Independent guide - not affiliated with or endorsed by Microsoft. We never ask for your password, codes or account details. For official help use Microsoft's account recovery form or support.microsoft.com.
Forgot Your Microsoft Account Username? How to Find It
Published October 16, 2026. Updated October 16, 2026.
You can know your password perfectly and still be locked out if you cannot remember which email address is your Microsoft account - especially if you signed up years ago with an old @hotmail.com or @live.com address, or through Xbox. This independent guide covers the two routes Microsoft gives: a username lookup that uses your recovery contact details, and checking the devices and apps you are already signed in to. We never ask for your password or codes.
Route 1: use the username lookup
If at any point you added security info (a recovery phone number or alternate email) to the account, this is the quickest way:
- Open Microsoft's "Find your username" tool, linked from the support article below.
- Enter your security contact phone number or email address and request a security code.
- Enter the code and select Next.
- Microsoft shows a masked hint of the username in the form j********@outlook.com, enough to jog your memory.
One phone number or email can be the security info for more than one account, so you may see more than one hint. If none of the hints looks familiar, move on to the device checks below.
Route 2: check the products you already use
If you have no security info or the lookup did not help, your username is usually visible somewhere you are already signed in. Microsoft lists these places:
- An alternate address you own. Try signing in with other addresses you have, such as an @outlook.com, @gmail.com or @live.com address, in case that is the account.
- Windows 10 or 11. Go to Start > Settings > Accounts. Under Email & app accounts the usernames tied to the device are listed.
- Office apps (Microsoft 365, or Office 2016 or newer). Open Word or Excel and go to File > Account. Under Product Information, the Belongs to line shows the associated username.
- Your other email accounts. Search them for receipts or messages from Microsoft about purchases such as games, movie rentals or subscriptions - these are sent to the account's address.
- Xbox. Your account may be linked to your gamertag; Microsoft has a walkthrough for finding the email address on your console.
On macOS or iOS, Microsoft suggests checking your Office apps or mail accounts using the same methods.
Confirm an address is a Microsoft account
Not sure whether a particular email is the one? Enter it on the sign-in page at account.microsoft.com. If you are then asked for a password, that address is a Microsoft account. Microsoft also publishes a short article, "How to check if your email address is a Microsoft account", for this exact question.
If you have forgotten the username and password
When both are gone, start with the Microsoft account sign-in helper, which Microsoft describes as handling most sign-in issues. It can walk you through recovering the username and then resetting the password, or send you to the account recovery form if you cannot verify any other way. If the form is giving you trouble, see our guide on what to do when the recovery form is not working.
Work or school accounts
A username issued by an employer or school is managed by that organisation, so your IT administrator can look it up and reset the password. Those accounts use the organisation's own tools such as aka.ms/sspr for password resets, rather than the personal-account username lookup.
What support can and cannot do
It is worth setting expectations: Microsoft states that support agents are not allowed to send password reset links or access and change account details, to protect your account. They can point you to the correct self-service tool, but the username lookup and the recovery form are the mechanisms that actually return access. Anyone who phones claiming they can "retrieve your username" for a fee is running a scam - Microsoft's messages never include a phone number, and you can report scams at microsoft.com/reportascam.
Prevent it next time
Once you are back in, write down which address is your Microsoft account, and make sure a current phone number and a second email are saved as security info so the username lookup will always work. Pair that with two-step verification from our MFA setup guide and a stored recovery code, and a forgotten username becomes a minor detour rather than a lockout. For other short links, see our common aka.ms links.
Frequently asked questions
How do I find my Microsoft account username?
If you added security info, use Microsoft's username lookup: enter your recovery phone number or email, request a security code, enter it, and Microsoft shows a masked hint such as j********@outlook.com. If you have no security info, check the account in Windows, Office or Xbox where you are already signed in.
Where can I see my username on a Windows PC?
On Windows 10 or 11, go to Start, then Settings, then Accounts. Under "Email & app accounts" you will see the usernames associated with that device.
How do I check if an email address is a Microsoft account?
Enter it on the sign-in page at account.microsoft.com. If a password prompt appears, that email is a Microsoft account. Microsoft also has a dedicated "How to check if your email address is a Microsoft account" article.
I forgot both my username and password. What now?
Use the Microsoft account sign-in helper, which handles most sign-in problems. It can guide you to recover the username first and then reset the password, or point you to the account recovery form.
Can Microsoft support just tell me my username?
No. Microsoft states that support agents are not allowed to send password reset links or access and change account details, to protect your account. They can route you to the right self-service tool instead.