How to change incorrect email?

Question

I have a very old email on my account that is listed as primary and unable to change it. Suggestions?

Also, Over time, with each device, laptops, tablet, phone, there are other MS accounts. Can there be one main MS account or does each item have to log in with its own? I need to weed this out.

Thanks for any input.

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Moved from: Microsoft System Center | Other

Answer 1

To change an incorrect primary email address in Microsoft 365, you need to be a user administrator. Here are the steps to follow:

1. In the admin center, go to Users > Active users.
2. Select the user's name, and then on the Account tab, select Manage username and email.
3. In the first box, type the first part of the new email address. If you have added your own domain to Microsoft 365, choose the domain for the new email alias from the drop-down list.
4. Select Done.

If you encounter any error messages during this process, you may need to resolve those specific issues as indicated in the Microsoft documentation.

Regarding your second question about managing multiple Microsoft accounts across devices, you can associate multiple email accounts with a single Microsoft account. This allows you to set one as the primary account while keeping others linked. However, each device does not necessarily need to log in with its own separate account; you can use the same Microsoft account across multiple devices for a unified experience.

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References:

• Change a user's email address
• Change a user name and email address

Answer 2

When logging into a new product a window opens with "this email is already in use".

Answer 3

Hello Sharon,

Thank you for reaching out in Microsoft Q&A forum.

I understand you’re having trouble changing an old primary email on your Microsoft account and also seeing “this email is already in use” when signing into a new product.

You can follow these steps to fix the issue:

1. Add a new alias to your Microsoft account
   • Sign in at https://account.microsoft.com.
   • Go to Your info > Manage how you sign in to Microsoft.
   • Select Add email, enter the new address, and verify it via the confirmation email.
2. Set the new alias as primary
   • After verification, click Make primary next to the new email.
   • You cannot directly edit the old primary email, adding and setting a new alias is the official method.
3. Remove the old email
   • Once the new alias is primary, remove the old one (unless it’s tied to services like Xbox or Skype).
   • Before removing, ensure subscriptions or purchases are transferred.
4. About multiple accounts on devices
   • Each device can use one main Microsoft account for system-level features (Windows sign-in, OneDrive).
   • Apps like Outlook or Teams can add additional accounts. Pick one account as primary and sign out others for simplicity.
5. The “email already in use” error
   • This means the email is linked to an existing Microsoft account.
   • If you own that account, sign in with it instead of creating a new one.
   • If you want to use the same email for a new account, you’ll need a different email address because Microsoft doesn’t allow duplicates.

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