What does "Scheduled for removal" mean?

Applies To
Microsoft account

To help protect your Microsoft account from unauthorized changes, there’s now a 30-day waiting period before a sign-in verification method you remove is deleted.

Important

  • Security info is any alternate contact info such as an email or phone number that you added for account verification purposes. See Microsoft account security info and verification codes for more information.
  • If you see a message that says "Scheduled for removal" or "Removal is scheduled for some ways to sign in" and you did not request the change, someone may have access to your account.

Can I still sign in during the scheduled removal period?

Yes. You can still use that way to verify sign-in until the scheduled delivery time and date.

What if I change my mind?

If you change your mind during the scheduled period, follow the steps below to cancel removal:

  1. Sign in to the Additional security options page of your Microsoft Account.

    Sign in

  2. Expand the verification option to see the date and time when that sign-in method will be removed.

  3. Select Cancel removal.

What if I didn’t request the removal?

If you didn’t request the change, cancel it and review your verification methods:

  1. Sign in to the Additional security options page of your Microsoft Account.

    Sign in

  2. Expand the verification option and select Cancel removal.

  3. Check for any new verification methods and remove those you don't recognize.

  4. Follow the steps to secure your account by reading how to help keep your Microsoft account secure

See also

Removing a sign-in verification method

How to recover a hacked or compromised Microsoft account

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.

Important

To protect your account and its contents, our support agents are not allowed to send password reset links, or access and change account details.