Password not requested

Question

When I re add my existing hotmail email address & sign-in it doesn't ask me for my password. Why is that?

Answer 1

Hi Gerry Mitchell,

Welcome to the Microsoft Q&A forum.

I understand why this behavior can feel unusual, especially when you expect to be prompted for a password each time you sign in or re‑add your Hotmail (Outlook.com) account.

I see there is already a Q&A Assist response above, and the core explanation there is generally correct. When a password prompt does not appear, it usually means the account is already authenticated on that browser or device, and the existing sign‑in session is being reused. Have you had a chance to review or try the sign‑out checks suggested in that answer?

To add a bit more context without repeating the same points, this behavior is commonly seen on Outlook.com because Microsoft accounts use a single sign‑on experience across services. For example, if you previously selected “Stay signed in” or are already signed in to another Microsoft service in the same browser, Outlook.com may recognize that session and sign you in automatically without asking for the password again.

A quick way to confirm whether this is expected behavior is to open an InPrivate or Incognito browser window and try signing in there. If you are prompted for a password in a private session, that typically indicates the normal browser session is retaining sign‑in information.

If your concern is related to account security, you can also review your Microsoft account sign‑in history from the Recent activity page to check for any sign‑ins you do not recognize. If anything looks unfamiliar, the Sign out everywhere option can be used to end active sessions across devices.

I hope this helps clarify why a password prompt may not appear and reassures you about what you are seeing.

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Answer 2

For an Outlook.com (Hotmail) address, not being asked for a password when re‑adding or signing in usually means the account is already authenticated on that device or app, so existing credentials are reused automatically.

Classic Outlook behavior can also be affected by certain settings:

• If adding the account as IMAP and no password prompt appears, ensure Require logon using Secure Password Authentication (SPA) is unchecked on the IMAP details page. If SPA is checked, Outlook may fail to prompt correctly.
• If setup still skips the password prompt or behaves unexpectedly, remove the account from Outlook and re‑add it via Control Panel → Mail → Email Accounts → New, entering the email address and password when requested.

If the concern is web sign‑in at Outlook.com, staying signed in or having the browser remember credentials will also prevent a password prompt until explicitly signing out or clearing saved sign‑in info.

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References:

• Troubleshoot Outlook email setup
• How to sign in to Hotmail

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