I no longer have the phone number that my hotmail account was linked to.

Question

I have a very old hotmail account that that i haven't had access to as i lost the phone number that the account was linked to. I am hoping that I could get the old number changed with my current number

Answer 1

You can only change the recovery phone number after you have regained access to your account, and only you can do this. Microsoft recommends having at least two to three active recovery methods in case of situations like this.

What is the exact error message you see when you try to log in to your account?

Do you have any other recovery methods, such as an alternate email address?

Answer 2

To use the old Hotmail account again and change the linked phone number, access to the account is required first. If the old number is no longer available, the security info must be updated through Microsoft’s self-service recovery process.

Follow these steps:

1. Go to the Microsoft account sign-in page (for example, via Outlook.com) and try to sign in with the old Hotmail address.
2. When prompted for a verification code to the old phone number, choose the option like I don't have any of these (or similar wording).
3. This will start the account recovery flow. Fill out the recovery form with as much accurate information as possible (past passwords, contacts, email subjects, etc.) so the system can verify ownership.
4. If recovery succeeds and sign-in is restored, go to the How you sign in / Your info page for the Microsoft account (for example, via https://account.live.com/names/manage):
   • Select Add phone number to add the current number.
   • Optionally select Remove next to the old phone number to delete it.
5. If the old Hotmail account has not been used for more than 2 years, it may have been deleted and might not be recoverable.

If none of the recovery options work and the form cannot verify ownership, Microsoft support and community forums cannot override the automated system for consumer Outlook.com/Hotmail accounts, and the account cannot be accessed or updated.

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References:

• How to sign in to Hotmail
• Troubleshoot Microsoft verification code issues
• Common problems with two-step verification for a work or school account
• Change the email address or phone number for your Microsoft account
• How to add an email address or phone number to your Microsoft account
• Help with "phone number is already used" in a Microsoft account
• Why is Microsoft texting me?