Hotmail Login — Sign In to Outlook.com
How to Sign In to Your Hotmail or Outlook Account in 2026: A Full Walk through for Desktop, Android, and iPhone
How to Sign In to Your Hotmail or Outlook Account in 2026: A Full Walk through for Desktop, Android, and iPhone
Complete step-by-step guide to sign in to your Hotmail or Outlook account on desktop, Android and iPhone — updated for 2026.
Hotmail is now Outlook.com — Microsoft rebranded Hotmail to Outlook in 2013, but your @hotmail.com address still works exactly as before. You sign in at outlook.live.com or outlook.com, and your old Hotmail inbox, contacts and settings are all still there.
This guide covers how to log in to Hotmail (Outlook.com) on desktop (browser), Android and iPhone — plus password recovery, 2FA sign-in and troubleshooting for every common error.
ℹ️ Hotmail is now Outlook.com: Microsoft merged Hotmail into Outlook in 2013. Your @hotmail.com, @live.com and @msn.com addresses are all accessed at outlook.live.com. Nothing has been deleted — your email, contacts and folders are all still there.
Logging in to Hotmail is a very simple process, you need to get to the official login page of Hotmail, enter your account username and password and click on sign in button. If you're doing it for the first time. Here's how you can also do it on different devices.
Works on Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari and all major browsers on Windows, Mac and Linux.
Open your browser and go to outlook.live.com — the official Hotmail and Outlook.com sign-in page. You can also type hotmail.com or outlook.com — both redirect to the same login page.
Click the Sign in button in the top right corner of the page.
Enter your Hotmail email address (e.g. yourname@hotmail.com, @live.com or @outlook.com) and click Next.
Enter your Microsoft account password on the next screen and click Sign in.
If you have two-step verification enabled, Microsoft will ask you to verify via app, SMS code or email code. Complete the verification to continue.
Choose whether to Stay signed in — click Yes on personal devices for convenience, or No on shared or public computers.
Your Hotmail inbox will load at outlook.live.com/mail/. All your emails, folders and contacts are exactly where you left them.
✅ Signed in successfully? You now have access to your Hotmail inbox plus all Microsoft services — OneDrive, Microsoft Teams, Skype, Xbox and Office Online — using the same account.
💡 Microsoft Edge tip: If you’re on Windows, Microsoft Edge often keeps you signed in automatically since it uses your Windows Microsoft account. Check the top right corner — you may already be signed in.
Access Hotmail on Android using the Outlook app or the built-in Gmail/Email app.
Method 1 — Microsoft Outlook App (Recommended)
Download Microsoft Outlook from the Google Play Store — it’s free and the official app for Hotmail and Outlook.com.
Open the app and tap Add Account if no account is set up, or tap the menu icon (☰) → tap your profile → Add Account.
Enter your Hotmail email address (@hotmail.com, @live.com or @outlook.com) and tap Continue.
Enter your password and tap Sign In.
Complete any two-step verification prompt. Tap Maybe later if asked to set up additional options for now.
Your Hotmail inbox will load inside the Outlook app. Tap Go to Inbox to start reading emails.
Method 2 — Android Built-in Email / Gmail App
Open the Gmail app on your Android device → tap your profile picture → Add another account.
Select Outlook, Hotmail and Live from the list of account types.
Enter your Hotmail address and tap Next, then enter your password and tap Next.
Complete any verification if prompted. Your Hotmail account will sync and appear as a separate inbox in the Gmail app.
💡 Tip: The official Outlook app gives the best Hotmail experience on Android — it supports Focused Inbox, calendar sync, and real-time push notifications unlike third-party apps.
Access Hotmail on iPhone using the Outlook app or Apple Mail.
Method 1 — Microsoft Outlook App (Recommended)
Download Microsoft Outlook from the App Store — free from Microsoft Corporation.
Open the app and tap Add Account.
Enter your Hotmail email address and tap Add Account.
Enter your password and tap Sign in.
Complete any two-step verification prompt. Your inbox will load automatically.
Method 2 — Apple Mail App
Go to Settings on your iPhone → tap Mail → Accounts → Add Account.
Select Outlook.com from the list of account types.
Enter your Hotmail email address and password. Tap Sign In.
Toggle on Mail (and Contacts, Calendars if you want to sync those) and tap Save.
Open the Mail app — your Hotmail inbox will appear as a separate account.
Method 3 — Safari Browser
Open Safari and go to outlook.live.com.
Tap Sign in, enter your Hotmail address and password, complete verification if required.
To save it as a shortcut: tap the Share button (square with arrow) → Add to Home Screen for easy access.
💡 Tip: The Outlook app syncs calendar and contacts in addition to email. Apple Mail syncs email only unless you also enable Contacts and Calendars during setup.
🔑 Forgot Hotmail Password — How to Reset It
If you’ve forgotten your Hotmail or Outlook password, you can reset it using Microsoft’s account recovery tool. You’ll need access to your recovery phone number, recovery email, or security questions.
Go to account.live.com/password/reset — Microsoft’s official Hotmail password reset page.
Select “I forgot my password” and click Next.
Enter your Hotmail email address and complete the CAPTCHA, then click Next.
Choose your verification method — Microsoft will offer to send a code to your recovery phone number, recovery email address, or use security questions if set up.
Enter the verification code you receive. Codes expire in 30 minutes — use them promptly.
Create a new password — use at least 8 characters with uppercase, lowercase, numbers and a symbol. Confirm it and click Next.
Sign in with your new password at outlook.live.com. Your account is fully recovered.
💡 No recovery options? On the recovery page, select “I don’t have any of these”. Microsoft will walk you through an identity verification process — answer questions about your account (creation date, contacts you email, subjects of old emails) from a device you normally use.
⚠️ Account locked? Microsoft locks accounts after multiple failed sign-in attempts. Wait 30 minutes before trying again, or use the password reset page to verify your identity and unlock immediately.
Logging to Hotmail using an email client is different, first you need to download eM client. eM client comes with pre-configured settings for all well known email services, but still if you want to do it manually follow these steps.
Click on Menu, then choose Accounts.
Click on Mail, then click on Other.
Click on Next, and then it will as you to provide mail service configuration.
Enter these details in their respective fields:
Your Hotmail Email address
Your Hotmail Account password
Incoming server (Mail): outlook.office365.com
Outgoing server (Mail): smtp.office365.com
IMAP Port: 993
POP3 Port: 995
SMTP Port: 587
Encryption: SSL for IMAP and POP3 / TLS for SMTP
Once you've completed this setup, you'll be logged in to your Hotmail account on eM client for windows and now you can use it to send/receive emails.
How to Log in Hotmail using Mobile Settings?
Go to Settings > Accounts, Click on Add Account, choose Outlook then Enter your email address and password and click on "Login".
How can I Sign in to Hotmail without password?
You cannot log in to your Hotmail without entering the password for your account.
How to Log in Hotmail If I forgot password?
You can use this Password reset link anytime if you have forgotten the previous one.
How to Log in to Hotmail with Two Step Verification?
If you have two factor verification enabled on your Hotmail account, a security code will be sent to your submitted phone number. After logging in to your Hotmail account, you need to enter the security code as well in order to complete the sign in process.
How can I Sign in to Hotmail if my account is suspended?
You cannot login to your Hotmail account if it's suspended or blocked.
How to Login Hotmail without entering a password every time?
You need to click on the "Save Password for this site" button when you're logging in to your Hotmail account and from the next time it will be filled automatically.
How to Login Hotmail on securely on Public Network?
Few tips to sign in to your Hotmail account securely on public networks are:
Always use incognito mode, if you're signing in from a web browser.
Always log out of your account, once you're done using it.
Enable two factor authentication.
Avoid accessing sensitive information when you're using your Hotmail mail on a Public network.