Account Recovery

Jonathan Freeman  0 Reputation points
2026-09-03T18:59:45.1+00:00

I got a new phone and sold the other phone after factory resetting it without taking the gmail with me and i dont have access to the gmail or the phone number and those are the only 2 things it will let me sign in with i cant sign into my microsoft account anywhere else but i am signed in on my browser and i just need to recover the account and change the gmail and phone number

Outlook | Web | Outlook.com | Account management, security, and privacy
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  1. Thomas4-N 21,530 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-09-05T11:10:17.55+00:00

    Hello Jonathan Freeman ,

    Since you are still signed in through your browser, please do not sign out or clear the browser data yet.

    Open Microsoft account Security, then select Manage how I sign in.

    • If it opens without requesting access to the old Gmail address or phone number, select Add a new way to sign in or verify.
    • Add and verify a new email address, Microsoft Authenticator, or a passkey.
    • Confirm that the new method works before removing any old information.

    If Microsoft immediately asks for verification through the inaccessible email or phone, please confirm whether you still know the password and whether two-step verification was enabled. That determines which recovery route remains available.

    Microsoft support cannot manually change the security information or bypass identity verification for the account.

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  2. AI answer

    2026-09-03T19:00:02.97+00:00

    If access is still available in the browser, add a new sign-in method first, then remove the old ones.

    1. Open the Microsoft account Security page: Sign in
    2. Select Manage how I sign in.
    3. Select Add a new way to sign in or verify.
    4. Add a new recovery method that is available, such as a different email address, Microsoft Authenticator, or a passkey.
    5. Complete the verification prompt for the new method.
    6. After the new method is working, update or remove the old phone number and old email.

    Important:

    • Do not change all security info at the same time, because the account may be restricted for 30 days.
    • A phone number can only be added to a single Microsoft account. If the new number is already linked to another Microsoft account, select Change number and use a different mobile number.
    • The option to add a new phone number might not appear for some personal Microsoft accounts.

    If sign-in is lost and the old phone number and old email cannot be used:

    1. Use the Account recovery form.
    2. If the account has not turned on two-step verification and the verification options are not recognized, use the Sign-in Helper.
    3. If the password is known but it no longer works, use Recover your account: Recover your account

    If two-step verification is turned on and none of the alternate verification methods are accessible, support agents cannot send password reset links or change account details. In that case, recovery depends on the available recovery options and the account recovery process.

    References:

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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    1 person found this answer helpful.

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