Note: If you receive a prompt asking whether to allow the app to access your camera (iOS) or to allow the app to take pictures and record video (Android). select Allow so the authenticator app can access your camera to take a picture of the QR code in the next step.If you don't allow the camera, you can still set up the authenticator app as described in Manually add an account to the app.

When you back up your files, apps, and settings in the cloud using your Microsoft account, you get 5 GB of free cloud storage and other benefits that protect your files with the latest security and make everyday tasks easier.

Tips: While signing in, select Yes at the "Stay signed in?" prompt if you want to go straight to your mailbox next time (not recommended for shared computers). Alternatively, check the "Don't show this again" box and select No to be prompted for your password each time.. If you can't sign in, or have forgotten your username or password, use our sign-in troubleshooter.

Note: if you need to find your console's name, on the console, press the Xbox button to open the guide, and then select Profiles & system (your account icon) > Settings > System > Console info.If you need to find its IP address, in Settings, choose General > Network settings > Advanced settings.

Note: If you forgot your account info and had to reset your security info, you must wait 60 days before closing your account.

Important Because changing your Microsoft account password is slightly different than resetting a forgotten password, this page does not cover the steps to reset your account password.

After you turn on two-step verification or set up the Authenticator app, you may run into issues if you use older devices (like Xbox 360 or a mail-sending security camera) that don't support two-step verification. For those devices, you can sign in with an app password instead. An app password is a long, randomly generated password that you provide only once instead of your regular password ...

A family group is a set of individuals connected through the Microsoft Family Safety app on their Windows, Xbox, or mobile devices. Establishing a family group is an easy, effective way to encourage healthy online habits and manage busy schedules.

Turn on caret browsing indefinitely by going to Settings and more > Settings > Accessibility and turn on Navigate pages with a text cursor. With caret browsing on, you can move the caret within a web page using the Up, Down, Left, and Right directional arrow keys and Home, Page Up, and Page Down buttons on your keyboard.. To select text, images, or other elements on the page, hold down Shift ...

If you're moving from a Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 PC to a new Windows device, you'll find that the best way to get apps and games is through Microsoft Store.