Share via

Hotmail access issues

shane bunn 0 Reputation points
2026-03-17T10:31:18.41+00:00

i can't access my hotmail account on Mac but can on phone and iPad

Outlook | Web | Outlook.com | Account management, security, and privacy
0 comments

4 answers

Sort by: Most helpful
Most helpful Newest Oldest
  1. shane bunn 0 Reputation points
    2026-03-17T12:10:00.5966667+00:00

    A box comes up saying can’t connect to the account “hotmail.co.uk”.

    Enter the password for user “******@hotmail.co.uk”.

    and asks for password which I’ve tried multiple times and still no access

    Was this answer helpful?

  2. shane bunn 0 Reputation points
    2026-03-17T12:05:32.2266667+00:00

    Still no access

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments
  3. Gunasekar N 70,305 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-03-17T11:34:09.1033333+00:00

    Hello, thank you for reaching out to Microsoft Q&A.

    What is the exact error message you see when you try to sign in with your @hotmail.com account on your Mac?

    Are you able to sign in to your account normally in a web browser?

    Please try the following:

    1. Open an incognito/private browsing window in Safari on your Mac.
    2. Go to https://outlook.live.com/.
    3. Try signing in with your Microsoft account.

    If you can sign in there, your Hotmail account itself is working correctly. In that case, please let me know exactly where you are trying to sign in on your Mac and the full error message you receive.

    Was this answer helpful?

  4. AI answer

    2026-03-17T10:31:33.9966667+00:00

    Since sign-in works on phone and iPad, the account and password are valid; the issue is specific to the Mac.

    Try these steps on the Mac:

    1. Use a browser to test Outlook.com
      • Open a browser and go to Outlook.com via outlook.live.com or www.outlook.com.
      • If sign-in fails there, use the Microsoft account sign-in troubleshooter to fix sign-in problems or recover the account: use the sign-in troubleshooter linked from the Hotmail sign-in help.
    2. Check for sign-in blocks or unusual activity
      • If a message appears that the account is blocked or there is unusual sign-in activity, follow the Unblock my Outlook.com account flow referenced in the Hotmail sign-in article.
      • If the account cannot send/receive email or appears blocked due to suspicious activity, follow the unblock steps referenced in the “Can't send or receive email in Outlook.com” article.
    3. If sign-in works but Outlook.com misbehaves in the browser
      • If the account signs in but Outlook.com does not load or behaves incorrectly, check the Outlook.com service status. If the status is not green, wait until the service is normal and try again.
      • Also try a private/incognito window or a different browser on the Mac to rule out cached credentials or extensions.
    4. If using Outlook for Mac with an Exchange/Outlook.com profile
      • In Outlook for Mac, go to Tools > Accounts and check the account status. If the indicator is orange, there is a connection problem.
      • Try signing in to Outlook on the web from the same Mac to confirm the server is reachable.
      • If the account is an Exchange-type connection and requires SSL, verify in Tools > Accounts > Advanced > Server that Use SSL to connect is selected where required.

    If the account is blocked or repeatedly rejected only on the Mac after many attempts, stop trying for a while and then retry sign-in later, as repeated failures can trigger temporary protection.

    References:

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

    Was this answer helpful?

Your answer

Answers can be marked as 'Accepted' by the question author and 'Recommended' by moderators, which helps users know the answer solved the author's problem.