Recovering contact lists from New outlook when switching back to classic outlook

Question

Recovering contact lists from New outlook when switching back to classic outlook

Frank Nicolette 0

how can i find my subscription account number needed to recover my outlook contact list when switching from new outlook back to classic outlook?

or how do i recover my contact lists so i can use Classic outlook again?

Frank Nicolette 0 Reputation points

2026-02-17T19:31:17.7166667+00:00

subscription number does not show up in billing information or account information
Mukesh D 30 Reputation points

2026-02-18T02:25:40.6533333+00:00
Hi Frank,

When switching from New Outlook back to Classic Outlook, your contacts should still be tied to your Microsoft account, so you usually don’t need a subscription number to recover them. Here’s what you can do:

Check your Microsoft account online – Go to https://outlook.office.com/people and sign in with the same account you used in New Outlook. Your contacts should appear there.

Export contacts from New Outlook –

In New Outlook, go to People/Contacts.

Look for an Export or Manage option to download your contacts as a CSV file.

Import into Classic Outlook –

In Classic Outlook: File → Open & Export → Import/Export → Import from another program or file → Comma Separated Values (CSV)

Select the CSV you exported and import it into your contacts folder.

Switching back – Once contacts are imported, Classic Outlook should display them normally.

Basically, your contacts are tied to your Microsoft account, so accessing them online or exporting them ensures nothing is lost when switching between New and Classic Outlook.

2 answers

Your answer

Frank Nicolette 0 Reputation points

2026-02-17T19:31:17.7166667+00:00

subscription number does not show up in billing information or account information
Mukesh D 30 Reputation points

2026-02-18T02:25:40.6533333+00:00

Hi Frank,

When switching from New Outlook back to Classic Outlook, your contacts should still be tied to your Microsoft account, so you usually don’t need a subscription number to recover them. Here’s what you can do:

Check your Microsoft account online – Go to https://outlook.office.com/people and sign in with the same account you used in New Outlook. Your contacts should appear there.

Export contacts from New Outlook –

In New Outlook, go to People/Contacts.

Look for an Export or Manage option to download your contacts as a CSV file.

Import into Classic Outlook –

In Classic Outlook: File → Open & Export → Import/Export → Import from another program or file → Comma Separated Values (CSV)

Select the CSV you exported and import it into your contacts folder.

Switching back – Once contacts are imported, Classic Outlook should display them normally.

Basically, your contacts are tied to your Microsoft account, so accessing them online or exporting them ensures nothing is lost when switching between New and Classic Outlook.

Answer 1

Jeronimo Fuerte 35,390 Independent Advisor

Hi! Could you please share a bit more information about this situation, when exactly are you being asked for a subscription number? If possible, please share a screenshot of the prompt with any personal info hidden.

Also, did you only use one email account in the new Outlook app, or did you add multiple accounts? If you used several accounts, have you already added all of them in classic Outlook and confirmed they work there?

Answer 2

Frank Nicolette 0

subscription number does not show up in billing information or account information

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Recovering contact lists from New outlook when switching back to classic outlook

2 answers

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