Android Tablet fails to recognize Office365 subscription

Question

Android Tablet fails to recognize Office365 subscription

Craig Zerbe 0

I have two accounts with Microsoft. I have a current subscription with Microsoft Office365. It is under the ******@outlook.com. However, my Samsung Galaxy S7 android tablet will not recognize that subscription. I have spent the entire day with Copilot trying to stop the tablet from using my other Microsoft account in the name of ******@gmail.com, which it uses every time. As a result, the Microsoft 365 app on the Samsung tablet will not recognize my subscription to 365.

John Jefferson Doyon 86,980 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-08-13T23:30:06.9933333+00:00
Hi, @Craig Zerbe

To help narrow down the issue:

When you sign in at https://account.microsoft.com/services using the @outlook.com account, does Microsoft 365 show as an active subscription there?

On the tablet, which app are you using: the Microsoft 365 Copilot app, Word/Excel individually, or both?

When you try to add the @outlook.com account, does it give you an error, or does it automatically switch back to the @gmail.com Microsoft account?

Also, is Microsoft Authenticator installed on the tablet with either of these accounts?

Click "Add comment" to let me know.

Thanks!

1 answer

Your answer

John Jefferson Doyon 86,980 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-08-13T23:30:06.9933333+00:00

Hi, @Craig Zerbe

To help narrow down the issue:

When you sign in at https://account.microsoft.com/services using the @outlook.com account, does Microsoft 365 show as an active subscription there?

On the tablet, which app are you using: the Microsoft 365 Copilot app, Word/Excel individually, or both?

When you try to add the @outlook.com account, does it give you an error, or does it automatically switch back to the @gmail.com Microsoft account?

Also, is Microsoft Authenticator installed on the tablet with either of these accounts?

Click "Add comment" to let me know.

Thanks!

Answer 1

Use the Microsoft account that has the Microsoft 365 subscription when signing in to the Microsoft 365, Word, Excel, or PowerPoint apps on the tablet. If the tablet keeps picking the Gmail-based Microsoft account, clear the saved sign-in state and sign in again with the Outlook.com subscription account.

Recommended steps:

Confirm the subscription account
- Sign in with the Microsoft account associated with the Microsoft 365 subscription.
- For mobile Office apps, that must be the account tied to the subscription, not the other Microsoft account.
Verify the subscription account works in a browser
- Test the Outlook.com subscription account in a browser to confirm the username and password are correct.
- If the account signs in successfully in the browser, the issue is likely the app using cached credentials.
Clear the app’s saved sign-in data on the tablet
- On Android, go to Settings > Apps > Outlook or the relevant Microsoft 365 app > Storage.
- Clear cache. If the wrong account still appears, clear data, then uninstall and reinstall the app.
- This removes old sign-in state so the app can prompt for the correct account again.
Reinstall and sign in with the correct account
- Reinstall the Microsoft 365 app or the individual Office apps from Google Play.
- When prompted, sign in with the Outlook.com account that owns the subscription.
If Outlook on Android is also failing to add or sync the account
- Turn off power-saving mode.
- Disable battery optimization for Authenticator or Company Portal so it can run in the background.
- Open Authenticator/Company Portal before opening Outlook.
- On some devices, these settings block Microsoft sign-in and account recognition.
If the tablet is only needed for Word and Excel
- Android tablets do not appear in the Devices page, but signing in with the subscription account gives access to Word and Excel.

If calendar or contacts sync is the remaining problem after the account is corrected, work or school accounts should be handled through the Microsoft 365 admin or technical support, and Outlook.com account issues can be escalated through Microsoft support.