How to Add an Email Account to Outlook for Windows

Outlook for Windows can hold your Outlook.com, Microsoft 365, Gmail, Yahoo, iCloud and other email accounts side by side. There are two versions in use today — the new Outlook for Windows and classic Outlook — and adding an account works a little differently in each. If the steps for one don't match your screen, you're probably using the other.

Before you start: Gmail, Yahoo and iCloud

Microsoft notes that Gmail, Yahoo and iCloud require you to change some settings on their websites before Outlook can add the account. In practice that usually means:

• Yahoo: create an app password in your Yahoo account security settings.
• iCloud: create an app-specific password at account.apple.com (two-factor authentication must be on). See signing in to iCloud Mail from other apps.
• Gmail: follow the Google sign-in prompts. If Outlook asks for an app password instead, create one in your Google Account — it requires 2-Step Verification.

If Outlook shows “Please create an app password for Outlook on your email provider's site”, generate one and paste it into the password box.

Add an account in the new Outlook for Windows

1. Go to View › View settings (or File › Account info).
2. Choose Accounts › Your accounts.
3. Under Email accounts, select Add account.
4. Pick a suggested account or type another email address, then continue.
5. Enter the password if asked, and finish.

Add an account in classic Outlook

1. Select File › Add Account.
2. Enter your email address and select Connect.
3. If prompted, enter your password again, then select OK and Finish.

Manual IMAP or POP setup (classic Outlook)

When automatic setup can't find your settings — common with custom domains and smaller providers — set the account up manually. Microsoft documents manual setup for classic Outlook:

1. Select File › Add Account and enter your email address.
2. Open Advanced options, tick Let me set up my account manually, and select Connect.
3. Choose the account type — usually IMAP.
4. Enter the incoming and outgoing server settings (below), then select Next.
5. Enter your password (or app password) and select Connect.

Choose IMAP unless you specifically want mail downloaded to this one computer: IMAP keeps everything in sync with your phone and webmail.

Server settings for common providers

For any other address — including work and custom domains — the Email Settings Finder looks up the settings from the domain itself.

Microsoft 365 work and school accounts and Outlook.com accounts don't need any of this — add them with the automatic steps above.

If Outlook won't connect

• Password keeps being rejected: the provider wants an app password or its own sign-in, not your normal password (see the first section).
• Receives but can't send: the outgoing server needs authentication and a port that matches its encryption — 587 with STARTTLS or 465 with SSL/TLS. See SMTP ports explained.
• A bounce with a code like 535 or 550: look it up in SMTP error codes explained.
• Removing an account in the new Outlook: for non-Microsoft accounts, “Remove from all devices” can permanently delete items that exist only in the cloud copy. Check the provider's webmail first.