How to Make a Microsoft Account: Complete Tutorial

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Start using Microsoft services and features with a free account

Co-authored by Hannah Dillon Reviewed by Luigi Oppido

Last Updated: February 2, 2026 Fact Checked

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Using the Microsoft Website

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Using the Outlook Website

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Using the OneDrive Website

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Video

If you want to enjoy Microsoft’s many services—games, emails, and cloud storage, just to name a few of the perks—you will need to create a Microsoft account. Creating a Microsoft account is easy and can be done in several different ways. In this article, we'll teach you how to make a Microsoft account on the Microsoft website, the Outlook website, and the OneDrive website.

Ways to Create a Microsoft Account

Sign up for a Microsoft account on the Microsoft Live sign-up page.
Create a new Outlook account, which also functions as a Microsoft account.
Sign up for a Microsoft account through the OneDrive website.

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Using the Microsoft Website

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Open the web browser on your computer and go to signup.live.com. You will be redirected to the Microsoft sign-up page.
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Enter your email address. You can use any email address, including a Gmail, Yahoo, or iCloud email address.
- If you want to sign up for an Outlook email address, go to this section below. Signing up for an Outlook email address will also create a Microsoft account.
- After entering your email, you'll have to verify it. Enter the verification code sent to your email to continue.
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Enter your country or region and your birthdate. The country/region dropdown will automatically choose what it thinks is your current country or region. If this isn't correct, click it and choose the right country. You must also enter your birthdate on this screen.
- Click Next to continue.
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Type your name. You should enter your first and last name. You can also uncheck the box if you don't want information, tips, and offers about Microsoft products and services. If you'd like to get these notifications, leave the box checked.
- Click Next to continue.
After entering your name, you'll be shown a screen discussing your Microsoft account privacy. You can click Learn more if you'd like to read more about these points. Otherwise, click OK to continue.
If you don't want to create a passkey, click Cancel, then Cancel again. If you choose not to create a passkey and you aren't prompted to create a password, you'll be able to use Windows Hello to sign in to your account.
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Choose if you'd like to stay signed in. If you want to stay signed in so you don't have to enter your password or passkey every time you access your Microsoft account, say Yes. Otherwise, click No.^{[1]
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- You will be brought to your Microsoft account homepage after finishing on this page.

Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Using the Outlook Website

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Type outlook.com into your web browser. This will redirect you to the Microsoft 365 page.
It's in the middle of the page, under the buttons that say Sign in and Download.
Click into the box that says "New email" and type the email that you'd like to create.
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Choose an email domain in the dropdown. Next to the "New email" box, you'll see a dropdown that says "@outlook.com". You can choose between an Outlook email address or a Hotmail email address. Both use the Outlook inbox.
- Click Next to continue.
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Create a password. Your account password must have 8 characters and at least one uppercase letter, lowercase letter, number, and symbol.
- Click Next to continue.
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Enter your country or region and your birthdate. The country/region dropdown will automatically choose what it thinks is your current country or region. If this isn't correct, click it and choose the right country. You must also enter your birthdate on this screen.
- Click Next to continue.
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Type your name. You should enter your first and last name. You can also uncheck the box if you don't want information, tips, and offers about Microsoft products and services. If you'd like to get these notifications, leave the box checked.
- Click Next to continue.
Outlook may give you a verification to make sure you're not a bot. Press and hold the button until the bar fills up.
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Create a passkey when prompted. If you don't want to create a passkey, click Cancel, then Cancel again. If you choose not to create a passkey, you can use your password or Windows Hello to sign into your Outlook account.
- Once you complete this step, your account will be created, and you'll be taken to your Outlook inbox.

Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Using the OneDrive Website

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1
Visit OneDrive. OneDrive is the cloud service of Microsoft, which you can access on your mobile device or PC. Each OneDrive user has 15GB of free cloud storage, so if you want to use OneDrive to store your files, you will need a Microsoft account first.
- Open a new tab or window in your web browser and go to onedrive.live.com.
This button is next to a label that says "No account?". It's located under the bar where you can type in your Microsoft account email, phone, or Skype name.
3
Enter your email address. You can use any email address, including a Gmail, Yahoo, or iCloud email address.
- If you want to use an Outlook email address, go to this section to learn how to make one. If you have an Outlook email, you can use it to sign in to OneDrive without needing to make a new account.
- After entering your email, you'll have to verify it. Enter the verification code sent to your email to continue.
4
Enter your country or region and your birthdate. The country/region dropdown will automatically choose what it thinks is your current country or region. If this isn't correct, click it and choose the right country. You must also enter your birthdate on this screen.
- Click Next to continue.
5
Type your name. You should enter your first and last name. You can also uncheck the box if you don't want information, tips, and offers about Microsoft products and services. If you'd like to get these notifications, leave the box checked.
- Click Next to continue.
After entering your name, you'll be shown a screen discussing your Microsoft account privacy. You can click Learn more if you'd like to read more about these points. Otherwise, click OK to continue.
If you don't want to create a passkey, click Cancel, then Cancel again. If you choose not to create a passkey and you aren't prompted to create a password, you'll be able to use Windows Hello to sign in to your account.
8
Choose if you'd like to stay signed in. If you want to stay signed in so you don't have to enter your password or passkey every time you access your Microsoft account, say Yes. Otherwise, click No.
- You will be brought to your Microsoft account homepage after finishing on this page.

Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Using a Windows Phone (Discontinued)

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1
Access Xbox. Scroll down the home screen of your Windows phone until you find the green Xbox tile. Tap it to open the Xbox Game screen.
- Note: Windows phones have been discontinued.^{[2]
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  Research source} The steps below are included for historical purposes.
You will be shown two options: "Join Xbox or sign in" and "Can’t see your Xbox account?"
Tap "Join Xbox or sign in," and you will then be informed that you will need a Microsoft account to sign in. Tap "Sign in" at the bottom of the message. The next message will ask you to sign in or create an account. Tap "Create one" to proceed.
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Enter a Microsoft email address you want. The next screen will have one text field where you should enter the email address you want for your Microsoft account. The address will be like this: example@live.com, where you replace "example" with whatever you want for your email address.
- When you’re done, tap "Next" at the bottom to continue.
In the first field of the next screen, enter a password. Note that the password is case-sensitive. Reenter the password in the second field to verify, and tap "Next" at the bottom to proceed.
Do this in the field at the top of the new screen. This alternate email address will be used for recovery purposes in the event you forget your Microsoft account password.
Do this by tapping "Choose date" below the alternate email address field, and then entering the month, day, and year. When you’re done, tap the checkmark at the bottom.
The last box on the screen is for your postal code. Tap it and enter your postal code. When you’re done, tap "Next" to proceed. The Windows phone will now begin creating your Microsoft account.
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Back up your Windows phone. As an option, you will be asked if you want to back up the data of your Windows phone to your Microsoft account. Tap "Yes" if you want to back up your phone, or "Not now."
- You have just created a Microsoft account on your Windows phone. Continue with the setup on your phone’s screen to set up a Gamertag for Xbox games, if you want.