link accounts and remove ads

Brian Heuchert 0 Reputation points
2026-11-09T15:14:08.15+00:00

I need someone to call me from Microsoft to help me with an issue. I have a 365 family subscription. I also have an outlook email address that was set up a long time ago under the free version of office. I want to link my paid subscription account with my older email address so the ads stop coming in. How do I do this? I need step by step instructions. My paid subscription is under a gmail account. My outlook email where ads pop up is [moderator's note: PII removed]@outlook.com.

Microsoft 365 and Office | Other
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  1. Vikki-T 13,945 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-11-10T09:56:49.7366667+00:00

    Hello Brian Heuchert,

    Since you have Microsoft 365 Family, you may first try sharing one of the available subscription places with the Microsoft account connected to your Outlook.com address. This does not change your Outlook.com email address or merge the two Microsoft accounts.

    • Sign in with the Gmail-based Microsoft account that owns the subscription at the Microsoft 365 sharing page.
    • Select Share and send an invitation to your Outlook.com address.
    • Open the invitation while signed in to the Microsoft account associated with that Outlook.com address.
    • Select Get started, then Join now to accept the invitation and join the family group.
    • Sign out of Outlook, sign back in with the Outlook.com account, and allow some time for the subscription benefit to be recognized.

    Please note that the two Microsoft accounts will remain separate. Microsoft accounts cannot be merged, and the subscription itself will continue to be owned and billed through the Gmail-based account.

    If the ads appear specifically in the Outlook mobile app, you can also check Settings > Accounts > Add Account > Add Subscription and sign in with the account that owns Microsoft 365. Microsoft notes that this Add Subscription option is not available on Outlook.com or classic Outlook for Windows.

    If the Outlook.com account accepts the Family invitation but ads still appear, please clarify whether you see them on the Outlook.com website or in the Outlook mobile app. You can then contact Microsoft Support for an account-specific subscription check. Available contact options, including chat or a callback, may vary by region and availability.

    For privacy, please do not post either full email address publicly. Thank you so much for your understanding.     

    Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.

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  2. AI answer

    2026-11-09T15:15:30.1333333+00:00

    Because the subscription and Outlook.com mailbox belong to separate Microsoft accounts, use Microsoft account-and-billing support to review the association rather than attempting to merge the accounts or move the subscription yourself.

    Request Microsoft support

    1. Open Microsoft Support.
    2. Under Microsoft technical support, select Get help.
    3. Sign in with the Gmail-based Microsoft account that owns Microsoft 365 Family.
    4. Enter this description:

      My Microsoft 365 Family subscription is owned by my Gmail-based Microsoft account. My existing Outlook.com mailbox belongs to a separate Microsoft account and still shows ads. I need help applying my subscription benefits to that Outlook.com mailbox.

    5. Complete the suggested troubleshooting.
    6. If it does not resolve the issue, select Contact Support.
    7. Choose Microsoft 365 and Office and then Account and billing or the closest available category.
    8. Select an offered contact method. Microsoft may offer chat or another appropriate support option; a callback is not guaranteed to appear in every region or case.^1^

    Do not post either full email address publicly.

    Why account-specific assistance is needed

    Microsoft says Outlook.com premium benefits activate automatically when an Outlook.com mailbox is associated with the Microsoft 365 subscription. It also says benefits do not apply when the subscription is associated only with a Gmail, Yahoo, or another non-Outlook.com account.^2^

    The available documentation does not provide a supported procedure for merging two existing Microsoft accounts or attaching an existing Outlook.com address from one account to a different Gmail-based Microsoft account. Avoid deleting the Outlook.com address or changing aliases until support confirms the account arrangement; an account-specific change could affect access to that mailbox.

    Conditional Family-sharing option

    Microsoft documents Family sharing for other people in the household, not for connecting two accounts owned by the same person. Ask support whether sharing to the Outlook.com account is permitted for your particular setup before using this route.

    If support confirms that it is applicable:

    1. Sign in to the Microsoft 365 sharing page using the Gmail-based subscription owner.
    2. Select Share.
    3. Choose Email invite and enter the Outlook.com address.
    4. Open the invitation while signed in to the Outlook.com account.
    5. Select Get started, followed by Join now.
    6. Accept within 48 hours.

    Microsoft 365 Family supports sharing with up to five other people. The invited account must join the subscription owner’s family group and cannot already belong to another family group.[^3^](https://support.microsoft.com/accounts-billing/subscriptions/[Subscription ID] "Share your Microsoft 365 subscription | Microsoft Support")

    If the ads are in the Outlook mobile app

    For Outlook on iOS or Android only:

    1. Open Outlook.
    2. Open the account menu and select Settings.
    3. Select Accounts → Add Account → Add Subscription.
    4. Sign in with the Gmail-based Microsoft account that owns Microsoft 365.

    This Add Subscription option is not available in Outlook.com or classic Outlook for Windows.^4^

    Finally, “ad-free” removes Outlook interface advertisements—such as banner ads and ads shown in the message list. It does not stop promotional email or junk mail delivered to the mailbox.^2^

    References

    1. Contact Microsoft customer support | Microsoft Support
    2. Subscription features in Outlook.com for Microsoft 365 subscribers | Microsoft Support
    3. [Share your Microsoft 365 subscription | Microsoft Support](https://support.microsoft.com/accounts-billing/subscriptions/[Subscription ID])
    4. Ads in Outlook Mobile | Microsoft Support
    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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