Email Alias for Hotmail, Live, or Outlook Accounts

Guide on how to create, manage, and use email aliases with your Microsoft Account.

What is an Email Alias?

An alias is an additional email address that uses the same inbox, contact list, and account settings as your primary alias.

• Example: If your main email is john@outlook.com, you can add john.shopping@outlook.com.
• Emails sent to either address arrive in the same inbox.
• You can sign in to your Microsoft account with any of your aliases (using the same password).

Why Use Aliases?

• Privacy: Use different addresses for different purposes (e.g., one for shopping, one for work).
• Security: Create a specialized alias only for logging in, and disable login for your public email address. This stops hackers from brute-forcing your login even if they know your email.
• Organization: Filter emails addressed to specific aliases into separate folders.

How to Add an Alias

1. Sign in to the Microsoft Account website.
2. Go to Your info (top menu).
3. Under "Account info", click Edit account info.
4. Click Add email.
5. Choose one option:
   • Create a new email address and add it as an alias: Create a new @outlook.com address.
   • Add an existing email address as a Microsoft account alias: Add a non-Microsoft email (like Gmail) to use as a login ID.
6. Click Add alias.

How to Remove an Alias

⚠️ Warning: If you remove an @outlook.com, @live.com, or @hotmail.com alias, it is permanently deleted. You can never get it back, and no one else can ever register it.

1. Go to Edit account info (as above).
2. Click Remove next to the alias you want to delete.
3. Confirm the deletion.

Setting Primary Alias

Your primary alias is the name that appears when you send email and on your profile.

1. In the "Manage how you sign in to Microsoft" section.
2. Click Make primary next to the alias you want to serve as your main ID.

Security Tip: Disable Login for Specific Aliases

You can allow people to send mail to an alias, but prevent hackers from using it to log in.

1. Go to Sign-in preferences (at the bottom of the "Manage how you sign in" page).
2. Uncheck the box next to any alias you share publicly.
3. Keep only one obscure alias checked (e.g., login_only_8329@outlook.com).
4. Click Save.

Now, even if your email leaks in a data breach, hackers cannot try to log in because that specific alias is disabled for sign-in!