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Microsoft · No legacy feature

What happens to your Microsoft account when you die

Outlook email, OneDrive files and Xbox history can all sit behind one Microsoft account, with no built-in way to pass it on.

No legacy settingOfficial help centre

What happens if nothing is set up

Microsoft treats account privacy strictly. Its support guidance explains that it cannot provide sign-in details for an account that belongs to someone else, including someone who has died.

Releasing the contents of an account generally requires valid legal process, such as a court order or subpoena, which can be slow and costly for a family.

If no one signs in, Microsoft closes accounts after a long period of inactivity and deletes their content. Files kept only in OneDrive can be lost this way.

Steps

What to do instead

With no built-in legacy tool, the plan is up to you. A few steps make a big difference.

  1. List what is in the account

    Note whether it holds email, OneDrive files, Office documents, Xbox or Skype history, and any subscriptions.

  2. Keep important files elsewhere too

    Make sure precious photos and documents also exist somewhere your family can reach.

  3. Use a password manager

    Store your Microsoft sign-in in a password manager that offers emergency access, and set it up for a trusted person.

  4. Plan for two-step verification

    Record how someone could get past your sign-in checks, for example which phone or authenticator app is used.

  5. Write down your wishes

    Say whether the account should be closed, and which subscriptions should be cancelled.

Microsoft's policies can change, so check its current support pages for the latest guidance on deceased users.

What your family can request

Options for family are limited without your sign-in details.

  • Microsoft generally will not provide the password or sign-in access
  • Release of account content generally requires valid legal process
  • Subscriptions billed to a card can be stopped through the bank or card issuer
  • An unused account will eventually be closed by Microsoft

Documents usually requested

  • A death certificate
  • Proof of legal authority over the estate
  • A court order or other valid legal process, for any release of content

Policies change. Treat this as a starting point and confirm on each service's own help pages.

FAQ

Questions about Microsoft / Outlook

No. Microsoft does not currently offer a legacy contact or inactive account manager for personal accounts.

Generally not without the sign-in details. Microsoft says it cannot provide passwords, and releasing content usually requires valid legal process.

Microsoft closes accounts after a long period of inactivity, and their email and files are deleted.

Keep copies of important files somewhere they can reach, and leave sign-in details through a password manager's emergency access or a sealed note, for example in Sealkept, delivered only if you stop checking in.

Other services

Other accounts to plan for

Back to all accounts

Related reading

One service at a time. Or the whole picture at once.

Write one sealed note to your executor in Sealkept listing every account and what you want done. It's delivered only if you stop checking in.

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