How to Create a New Outlook.com Email Account

Outlook.com email is fast, easy, and free

What to Know

  • Go to the Outlook.com sign-up screen and select Create free account. Then follow the instructions to set up an account.
  • Subscribe to Microsoft 365 to unlock premium features including 1 TB of storage and a custom domain.
  • Download the Microsoft Outlook desktop and mobile apps to sync your mail across all your devices.

This article explains how to create an Outlook email account. Instructions apply to Outlook.com.

How to Create a New Outlook.com Email Account

With a free Outlook.com account, you can access your email, calendar, tasks, and contacts from anywhere you have an internet connection. When you are ready to open a new email account at Outlook.com:

  1. Open a web browser, go to the Outlook.com sign-up screen, and select Create free account.

    Create free account options on Outlook.com web page in Chrome
  2. Enter a username—the part of the email address that comes before @outlook.com.

    Outlook.com email creation screen in Chrome browser showing the username creation field
  3. Select the dropdown arrow at the far right of the username field to change the domain from the default outlook.com to hotmail.com if you prefer a Hotmail address. Then select Next.

    Create account options in Chrome web page for Outlook.com email account showing the choice between outlook and hotmail
  4. Enter a password, then select Next.

    Create a strong password that is easy for you to recall and difficult for anyone else to guess.

    Password field in Outlook.com account creation process
  5. Enter your first and last name in the fields provided, then select Next.

    First and last names in Create account screen for Outlook.com email address
  6. Choose your Country/region, enter your Birthdate, then select Next.

    Region and Birthdate fields in email creation process for Outlook.com email address
  7. Enter the characters from the CAPTCHA image, then select Next.

    CAPTCHA screen from Outlook.com email creation process
  8. Outlook will set up your account and display a welcome screen.

  9. You can now open your new Outlook.com account on the web or set it up for access in email programs on computers and mobile devices.

Outlook.com Features

An Outlook.com email account offers all the features you expect from an email client. Plus it includes:

  • A focused inbox for your most important emails.
  • Swipe gestures to archive and delete messages.
  • The ability to schedule messages to return to your inbox at a specified time.
  • An option to pin important messages to the top of your inbox.
  • Text-formatting features to personalize your outgoing emails.

Outlook also adds travel itineraries and flight plans from emails to your calendar. It attaches files from Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, and Box. You can even edit Microsft Office files right in your inbox.

Outlook Mobile Apps

Download the Microsoft Outlook apps for Android and iOS and use your Outlook.com account on your mobile device. Outlook.com is built-in on Windows 10 phones.

The mobile apps include most of the features available with the online Outlook.com account, including a focused inbox, sharing capability, swipe to delete and archive messages, and powerful search. You can also view and attach files from OneDrive, Dropbox, and other services without having to download them to your phone. 

Outlook.com vs. Hotmail.com

Microsoft bought Hotmail in 1996. The email service went through several name changes including MSN Hotmail and Windows Live Hotmail. The last version of Hotmail was released in 2011. Outlook.com replaced Hotmail in 2013. At that time, Hotmail users were given the opportunity to keep their Hotmail email addresses and to use them with Outlook.com. It is still possible to get a new Hotmail.com email address when you go through the Outlook.com sign-up process.

What Is Premium Outlook?

Premium Outlook was a stand-alone premium pay version of Outlook. Microsoft discontinued Premium Outlook in late 2017, but it added premium features to the Outlook desktop app that is included in Microsoft 365.

Anyone who subscribes to Microsoft 365 Home or Microsoft 365 Personal software packages receives Outlook with premium features as part of the application package. Benefits of Outlook for Microsoft 365 include:

  • 1TB mailbox per user.
  • Improved malware scanning.
  • An ad-free inbox.
  • Offline email composition and automatic syncing capabilities.
  • Custom domain.
FAQ
  • How do I unsend an email in Outlook?

    To recall a message in Outlook, go to the Outbox folder and open the sent message. In the Message tab, select Actions > Recall This Message. You can't recall Outlook emails in all circumstances.

  • How do I schedule an email in Microsoft Outlook?

    To schedule an email in Outlook, compose your email, then go to Options. Under More Options, select Delay Delivery. Under Properties, select Do not deliver before and choose a time and date, then go back to your email and select Send.

  • How do I set up an email signature in Outlook?

    To create a signature in Outlook, go to File > Options > Mail > Signatures. To create a signature on Outlook.com, go to Settings > View all Outlook settings > Mail > Compose and reply. In the Email signature section, compose and format your signature, choose to add your signature automatically, then select Save.

Was this page helpful?