I'm stuck in Outlook sign-in loop

Question

My email is auto-filled and selecting Continue logs me back in automatically without prompting for a password, even though I have two-factor authentication enabled.

Answer 1

Hi Cemil Chamma

I understand you’re having a problem with new Outlook for Windows getting stuck in a sign-in loop where the email is auto-filled and selecting Continue signs in silently (no password / no 2FA prompt). Does the same account sign in normally on the web (no loop), or is the loop only happening inside the new Outlook app? 

The repeating Continue behavior may indicate that the app is reusing an existing sign-in session. Please follow these steps: 

1) Force a full re-authentication by signing out everywhere 

Use Microsoft’s Sign out everywhere option so Outlook is forced to request credentials again on next launch. Go to Advanced security options and choose Sign out everywhere. This signs you out across browsers and apps (may take up to 24 hours). Then reopen new Outlook and try signing in again.  

See: How to sign out of your Microsoft account everywhere - Microsoft Support 

2) Repair or reset the new Outlook app

• Open Settings > Apps > Installed apps.  
• Find Outlook (new) > select … (More) > Advanced options.  
• Select Repair first. If that doesn’t fix the loop, select Reset (Reset removes local app data and forces sign-in again).  

Reference: Repair apps and programs in Windows - Microsoft Support 

3) Make sure WebView2 Runtime is available and up to date 

Render web-based sign-in and experiences relying on Microsoft Edge WebView2 Runtime. If WebView2 isn’t present or is outdated, sign-in flows can break or behave unexpectedly. Please update Microsoft Edge typically updates the WebView2 runtime as well, then reboot and retry. Reference: Microsoft Edge WebView2 and Microsoft 365 Apps - Microsoft 365 Apps | Microsoft Learn 

4) If the loop persists: uninstall and reinstall new Outlook 

Uninstall new Outlook from Start (or Windows Settings), then reinstall it from the Microsoft Store. See: Outlook for Windows not responding, hangs, freezes, or stops working - Microsoft Support 

Please tell me how it goes. If the problem persists, please don’t hesitate to reply to this thread and I will be happy to help. Have a lovely day!   

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Answer 2

This behavior usually happens when Outlook is reusing cached credentials or a remembered sign-in session, so the account is being silently authenticated instead of prompting for password and 2FA.

To break the loop and force a fresh sign-in:

1. Clear cached Windows/Office credentials
   • Open Control Panel → Credential Manager → Windows Credentials.
   • Remove any entries related to Outlook, Office, or MicrosoftAccount/ADAL/OneAuth.
   • Close Credential Manager.
2. Restart Outlook and sign in again
   • Close Outlook completely.
   • Reopen Outlook; when prompted, enter the account email.
   • This time Outlook should ask for password and then 2-factor authentication.
3. If the loop continues
   • Sign out of the account in all Office apps on the PC (File → Account → Sign out), then close all Office apps and sign back in.
   • If managed by an organization, ask the IT admin to confirm that Modern Authentication is enabled and not forcing silent SSO in a way that bypasses prompts.

If Outlook instead keeps prompting for a password repeatedly (opposite problem), clearing cached credentials as above is also the recommended fix.

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References:

• Do you know how to fix the issue where Outlook keeps prompting for a password even though credentials are saved - Microsoft Q&A