Reset your administrator password

 

If you’re an admin for Microsoft Office 365 for professionals and small businesses and have forgotten your password, you can reset it by clicking Can’t access your account? on the Office 365 sign-in page. Only admins can reset their own passwords. You can also ask another admin to reset your password for you. For more information about how an admin can reset your password, see Reset a user's password.

Important

To reset your own password, you must have already provided an alternate email address and, for some admins, a mobile phone number that can receive text messages. For more information about adding an alternate email address and mobile phone number, see Create or edit users.

To reset your admin password:

1. On the Office 365 sign in page, click Can’t access your account?. If you don't see the Can’t access your account? link, click your user ID to make the link appear.

2. On the User verification page, type your user ID and the characters for verification, and then click Next.

   An email that has instructions for how to reset your password is sent to your alternate email address.

3. Keep the Office 365 browser window open while you go to the inbox where you get your email for your alternate email address. Read the instructions in the email message, and then click Reset your password now.

4. When you click the link in the email message, a security code is sent to your mobile phone only if your organization has a custom domain that you’ve set up to use with Office 365.

   If this requirement doesn’t apply to you, you don’t need a security code, and you can skip to Step 6.

   Important

   You need to respond within 10 minutes to the email and to the text message. Complete the reset process by using the same computer and browser session. If you close your browser window or take longer than 10 minutes to respond, you'll have to start the process over again.

5. On the Mobile phone verification page, type the Security code you received on your mobile phone.

6. On the Create a new password page, type a new password, confirm the new password, and then click Finish.

7. When you receive confirmation that your password has been reset, click the link on the confirmation page, and then sign in to Office 365 with your new password.

   Note

   When your password is changed in Office 365, be sure that you also update your password on your phone and desktop email program to match the new password.

If you have not provided the necessary mobile phone number and email address required to reset your own password, request a password reset by submitting a service request.

See Also

Reset a user's password

[Video] Performing Administrator Self-Serve Password Resets in Office 365
[Video] Troubleshooting Administrator Self-Serve Password Resets in Office 365
Self-service password reset error in Office 365: "Invalid Security Code"