Outlook Mobile App icon badge "Subscription has expired"

Question

Hi,

This is more a complaint than a technical issue. I use Outlook on mobile (android) and desktop (Win 11).

I have a Hotmail account which I have done so for over two decades. No major issues until recently. I had a Microsoft 365 account, which I paid a sub for practically a year but I don't use as regularly as I thought I would. I recently learnt that I can get a perpetual license for Office 2024 so I would prefer to do that as support runs until 2029.

However, since cancelling my subscription, I now have a permanent app icon badge on my mobile app. I did a clean reinstall yesterday and it seemingly resolved the problem; however, this morning, the badge is back. So clearly this must be a server side state that clearing my cache does not solve. I have ADHD, and the app icon has become an unscratchable itch akin to torture.

I am not getting a subscription, you can do one on that front. I think a user should be allowed to decide whether they want a subscription without pressurising tactics. Even a perpetual license as an alternative seems to be obfuscated to the masses.

Outside of a clean reinstall, how do I get rid of this?

Otherwise, I will - with great reluctance - have to start redirecting all my emails to another provider which is a monumental task in itself.

Gabe would never let this happen. Long live his holiness Lord Gaben, the best of us all.

Answer 1

Hi James,I completely understand your frustration. That permanent notification badge is an absolute eyesore, especially when you have already made your decision to move away from the subscription model.Since the badge is tied to your Microsoft account status on their activation servers, a standard app reinstall only fixes it temporarily until the app syncs with the server again.Since Microsoft doesn't provide a "dismiss" button for this specific expired subscription alert, here are the three best ways to completely scratch that visual itch on Android:

Method 1: Turn Off the Icon Badge Digitally (Highly Recommended)You can keep your normal email sound and vibration notifications but completely ban Outlook from putting that annoying number/dot badge on your phone's home screen.

Long-press the Outlook app icon on your Android home screen and tap the "i" (App Info) icon

.Tap on Notifications.Scroll down and toggle off Badge icon (or Allow notification dot, depending on your Android version).

This instantly deletes the visual trigger from your home screen while still letting you get your emails normally.

Method 2: Force an Account ResyncSometimes you can force the app to refresh its server status and realize you shouldn't be spammed with subscription alerts anymore.

Open the Outlook app and tap your profile icon in the top left

.Tap the Settings gear in the bottom left

.Select your Hotmail account under Mail Accounts.Scroll down and tap Reset Account.

The app will close and restart to rebuild its local database.

Method 3: Switch to the Native Android Mail AppIf Microsoft's server-side pressure tactics continue to bypass your settings, you do not need to change your actual Hotmail email address

. You can just dump the Outlook app itself

.Download the Gmail app or use the built-in Samsung Mail / phone mail app.Log in using your existing Hotmail email and password.You will get all your emails seamlessly without ever seeing another Microsoft 365 upgrade ad again