Microsoft 365 Free Trial - activated but can't access?

Anon 0 Reputation points
2026-07-14T01:08:51.8166667+00:00

I activated a 365 personal monthly free trial through the Apple appstore and got a confirmation email sent to a gmail account. When I try to add an outlook account to the subscription by "restoring previous purchase" and signing in with an Apple ID, it says there's nothing to restore. The subscription has no email listed. How do I link an outlook account?

Microsoft 365 and Office | Install, redeem, activate | For home | iOS
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  1. Ian-T 11,560 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-07-15T09:11:16.9333333+00:00

    Hi Anon

    I understand the confusion because the Apple ID and Microsoft account serve different purposes.

    Please check Settings > [your name] > Subscriptions on the iPhone and confirm that Microsoft 365 is active. Note the Microsoft app icon shown with the subscription, then open that same app, sign out, close and reopen it, and select Restore previous purchase.

    When prompted, sign in with the personal Microsoft account used when the trial was activated, not the Apple ID. A Gmail address can also be registered as a Microsoft account, so try signing in with that Gmail address if it was used during activation.

    To connect the subscription in Outlook for iOS, open Outlook and select Inbox > Settings > Accounts > Add Account > Add Subscription, then sign in with that Microsoft account. Connecting a Microsoft subscription to Outlook

    If it still says there is nothing to restore, the purchase may not have been associated correctly. Please contact Microsoft Support and provide the Apple subscription confirmation so the account association can be checked.

    Please note that this is a user-to-user support forum. Moderators and contributors, including external Microsoft employees, are not allowed to directly interfere with Microsoft product features or access back-end systems. Our role is limited solely to providing technical guidance on reported incidents, requests, or ideas. 

    Thank you for your understanding

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