How do I add an exchange account to my outlook for mac

Question

How do I add an exchange account to my outlook for mac

Christina c 0

I have add one for years, yesterday afternoon went off line, removed the account but cannot re-add. Available on webmail and on remote PC so not an issue with the exchange server.

Thank you

Christina c 0 Reputation points

2026-08-20T20:07:00.3333333+00:00

“Outlook for Mac will not add my NHS Microsoft 365 account. It fails before the Microsoft/NHS authentication page with ‘Unable to add account. Please check your credentials and try again.’ Webmail works correctly. I have already updated Outlook, restarted the Mac and cleared the ADAL cache.”
Lin v 1,205 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-08-21T21:12:10.6566667+00:00

Hi Christina,I wanted to follow up on the issue and see if there have been any developments since our last communication.

Feel free to leave a comment if there's anything else I can assist you with.
Christina c 0 Reputation points

2026-08-22T19:17:16.7733333+00:00
Thank you very much for your follow up. Unfortunately, I still have the problem, I spoke with [Moderator note: Personally Identifiable Information removed] twice yesterday but each time as my call reached 15 mins being on hold much of the time, I was cut off. When I tried to connect for the 3rd time I was advised 'You've exceeded the daily call limit. Try again in 24 hours'!! Very disappointed. The 2nd time she refushed to accept that I had just spoken with her, I new as I took her name!! Reference [Moderator note: Personally Identifiable Information removed] –

[Moderator note: Personally Identifiable Information removed] – on hold 15 mins – ended call

[Moderator note: Personally Identifiable Information removed] – cut off after 15 mins

any further help would be much appreciated. I have used this solution for 10 years - why all of a sudden has it failed?!
Lin v 1,205 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-08-24T20:58:12.06+00:00

Hi Christina,

Thank you for the update. I'm sorry to hear about your situation.

Please note that, as a fellow community member, I cannot directly access, influence, or escalate Microsoft support tickets.

I also noticed the reference numbers you provided appear to be associated with a support case, but unfortunately I don't have visibility into those cases to determine their status.

If you're using an company-managed Microsoft 365 account, you may wish to contact your IT administrator or help desk. They can review the issue and, if necessary, raise a support request with Microsoft through the appropriate business support channels.

2 answers

Your answer

Christina c 0 Reputation points

2026-08-20T20:07:00.3333333+00:00

“Outlook for Mac will not add my NHS Microsoft 365 account. It fails before the Microsoft/NHS authentication page with ‘Unable to add account. Please check your credentials and try again.’ Webmail works correctly. I have already updated Outlook, restarted the Mac and cleared the ADAL cache.”
Lin v 1,205 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-08-21T21:12:10.6566667+00:00

Hi Christina,I wanted to follow up on the issue and see if there have been any developments since our last communication.

Feel free to leave a comment if there's anything else I can assist you with.
Christina c 0 Reputation points

2026-08-22T19:17:16.7733333+00:00

Thank you very much for your follow up. Unfortunately, I still have the problem, I spoke with [Moderator note: Personally Identifiable Information removed] twice yesterday but each time as my call reached 15 mins being on hold much of the time, I was cut off. When I tried to connect for the 3rd time I was advised 'You've exceeded the daily call limit. Try again in 24 hours'!! Very disappointed. The 2nd time she refushed to accept that I had just spoken with her, I new as I took her name!! Reference [Moderator note: Personally Identifiable Information removed] –

[Moderator note: Personally Identifiable Information removed] – on hold 15 mins – ended call

[Moderator note: Personally Identifiable Information removed] – cut off after 15 mins

any further help would be much appreciated. I have used this solution for 10 years - why all of a sudden has it failed?!
Lin v 1,205 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-08-24T20:58:12.06+00:00

Hi Christina,

Thank you for the update. I'm sorry to hear about your situation.

Please note that, as a fellow community member, I cannot directly access, influence, or escalate Microsoft support tickets.

I also noticed the reference numbers you provided appear to be associated with a support case, but unfortunately I don't have visibility into those cases to determine their status.

If you're using an company-managed Microsoft 365 account, you may wish to contact your IT administrator or help desk. They can review the issue and, if necessary, raise a support request with Microsoft through the appropriate business support channels.

Answer 1

Since the mailbox still works in webmail and on another PC, the issue is likely with the Mac client or saved credentials rather than the Exchange server.

For Outlook for Mac, re-add the account with these steps:

Open Outlook.
Select Outlook > Settings.
In the side panel, select Accounts.
Select + Add Account.
Enter the Exchange email address.
Select Continue and complete the prompts.
Select Done.

If the account was already configured before and stopped unexpectedly, check these requirements for Exchange Server mailboxes in Outlook for Mac:

The on-premises mailbox must be on Exchange Server 2016 or later.
Communication must use NTLM or Basic authentication.
Outlook for Mac does not support Kerberos or certificate authentication for this scenario.
Outlook or Office must be licensed through a volume license or an enterprise or business Microsoft 365 subscription plan.
Outlook or Office must be downloaded from https://office.com. Versions from the Apple App Store do not support this Exchange Server mailbox functionality.

If Outlook still does not let the account be added, the saved Mac credentials may be the problem. A Microsoft Q&A accepted answer for a similar Mac reconnection issue recommends:

Quit the Mail app completely.
Open Keychain Access.
Search for Exchange. If nothing appears, search for Office.
Delete entries related to the mailbox.
Restart the Mac.
Try adding the account again.

If Outlook needs the Exchange server name during setup, get that value from the organization that provided the email account. In Outlook for Mac, Exchange account server settings can be viewed from File > Advanced > Server.

If the issue continues in Outlook for Mac, use Help > Contact Support in the Outlook for Mac client.

Answer 2

Hi Christina,

From what you've shared, it sounds like you've already covered several of the common troubleshooting steps. The account was working previously, webmail is still accessible, the account works on another PC, and you've already updated Outlook, restarted the Mac, and cleared the ADAL cache. Here are a few things you could consider trying next:

1/ Switch between New Outlook and Legacy Outlook

If you're using New Outlook, try switching to Legacy Outlook and adding the account again (turn off the Legacy Outlook switch).
If you're already using Legacy Outlook, try New Outlook instead (Help > Revert to Legacy Outlook.).

For reference: Outlook for Mac

2/ Create a new Outlook profile

From Finder, open the Applications folder.
Ctrl+click or right-click Microsoft Outlook, and then select Show Package Contents.
Open Contents > SharedSupport, and then launch Outlook Profile Manager.
Select the Create a new profile button, and then enter a name for the new profile.

For reference: Manage profiles or identities in Outlook for Mac.

3/ Test from a new macOS user profile

Create a temporary local macOS user account and try adding the NHS account there.
If it works, that would indicate the issue is likely specific to the original macOS user profile.

4/ Check with your IT team

It may be helpful to ask them whether there have been any recent changes to authentication, federation, Conditional Access policies, or Autodiscover configuration that could affect Outlook for Mac.

If needed, they can also raise a support ticket with Microsoft in casse the situation requires additional diagnostics or backend investigation.

If you are unsure who your IT admin is, you can refer to this official Microsoft guide for assistance: How do I find my Microsoft 365 admin? - Microsoft Support.

I hope your issue gets resolved soon. Any updates would be greatly appreciated.