Won't stay logged in

Dear @Christine Ross, 

Welcome to the Q&A Community.    

Thank you for reaching out and sharing the details of your experience. I understand how inconvenient it is when your Microsoft 365 account won’t stay logged in. 

To make it easier to understand, let’s call your original account A and your updated account B. 

In Microsoft 365, the username used for sign-in (called the User Principal Name or UPN) can differ from your primary email address for mail or billing. If your UPN is still set to A, you’ll only be able to sign in consistently with that username until it’s updated to B. 

Sign-in issues can also occur if old login data is stored on your device. Windows and Office save credentials in places such as Credential Manager, browser cookies and local app data. If these still reference your old email, they can interfere with the “Keep me signed in” feature. 

Additionally, this feature relies on a persistent cookie. If the setting is disabled by policy or if the cookie is cleared or blocked, you’ll be prompted to sign in again even after selecting the option. Conditional Access policies can also shorten session times. 

Finally, cached credentials and account pickers may cause “account doesn’t exist” errors, especially if you have both personal and work accounts. Clearing old credentials and cookies usually resolves this. 

Please see the following workarounds that will help you verify and better understand the issue:  

Option 1: Verify your username 

Sign in to the Microsoft 365 admin center. 

Navigate to Users > Active users. 

Select your account > Manage username and email > Check that the username matches your new email address. 

 

If needed, update the username to your new domain. 

Keep the old email address as an alias so you can still receive mail sent to it. 

 

If the B domain does not appear in the Domains section, it means it hasn’t been added or verified in Microsoft 365. Please add and verify the domain first under Settings > Domains and then update the username accordingly. 

 

Option 2: Clear cached credentials 

Remove old entries from Windows Credential Manager and clear browser cookies for Microsoft login sites. 

Open Control Panel on your Windows device. 

Go to Credential Manager and remove any old Microsoft 365 or Office-related credentials. 

 

Clear browser cookies and cached data for Microsoft login sites. 

• For Google Chrome: 

Go to Settings > Privacy and security > Delete browsing data.          

Select All time, check both Cookies and other site data and Cached images and files, then click Delete from this device.            

• For Microsoft Edge: 

Go to Settings > Privacy, search, and services > Delete browsing data.          

Select All time, check both Cookies and other site data and Cached images and files, then click Clear now to proceed.   

Restart your device and sign in again. 

 

Option 3: Check “Stay signed in” settings 

Ensure this option is enabled in Microsoft Entra ID and that no Conditional Access policies are overriding it. 

• In the Microsoft Entra admin center, confirm that the “Stay signed in” option is enabled. 

Sign in to the Microsoft Entra admin center (Microsoft 365 admin center > Show all > Identity). 

Navigate to Users > User settings. 

Locate the Show keep user signed in toggle and set it to Yes. 

This ensures the “Stay signed in?” checkbox appears after users authenticate. 

A persistent cookie is then set, allowing users to remain logged in for future sessions.  

• Review Conditional Access policies to ensure they are not overriding this setting or shortening session durations. 

In the Microsoft Entra admin center, go to Security > Conditional Access. 

 

Under Policies, review existing or create a new policy. 

Within the policy, open the Session tab for Access controls. 

You'll find these key session controls: 

Sign-in frequency: Sets how often users must reauthenticate (default is 90 days). Adjust to appropriate duration. 

Persistent browser session:  

If “Persistent browser session” is Enabled, users can remain signed in across browser restarts. 

If disabled, sessions end when the browser closes or after a set time.  

Save and assign the policy to relevant users, groups or applications. 

 

Option 3: Use the correct portal and account type 

Sign in at office.com using your work or school account. From this portal, you can access any Office web app and if you have the Global Administrator role, you will also be able to access the Microsoft 365 admin center. 

 

If you accidentally select the personal account option, you may see an “account doesn’t exist” error. 

As a quick workaround, open an InPrivate or Incognito browser window and sign in with your confirmed username. 

Additional information is available in the following resources: 

Conditional Access: Manage Session Controls Effectively - Microsoft Entra ID | Microsoft Learn 

Require reauthentication with Conditional Access - Microsoft Entra ID | Microsoft Learn 

As community moderators, we kindly ask for your understanding that our access to internal development details is limited. Our primary role is to guide users toward the appropriate resources and support channels. While we may not have visibility into performing deeper backend analysis, we’ll continue doing our best to support you within the scope of our responsibilities.  

I hope this information is helpful. Please follow these steps and let me know if it works for you. If not, we can work together to resolve this.    

Thank you for your patience and understanding. If you have any questions or need further assistance, please feel free to share them in the comments on this post so I can continue to support you. 

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It sounds like you're experiencing issues with staying logged into your Microsoft 365 account, which may be related to the email addresses associated with your account. Here are some steps you can take to troubleshoot the problem:

1. Verify Email Addresses: Ensure that you are using the correct email address associated with your Microsoft 365 account. If you have multiple email addresses, try logging in with each one to see which one works.
2. Clear Browser Cache: Sometimes, browser cache can cause login issues. Clear your browser's cache and cookies, then try logging in again.
3. Use Private Browsing: Try accessing your account in a private or incognito browsing session. This can help bypass any cached data that might be causing issues.
4. Check for Account Conflicts: If you have a personal Microsoft account and a work/school account with the same email address, it can lead to confusion. Make sure you are using the correct account type when logging in.
5. Contact Support: If the issue persists, consider reaching out to Microsoft support for further assistance. They can help you identify any account-specific issues.
6. Stay Logged In: When logging in, make sure to check the box to stay logged in, but note that this feature may not work if there are issues with your account or browser settings.

If you continue to have trouble, it may be beneficial to contact your organization's IT support or Microsoft directly for more tailored assistance.