I have two accounts and it keeps only allowing one

claire farlam 20 Reputation points
2026-08-10T18:36:34.3866667+00:00

I have an old hotmail account and a Gmail one but I can’t access both at the same time as my Microsoft account is linked to Gmail one so it’s removing one if I try to add both how do I resolve this ?

Outlook | Web | Outlook.com | Account management, security, and privacy
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Answer accepted by question author
Victor1-V 13,025 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
2026-08-11T08:41:25.0666667+00:00

Hi claire farlam,

I understand that adding one address appears to remove the other when you try to access your Hotmail and Gmail accounts together.

Please note that this is a user-to-user forum, so contributors cannot access or change your accounts.

The Q&A Assist answer is correct that separate Microsoft accounts cannot be merged. Have you had a chance to try its suggestions? I would also like to add an important clarification: using a Gmail address to sign in to a Microsoft account does not connect the Gmail mailbox to the Hotmail mailbox.

Because you are using Outlook.com on the web, Gmail can no longer be added or synchronized as a connected account. You can instead:

  1. Access Hotmail through Outlook.com and Gmail through Gmail in separate browser tabs.
  2. Add both accounts to Outlook for Windows, Mac, iOS, or Android.
  3. Forward Gmail messages to the Hotmail account if you prefer viewing them in Outlook.com.

See: Connected email accounts like Gmail and Yahoo not working in Outlook.com.

Could you confirm whether the Gmail address is listed as an alias under the same Microsoft account, or whether it has its own separate Microsoft account? This will help determine why adding one appears to remove the other.

I hope this clarifies the difference between a sign-in alias and a separate mailbox.

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  1. AI answer

    2026-08-10T18:36:51.7066667+00:00

    Microsoft does not support merging two Microsoft personal accounts into one. A Hotmail/Outlook account and a Gmail-based Microsoft account must remain separate.

    To resolve the sign-in conflict:

    1. Decide which Microsoft account should be the main one.
      • If the Gmail-based Microsoft account is the one currently tied to Microsoft services, keep that in mind before changing anything.
    2. If the issue is the “Which account do you want to use?” prompt or account confusion, change the personal Microsoft account alias.
      • Go to Manage how you sign in.
      • Add a new alias or choose an existing alias.
      • Select Make primary for the address that should be the main sign-in.
      • Note: a work or school account email cannot be made the primary alias for a personal Microsoft account.
    3. If the Gmail address is attached to the wrong Microsoft account, remove it only after another alias is set as primary.
      • In Manage how you sign in to your account, select Remove next to the Gmail alias.
      • Important: changing the primary alias alone does not remove the old email address. It must be removed separately.
      • For non-Microsoft addresses like Gmail, the address usually becomes available to add to another Microsoft account after removal.
    4. If the goal is to use both accounts side by side, use separate places for each account instead of trying to combine them.
      • Add both accounts to Outlook.
      • Use separate Microsoft Edge profiles.
      • Use separate Windows accounts on the PC if needed.
    5. If the Gmail address was removed but still cannot be added to the other Microsoft account, verify that it no longer appears under Account aliases on the original account. If it is gone there and still blocked, Microsoft Support must review the remaining account association.
    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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