Sending, receiving, and organizing email in Outlook.com
Try these checks in order:
- Check whether Outlook.com is having a service issue. If the service status is not green, wait and try again.
- Try signing in at Outlook.com in a private or InPrivate browser window. This helps rule out a stuck sign-in session.
- If the page keeps spinning, clear browser cache and cookies for Microsoft/Outlook sites, then try again.
- If the password is correct but sign-in still fails, use the Microsoft account sign-in helper or account recovery flow.
- If the account is being flagged for unusual sign-in activity, complete the identity verification prompts. This can happen when signing in from a new device or location.
- If the username is not recognized, make sure the Hotmail address is typed with the correct domain, such as .com or .co.uk, and try any other alias or phone number on the account.
- If mail is still syncing in classic Outlook but not on the web, restore browser sign-in first. Existing Outlook sessions can continue temporarily with an older authentication token.
- If using the iPhone or iPad Mail app, re-enter the account password in Settings > Mail > Accounts > Outlook, then open Mail and confirm syncing resumes.
If the account has not been signed in to for more than 2 years, it may have been deleted.
References:
- How to sign in to Hotmail | Microsoft Support
- How to sign in to Outlook.com | Microsoft Support
- I can't sign in to my Microsoft account | Microsoft Support
- My username and password have stopped working | Microsoft Support
- Outlook client is managing my hotmail.com mailbox. No spam being sync - Microsoft Q&A
- EMAIL ACCOUNT/HOTMAIL - Microsoft Q&A
- iOS & iPadOS users may experience issues accessing their Outlook and Hotmail accounts from the iOS/iPadOS default Mail app | Microsoft Support