Outlook account has disappeared

Question

As of 5th February 2026 my outlook account has not received or sent any emails. Whilst I can still see my inbox etc on my laptop, I cannot now access on my mobile.

I have tried logging out / in but then get a display saying there is no such username. I also looked to open a new account with my old details and get a message to say that the username is already taken..

Has anyone encountered this / can help to fix please?

Answer 1

Hi, I'm John!

To help narrow down the issue:

Do you remember receiving any security alert before this happened?

Also, please try searching for the account using these steps from Microsoft: https://support.microsoft.com/account-billing/forgotten-your-microsoft-account-username-b2049472-3b8f-27d3-61c6-67a668453f4c Click on "Search" and follow the instructions provided.

If you receive any error messages, such as “account doesn’t exist” or anything else, please let me know.

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One important thing:

If an old @hotmail.com, @outlook.com, or @live.com address is closed due to hacking or getting deleted as alias, it cannot be recreated again for security reasons.

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Click "Add comment" to let me know.

Regards,

John J.D.