Get to know the new Microsoft sign-in

How has Microsoft account sign-in and sign-up changed?

• Improved security. Our new sign-up experience is built around a passwordless and passkey - first experience.

• Faster and cleaner. We have simplified the number of concepts per step to make the screens easier to understand, speeding up the authentication process.

• Dark mode. Most of the new sign-in screens will support both a light theme and dark theme, which are enabled automatically based on a user’s preference. Dark mode comes to Gaming apps first.

• More logical. We also re-ordered some of the steps in experiences like Microsoft account creation to logically flow better.

What has stayed the same?

• Sign in. You can still sign in as before with your usual email address and credential of choice. Now is always a good time to review your account and make sure it’s easier to recover if it's compromised and strengthen it against attacks. Learn how.

• Account access. Your account will still access the same Microsoft products and services as before.

Why don’t I have to create a password when creating a new Microsoft account?

Over the last few years, we’ve introduced several enhancements including the ability to completely remove the password from your account and support for passkey sign in. 

The first thing to do when signing up for a new Microsoft account is to enter your email address. By bringing your own email address to your new Microsoft account, you start in a secure and recoverable state, and you don’t have to create a new Microsoft password that could be easily forgotten. 

All you need to do is verify the email with a one-time code, and this becomes the default credential for their new account - no more forgotten or easily-phishable passwords!

After you sign in, you’ll get a reminder to add a passkey, but you can always add one later.

What if I don’t have my own email address?

If you don't have your own email, or want to get a new Outlook.com email address, go to Outlook.com and select Create free account.

Why has the Microsoft account sign-in changed?

Over the past few years, Microsoft has modernized the end-user experiences for cloud services, and as new authentication methods like passkey became available, we took the opportunity to redesign our authentication experience as well. 

The redesigned experience takes advantage of modern practices that help users seamlessly transition between authentication and product experiences, and we have incorporated several user flow optimizations designed to reduce user errors and boost account security. 

We also made changes based on direct customer feedback. One of the most highly requested features was to support dark mode theming.

Learn more

How to sign in to a Microsoft account

How to help keep your Microsoft account safe and secure

How to go passwordless with your Microsoft account

Signing in with a passkey​​​​​​​​​​​​

Need more help?

Can't sign in?

​​​​​​​If you can't sign into your Microsoft account, most issues can be identified by our sign-in helper tool.
Sign-in helper

​​​​​​​Contact Support

For technical support, go to Contact Microsoft Support, enter your problem and select Get Help. If you still need help, select Contact Support to be routed to the best support option.