Outlook App - Installed on new phone, states too many login attempts and won't login despite one attempt

Question

Hi,

I recently purchased a new phone, completed the transfer/sync between the old and new phone. I went through the apps to ensure they were all working and logged in. When it came to the Outlook App, it logged in the first time. But it had a continuous loading symbol/wheel. I could not send or receive emails on my phone. I waited for hours and nothing changed. I decided to uninstall and reinstall the app. When I went to enter my account and password it stated I had too many attempts, which is not accurate. I had only one. It prompted me to then enter my password and the visible numbers/letters, and not matter how many times I entered my password correctly and the numbers/letters it would not let me login.

I can login online on my home laptop, my work laptop and old phone with no issues using my current password. There is something wrong with the app.

I looked online to troubleshoot, with recommendations to clear the cache (done), uninstall/reinstall (done), toggling between wifi and mobile data (done) and using a VPN blocker (done). All have not worked. The only thing I can see left is to wait 48hours. If that does not work, I do not know what else to do.

Any help or advice would be appreciated. I find it very frustrating that I cannot speak to someone to resolve what should be a simple issue to fix. Where is the microsoft customer support?

Answer 1

Hi Tristan Simpson,

Welcome to Microsoft Q&A forum. 

Please refer to the Q&A Assist answer above and try the suggested steps. If the issue persists, please reply with what you see after each step so I can guide you with the next best option.

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Answer 2

The Outlook app sign-in on the new phone is failing, but the account itself is working (sign-in succeeds on laptops and the old phone). The issue is with the mobile sign-in/security flow, not the password.

Use the path that matches the account type:

1. If this is a Microsoft personal account (Outlook.com, Hotmail, Live, etc.)
   1. Run the Microsoft sign-in helper to detect and fix account-side issues:
      • Go to the sign-in helper: Start.
      • Enter the email or phone used for the account and follow the steps it provides.
   2. If the helper reports no account problem, wait out the lockout window before trying again on the phone. Similar cases show that repeated attempts can trigger a temporary block; waiting the full period and then signing in again often resolves it.
   3. If the problem started after changing aliases or account details, remove and re-add the account inside Outlook (not just reinstalling the app):
      • In Outlook mobile: Settings → select the affected account → Delete Account.
      • Then add the account again so Outlook pulls fresh settings.
2. If this is a Microsoft 365 work or school account
   1. Use the self-service password reset (if enabled by the organization) to force a clean sign-in state:
      • Go to Reset password and complete the reset.
   2. After the reset, uninstall Outlook from the phone, reinstall it, and sign in with the new password.
   3. If sign-in still fails on the phone but works elsewhere, contact the organization’s Microsoft 365 admin or technical support. The documentation explicitly directs work/school users to their admin for Outlook mobile sign-in issues.
3. If this is a non-Microsoft email account (Gmail, Yahoo, iCloud, etc.) added into Outlook
   • The sign-in and lockout behavior is controlled by that provider. Contact the email provider’s support and verify that the account is not blocked, then try adding it again in Outlook after confirming access via the provider’s own app or webmail.
4. General Outlook mobile troubleshooting steps already aligned with documentation
   • Ensure the latest Outlook mobile version is installed: download the latest version. Updated security standards can cause repeated prompts or failures until the app is current.
   • If the app continues to misbehave (spinning/loading, crashes, or sign-in loops), fully remove and reinstall Outlook after updating the device OS, then try sign-in again.
5. Getting direct support
   • For Outlook.com accounts (e.g., @hotmail.com, @live.com), use Microsoft support from a device where sign-in works to reach support.
   • In Outlook mobile, when signed in with any account, support can be reached via Settings → Help & Feedback → Contact Support.

If the lockout message persists after the full waiting period and after using the sign-in helper or password reset (depending on account type), the next step is to contact Microsoft support using a device where sign-in is successful and provide details of the mobile sign-in failure.

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References:

• Can't sign in to the Outlook mobile app
• Troubleshoot Outlook mobile issues
• Outlook for Android Help
• After I changed my primary alias on my outlook.com account, I can't log back in
• Cannot login to my outlook account from iphone even though details are correct - Microsoft Q&A
• Why can't I log in to my Outlook account? - Microsoft Q&A