Share via

Problem with iphone and hotmail

Jeffrey Kramer 25 Reputation points
2026-04-20T20:14:48.5366667+00:00

I recently got a new iPhone, and while in the process of setting it up, I also changed my Microsoft account password using my PC. Everything was fine for a while - Hotmail was working on all my devices: Desktop, Laptop, and iPhone.

One day, my primary Hotmail account stopped working on my iPhone, while still working on my other devices. I tried to re-enter my MS Acct password in my iPhone several times, but I always get the following error message:

"You've tried to sign in too many times with an incorrect account or password." Then it wants me to re-enter my password and also enter some displayed characters. I do this, but still get the same message.

I did wait at least 24 hours on each retry attempt.

Interestingly:

  • I have logged out and back into my Microsoft account using the same password, and it works.
  • I also tried deleting the Hotmail account in question and attempted to reinstall it with the same result as above
  • I have a second Hotmail account that is working perfectly and does not seem to be affected by this.

Note: I have set up and used a Passkey for my Microsoft account - I am new to passkeys and not totally sure how they work.

I would greatly appreciate assistance in solving this problem

Thanks

Outlook | Outlook for mobile | Outlook for iOS | For home

Answer accepted by question author

AI answer

2026-04-20T20:15:05.9+00:00

The behavior matches a sign-in protection/lockout on that specific device rather than a bad password. Use these steps that have worked in similar Outlook/iPhone + Microsoft account cases:

  1. Reset the Microsoft account password from the iPhone itself
    • On the iPhone, open Safari (or another browser) and go directly to the Microsoft sign-in page (for example, via outlook.com or account.microsoft.com).
    • Try to sign in with the affected Hotmail address.
    • When the error appears, choose the option to reset or recover the account/password.
    • Complete the full reset flow on the iPhone (using text, email, or other verification methods as prompted).
    • Set a new password that has not been used before.
    • Confirm that sign-in to the Microsoft account in Safari on the iPhone now works with the new password.
    In a similar iPhone/Hotmail scenario, resetting the password using the phone and then successfully signing in to live.com from the iPhone immediately cleared the repeated “too many attempts” error and allowed the account to be added back to Mail/Outlook.
  2. Remove and re-add the account in the iOS mail app (if using Apple Mail) If the account is configured in Apple Mail instead of Outlook for iOS:
    • Go to Settings > Mail > Accounts.
    • Tap the affected Hotmail/Outlook.com account and select Delete Account.
    • After deletion, go back to Settings > Mail > Accounts > Add Account.
    • Choose Outlook.com and sign in with the newly reset password.
    If the account was previously added as a basic IMAP/POP or generic account, removing it and adding it back specifically as Outlook.com ensures modern authentication is used.
  3. If using Outlook for iOS
    • In Outlook for iOS, go to Settings > Accounts.
    • Remove the affected Hotmail account.
    • Add the account again and sign in with the new password.
    • If Outlook for iOS still has trouble after a password change, deleting and re-adding the account is the recommended fix.
  4. If the lockout persists only on the iPhone
    • Make sure the Outlook or Mail app is fully updated.
    • If still blocked after the above steps and after waiting out any lockout period, use the Microsoft sign-in helper for personal accounts from the iPhone browser. It will check the account and guide through any remaining issues.

These steps address:

  • Device-specific lockout (“too many attempts”) even when the password is correct.
  • Password changes not propagating cleanly to the iPhone.
  • Accounts configured with older/basic authentication instead of the current Outlook.com/OAuth flow.

References:

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

Was this answer helpful?

Answer recommended by moderator

Jeffrey Kramer 25 Reputation points
2026-04-22T16:44:13.62+00:00

This did help, but what I ended up doing was to go to my Microsoft account online and set up another method of access using the Microsoft Authenticator. Then I used that to reinstall my Hotmail account on my cell phone. It now works fine.

Was this answer helpful?

1 additional answer

Sort by: Most helpful
Most helpful Newest Oldest
  1. Victor1-V 8,905 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-04-22T08:19:01.8066667+00:00

    Hi Jeffrey Kramer,

    I understand how confusing this is, especially when the Hotmail account still signs in on the web, but the iPhone keeps saying the password is incorrect too many times. Based on what you described, this looks more like an iPhone sign-in or account profile issue than a problem with the password itself. Microsoft’s sign-in guidance also notes that this message can appear because of the app, browser, device, or network, not only because the password is wrong. Reference: "You have tried too many times with an incorrect password" error when signing in to your Microsoft account - Microsoft Support

    Please note that this is a user-to-user forum, so contributors here cannot check or change the account from the back end.

    The key detail now is which app is failing on the iPhone:

    1. If this is the built-in Apple Mail app, remove the account and add it back using the Outlook.com option, not as a manual/other mail type. If it still fails, Microsoft’s documented next step is to remove the account again, clear Safari history and website data, restart the iPhone, and then add the account back through the Outlook.com sign-in flow. Reference: Outlook and other apps are unable to connect to Outlook.com when using Basic authentication - Microsoft Support
    2. If this is the Outlook for iOS app, first make sure the app is fully updated. If the prompt continues, use the Microsoft account Sign-in Helper, since that is the official path Microsoft provides for personal account sign-in problems in Outlook mobile. Reference: Can't sign in to the Outlook mobile app - Microsoft Support  

    Can you confirm whether the issue is happening in Apple Mail or in Outlook for iOS? That will determine the correct next step.

    I hope this helps.

    Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.    

    Was this answer helpful?

    2 people found this answer helpful.
    0 comments

Your answer

Answers can be marked as 'Accepted' by the question author and 'Recommended' by moderators, which helps users know the answer solved the author's problem.