I can't see any recent signing in activity

Question

I went to sign in today and Outlook said 'too many incorrect attempts' after 1 try. I managed to get in but when I tried to look at recent signing in activity it had nothing listed, even though I had signed in yesterday at least once (and the day before)

As you can imagine I am very worried about hackers and will change my password.

P.S. Yesterday I applied for a job on a legitimate site (Indeed.com) which involved me listing my email address.

Thanks for any help!

Answer 1

Please note that this is a user-to-user community. As moderators, I have limited access to internal development details. My role is to direct users to the appropriate support channels and resources. While I cannot provide backend analysis, I will do my best to assist you within my responsibilities.   

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Hi Adam Leen

I understand you received a “too many incorrect attempts” message even after one try, and when you checked your Microsoft account sign-in activity it showed no recent activity at all, which is understandably concerning. 

Please also follow these steps:  

• Re-check sign-in activity  
  • See the activity review page and complete the security-code verification prompt.  
• If you are being flagged/blocked by sign-in attempts 
  • When an account is locked/blocked, you can unlock it by signing in at account.microsoft.com and requesting a security code (any phone number that can receive texts can be used). You may also be required to create a new password during this process.  
• Harden the account immediately after you regain stable access 
  • If you’re worried someone is trying to guess your password, change your password and update security settings from the Security area. 
  • Also add/update verification methods (“Add a new way to sign in or verify”) so a password alone is not enough to access the account.  
• If you suspect compromise or the security pages won’t load correctly  
  • Fill in the account recovery form and in case the acsr form fails please connect to a live support agent for further escalation:  
  • Visit Contact - Microsoft Support   
  • Type a brief description of your issue in the search box  
  • Scroll down to the bottom > select Sign in to contact support  
  • Log in to another available personal Microsoft account.   
  • Under Products & Services, select "Other Products"; Under Categories, select "Manage account security", and click Confirm.  
  • Click "Chat with a support agent in your web browser" (during business hours) 

I hope this helps you regain access. Please let me know if you need any further help. Have a lovely day!

Answer 2

The Recent activity page only shows selected security‑relevant events from roughly the last 30 days, not every single sign‑in. If the last few sign‑ins were from the same device, app, and location, they may be suppressed and only the first one shown, or in some cases not shown yet.

To check and secure the account:

1. Go to the Microsoft account Recent activity page and review all listed events. Expand each event and confirm that the location, device, and app match expected usage.
2. If anything looks suspicious (unknown device, app, or location), select Secure your account on that event. This will guide through securing the account.
3. Even if nothing suspicious appears, change the password from the Security basics or Security settings page and ensure it is unique and strong.
4. On the Security settings page, review and update security info (phone, alternate email), and consider removing any trusted devices that are not recognized.
5. If sign‑in problems continue or there is concern that someone else may have accessed the account, follow the steps under Notify us if you don't recognize activity on your account, including using This wasn’t me or Secure your account on any unusual activity and, if necessary, using the “I think someone else is using my Microsoft account” option during password reset.

The job application and sharing the email address alone does not change how Recent activity is displayed, but it is good practice to monitor Recent activity and keep the password and security info up to date.

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References:

• Check the recent sign-in activity for your Microsoft account
• What is the Recent activity page?
• What happens if there's an unusual sign-in to your account
• Email is missing from your Outlook.com inbox