Locked out of phone email - too many login attempts. Works fine on laptop.

Question

I am locked out of my email on my phone - too many invalid login attempts. However, it works fine on my laptop. Can we chat??

Answer 1

Hi, I'm John!

Are you trying to sign in from a new device or location? Sometimes that can also trigger extra security checks.

The "Too Many Requests” error usually happens if there have been multiple login attempts in a short period of time, or new device or location, and Microsoft temporarily blocks further attempts to protect the account.

The only option for now is to wait for the full 24 to 48 hours for the lockout to clear completely.

Try not to attempt signing in during this time, as doing so will reset the waiting period back to zero. Once the time has fully passed, you should be able to sign in again without needing to reset your password.

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Click "Add comment" to let me know.

Regards,

John J.D.

Answer 2

On mobile, repeated invalid sign-ins can trigger Microsoft’s security protections even if the account still works on another device.

Take these steps on the phone only:

1. Stop trying to sign in for a while
   • Microsoft may temporarily block additional attempts after too many failures. Wait for the lockout period to pass before trying again.
2. Confirm the correct password
   • Since sign-in works on the laptop, verify the exact password there first.
   • When retrying on the phone, carefully re-enter the same password.
3. If prompted for a security code
   • Choose to receive a verification code by text or email.
   • Any phone number that can receive SMS can be used; it does not have to be the one on the account.
   • Enter the numbers from the body of the message, not from the header.
4. If no code arrives or you see “usage limit exceeded”
   • This can mean the phone number or verification attempts have hit a limit or look suspicious.
   • Wait before requesting another code and, if possible, use a different verification method (another phone or email).
5. If the Microsoft account itself is locked
   • Go to https://account.microsoft.com (from a browser) and follow the prompts to get a security code and unlock the account.
   • You may be asked to create a new password.
6. If still blocked after multiple attempts
   • For a personal Microsoft account, use the Microsoft account sign-in helper and, if needed, the account recovery form from a familiar device and location.
   • Avoid repeated rapid attempts, as they can extend the lockout.

Once the account is successfully unlocked and verified in a browser, remove the email account from the Outlook mobile app and add it again using the confirmed credentials.

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References:

• Microsoft account has been locked
• What happens if there's an unusual sign-in to your account
• Unblock my Outlook.com account
• Locked out of my Outlook account and recovery options not working - Microsoft Q&A
• Can't sign in to my email - Microsoft Q&A
• I need to speak with a real person and it seems impossible. - Microsoft Q&A