already failed, the remaining supported options are:

1. Use the Sign-in Helper first. It is the recommended path for Microsoft account sign-in issues, especially when the account is not recognized or the available verification methods do not work.
2. Try the account recovery form again. Recovery attempts can be retried up to two times per day. To improve the chance of success:
   • Use a device previously used to sign in to the account.
   • Submit from a location commonly used with that account, such as home or office.
   • Provide as much historical detail as possible.
   • Include old passwords that may have been used.
   • For Outlook.com or Hotmail.com accounts, use exact email subject lines and contact details if known.
   • Make sure the email domain is correct, including country-specific domains such as .com or .co.uk.
3. Use a working email address for the recovery process. The recovery form requires an accessible email account so Microsoft can send the result within 24 hours.
4. If access to the password is still available but the security methods are not, replace security info during sign-in:
   • At Verify your identity, select I don't have any of these.
   • Follow the prompts to replace security info.
   • After replacement, there is a 30-day wait before sign-in is allowed.
   • Do not change all security info at once unless necessary, because account access may be restricted for 30 days.
5. If two-step verification is enabled and none of the alternate verification methods are accessible, there is no manual reset path through support. Support agents cannot send password reset links or change account details.
6. If the username is reported as not found or not recognized, use the Sign-in Helper. If the account has not been signed in to for more than two years, it may have been deleted and cannot be reopened.

If recovery has already been denied, the next supported action is to keep retrying the recovery form with more exact historical information, up to two times per day, and use the Sign-in Helper when verification methods fail.

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