Keeps signing me out

Elizabeth Murray 0 Reputation points
2026-10-27T22:14:23.9066667+00:00

I'm trying to sign in to my school account, but it keeps signing back out. Once I verify the code on my outlook app, it tries to open, but then it goes right back to "Pick your account". It does the same thing on an incognito tab and I also tried clearing out my web browser cache.

Microsoft 365 and Office | Subscription, account, billing | For education | MacOS

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  1. AI answer

    2026-10-27T22:15:06.5766667+00:00

    Remove the saved school-account credentials from Windows Credential Manager, restart Windows, and then sign in again using your full school email address.

    Remove the stored credentials

    Since clearing the browser cache and using Incognito did not help, avoid repeating those steps:

    1. Press Windows + R.
    2. Enter control, and press Enter.
    3. Open User Accounts → Credential Manager → Windows Credentials.
    4. Expand entries associated with your school account, Microsoft 365, Office, Outlook, or your school’s sign-in domain.
    5. Remove only entries tied to the affected school account.
    6. Restart the computer.
    7. Open the school’s normal Microsoft 365 or email link and enter the complete school email address rather than selecting a remembered account.

    This is the next user-side step recommended for a closely matching school-account login/logout loop after browser-cache troubleshooting has failed.^1^

    Removing credentials can sign that school account out of Office and Outlook, so expect to authenticate again.

    Run one discriminating test

    Try signing in from another device or while connected to a different network, such as a mobile hotspot.

    • Works elsewhere: the problem is likely limited to the original Windows device, its stored credentials, or its network.
    • Fails everywhere: contact the school’s IT help desk because the school controls the account, MFA configuration, Conditional Access policies, and Microsoft 365 access.

    Avoid making many repeated attempts. Microsoft Entra can temporarily restrict further attempts when it detects unusual or repetitive sign-in activity.^2^

    What to ask school IT to check

    Provide the approximate time of the latest attempt and explain:

    “MFA verification succeeds in Outlook, but the browser immediately returns to ‘Pick your account.’ Clearing the browser cache and using Incognito made no difference.”

    Ask IT to:

    1. Open Microsoft Entra admin center → Entra ID → Monitoring & health → Sign-in logs.
    2. Filter by your username, the affected application, and Status: Failure.
    3. Open the matching event and review:
      • Failure reason
      • Additional details
      • Sign-in error code
      • Correlation ID

    The failure details determine whether this is an incomplete sign-in, expired session, Conditional Access issue, account restriction, or MFA problem.^3^

    Depending on the logged failure, an authorized school administrator can then use Entra ID → Users → your account → Authentication methods to:

    • Revoke sessions if stale refresh tokens are maintaining the loop.
    • Require re-register MFA only if the logs indicate an MFA registration or authentication-method problem.

    Re-registering MFA deletes registered Authenticator, phone, and software OATH methods and requires them to be configured again, so it should not be the first action when your verification code is already being accepted.^4^

    IT should also verify that the account is enabled, not locked, has the required Microsoft 365 license, and is not being blocked by Conditional Access.^5^


    References

    1. Outlook Mail Login/Logout loop - Microsoft Q&A
    2. Common problems with two-step verification for a work or school account
    3. How to troubleshoot Microsoft Entra sign-in errors
    4. Manage user authentication methods for Microsoft Entra multifactor authentication
    5. Problems signing in to a Microsoft application
    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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  2. Ruby Nguyen 3,640 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-10-27T23:16:44.5233333+00:00

    Good day Elizabeth, 

    To help me better understand the situation and assist you effectively, could you please share a few details such as:   

    1/ Does the same sign in issue occur in other Office 365 apps on your Mac, such as Word or Excel? 

    2/ Which browser did you use when testing the sign in? 

    3/ Is this the first time you have added the school account to this Mac, or was it working previously? 

    4/ What is your current macOS version? 

    This will help me better understand the context and provide more targeted support. Any additional information will help me better understand and support you.    

    In the meantime, please try the following: 

    Make sure your operating system and all other Office 365 apps are up to date. 

    Option 1: Test another supported browser 

    • If you are currently using Safari, please install or open Microsoft Edge. 
    • Go to https://www.office.com > Select Sign in > Enter your school account. 
    • Complete the verification request using Outlook or Microsoft Authenticator. 

    If the sign in works in Edge, this points to a browser related setting in Safari. 

    Option 2: Test the account in another Office 365 app 

    • Open Word or Excel on the Mac. 
    • Select Sign in > Enter the same school account > Complete the verification request. 

    Option 3: Remove saved Microsoft credentials from Keychain Access 

    Saved Microsoft credentials in Keychain Access can prevent a new authentication session from being created. Before proceeding, please make sure you know the account password and can complete the verification request. This process can sign the account out of other Office 365 apps on the Mac. 

    • Close Outlook and all Microsoft 365 apps. 
    • Open Finder > Applications > Utilities > Keychain Access. 
    • Select login in the left pane. 
    • Search for Microsoft Office and delete the Microsoft Office identity or credential entries. 
    • Search for ADAL and delete the ADAL entries associated with the school account. 
    • Close Keychain Access and restart the Mac. 
    • Open Outlook and sign in again. 

    Please only remove Microsoft related entries and avoid deleting unrelated passwords or certificates. 

    If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out at any time. 

    Thank you for your patience and understanding. 

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