Deleting an email account from Outlook
IONOS editorial team3 mins
You can synchronise the Outlook email client program with any number of mailboxes from different email providers as required. This makes it possible to manage different accounts through a clear user interface. You can delete email accounts that you no longer need from the list of mailboxes connected to Outlook with just a few clicks. We’ll show you how.
Deleting an Outlook account in the Outlook desktop app
To use the desktop app to remove an email account that you added to Outlook, follow these steps.
The following instructions apply to Outlook versions 2010, 2013, and 2016.
Step 1: Open the Outlook desktop app.
Step 2: Click on the “File tab” and then on “Account Settings” in this menu.
In Outlook 2007, you can access the account settings through the “Extras” tab.
The Outlook account settings open in a new window.
Step 3: In the “E-mail” tab, select the account you want to delete from Outlook and click “Remove”.
Outlook will notify you in a warning message that all data stored offline on your computer for this email account will be deleted.
Step 4: Confirm the warning message with “Yes” if you still want to delete the selected email account from Outlook. Back up all local data from an email account before deleting it from the list of accounts associated with Outlook.
Outlook on the Web: Mailbox management abolished
Since September 2018, the Outlook Connected Accounts option is no longer supported on the web. This means that mailbox management is no longer possible online. Email accounts that you have linked to the Outlook Web app are no longer synchronised since October 30th.
However, you don’t have to manually delete the connected email accounts on the Outlook Web app because on November 15th, 2018, Microsoft completely removed the “Connected Accounts” option from the Outlook Web app. However, messages that were previously synchronised will continue to appear in your inbox unless you remove them yourself.
As an alternative to connected accounts, Microsoft recommends that you set up automatic message forwarding for each mailbox.
For more information, see the Microsoft support pages.
Close Microsoft Account
Email accounts that you delete from this list of accounts associated with Outlook are not only removed from your email program. The account is neither closed nor deactivated and remains accessible through web applications or other desktop programs.
Your Microsoft account cannot be closed from the app either. A link is available in the support area of the Microsoft website. If you want to delete a Microsoft account you no longer need, open this link and follow the steps described there: Closing your Microsoft account.
Microsoft will delete your account 60 days after you close it. During this period, a simple login is enough to cancel the deleting process and reactivate your account.
