There are a number of possible explanations for why verification codes don't always arrive. Read through the list of the most common causes, and see if any of them apply to you, or use our troubleshooter to help guide you.

Your Hotmail or Outlook.com password is the same as your Microsoft Account password. If you can you sign in but are having problems with Outlook.com, check the service status. If the status isn't green, wait until the service is running normally and try again.

Get help and support, whether you're shopping now or need help with a past purchase. Contact Microsoft Support. Find solutions to common problems, or get help from a support agent.

In the meantime, sign in to your account to see your latest refund request status. Redeem gift cards and codes to make Xbox purchases and extend your Xbox subscriptions. Codes are 25 characters long, include both numbers and letters, and follow a 5x5 format—five blocks of five characters.

Reset a forgotten Microsoft account password. If you know your password, but just want to change it, go to account.microsoft.com Security tab, and select Change my password . If you know your username and password but they have stopped working, read My username and password have stopped working. 1.

If you can't sign in to your Outlook.com, Hotmail, Live, or MSN email account, or you're not sure how to sign in or sign out, here are some solutions.

Help with giving digital games as gifts. Note that if you purchased content that isn’t working, check the Xbox status page for any issues that may prevent you from playing, and try troubleshooting the problem before making a request for a refund: Xbox status. Troubleshoot game issues on Xbox.

Avoid and report Microsoft technical support scams. Learn how to unlock your Microsoft account and resolve 'account has been locked' error message.

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. Learn how to manage your Microsoft account security info and troubleshoot verification code issues.

Block or unblock senders in Outlook. You can block messages from specific email addresses or domains from reaching your inbox. When you add an email address or domain to your blocked senders list, Outlook automatically moves messages from that sender to the Junk Email folder.