How to Upgrade from Existing Hotmail Account to New Outlook.com Email Account?

Recently we told you that Microsoft has introduced a new email service called “Outlook.com” which comes with many interesting features and a clean Windows 8 style Metro UI:

Microsoft Introduces Outlook.com, New Email Service with Metro UI

If you don’t have a Hotmail account, you can create a new account at Outlook.com but if you already have an email account at Hotmail including @hotmail.com, @msn.com, @live.com, etc, you can upgrade your existing Hotmail account to new Outlook.com account without any need of creating new account at Outlook.com.

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Upgrading from Hotmail account to Outlook.com account includes 2 things:

  • Upgrading the web interface only
  • Renaming Hotmail account to @outlook.com account

If you only want to upgrade the interface of your email account when you login using a web browser, you can simply do that by visiting outlook.com website and login using your Hotmail account credentials. It’ll automatically upgrade your Hotmail account interface to new outlook.com interface.

But if you also want to convert or rename your existing Hotmail account into outlook.com account, you can do it using any of following 2 methods:

  • Method 1: By Adding an Alias to your Account
  • Method 2: By Renaming your Account

Method 1: By Adding an Alias to your Account

Microsoft allows you to create up to a maximum of 15 aliases to your Hotmail account. You can create up to 5 aliases per year. Aliases are a good way to use different email IDs for different purposes but your Inbox will be always same. You can send and receive emails from all of your aliases without any problem.

To add an alias you just need to follow these simple steps:

1. First log into your email account using outlook.com URL. After login, select Options -> More mail settings option.

Hotmail_Account_Settings.png

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2. Now click on “Create an Outlook alias” option given under “Managing your account” section.

Outlook_Account_Settings.png

3. It’ll open the page where you can create an outlook.com alias to your Hotmail account. Just enter your desired email name in “Email address” textbox and click on “Create an alias” button.

Create_Alias_to_Hotmail_Account.png

4. It’ll ask for a confirmation whether you want to receive the new emails in a new folder or an existing folder which is your Inbox. Select the desired option and click on “Done” button.

5. That’s it. Your Hotmail account will be upgraded to Outlook.com account immediately.

Please keep in mind that you cannot sign into your email account using the alias. You’ll need to continue to use your primary account name to sign in.

Method 2: By Renaming your Hotmail Account

Another way to upgrade from Hotmail account to Outlook.com account is to rename existing email account. When you rename your Hotmail account, your old email account becomes an alias, so you’ll still receive email sent to the old account. Please keep in mind that you can rename your account twice every 12 months.

You can use following steps to rename your Hotmail account into Outlook.com account:

1. Similar to method 1, first log into your email account using outlook.com URL. After login, select Options -> More mail settings option.

2. Now click on “Rename your email address” option given under “Managing your account” section.

3. Again similar to creating alias, enter your desired email name in “New Microsoft account” textbox and click on “Save” button.

Rename_Hotmail_Account.png

4. That’s it. You Hotmail account will be renamed to Outlook.com account.

Please note that once you rename your account, it’ll change your primary account name and you’ll need to login using your new account name on all your devices such as your computer, mobile phone, tablet, Xbox, etc.

Windows Phone users should note that you’ll need to reset your phone to factory settings and then set it back up with new account name. Also when you reset your phone, you’ll lose all your personal data including your apps. So make sure to take a backup of your data before resetting your Windows Phone to factory settings.

If you rename your MSN account, you can’t rename it back. If you created your account in one country and are renaming it in a different country, you won’t be able to rename it back to your original account unless you travel back to your original country.

How to Switch Back to Old Hotmail Account?

If you don’t like the change after upgrading to new Outlook.com account, you can switch back to your old Hotmail account by selecting Switch back to Hotmail option from Options menu.

Hotmail_Account_Settings.png

That’s all for now. Are you using Hotmail or new Outlook.com account? How is your experience? Feel free to share your feedback in your comment…

The above information has been provided with the help of an official post from Microsoft Office team…

Published in: Mobiles and Internet

About the author: Vishal Gupta (also known as VG) has been awarded with Microsoft MVP (Most Valuable Professional) award. He holds Masters degree in Computer Applications (MCA). He has written several tech articles for popular newspapers and magazines and has also appeared in tech shows on various TV channels.

Comments

NOTE: Older comments have been removed to reduce database overhead.

  1. Does anybody know how to use @outlook.com alias in Windows Live Mail or Outlook? I would like to write mails in WLM instead of signing in outlook.com 😉

  2. I renamed my address, great stuff considering I created it in 2005 you know your first email that one you were always embarrassed of

  3. @Nito1234 Unfortunately it isn’t, which is why I chose to rename it completely. Bear in mind you’ll have to reset your email account settings in offline Email clients such as Windows Live Mail, Outlook, Thunderbird, etc. as well as any device that uses it such as the iPhone, iPod Touch, Blackberry, and as VG mentioned Windows Phone.

  4. Here is the official link

    blogs.office.com/b/microsoft-outlook/archive/2012/08/03/upgrade-from-hotmail-to-outlook-com.aspx

  5. Can anyone tell me is .Net backward compatible ?
    Will .net v4 run app developed using .net v2 ?

  6. Vishal,
    I’ve been told that Metro is a term to be avoided but haven’t been told what to use in it’s place.
    Do you know ???

  7. @Norbert (Bob) Gostischa: Metro is avoided because people don’t like how it looks. If you like it, feel free to use it.

  8. @MVS
    This tutorial tells you how to switch from Hotmail account to Outlook.com which means you can convert your emailname[at]hotmail[dot]com into emailname[at]outlook[dot]com.

    @Norbert (Bob) Gostischa
    True. I posted about it at AskVG social network pages. Microsoft is going to drop usage of Metro term due to a copyright issue. They are working on a new name for it.

    @Ashish
    No. You’ll need to install them separately.

  9. Just changed mine. A shame it doesn’t upgrade other services e.g skydrive to Metro. Hopefully Microsoft will make them metro soon too.

  10. the new ‘outlook’ ‘feedback’ does NOT WORK…everytime i try to use it …it says i may not be connected to the internet (i am) try again later…

  11. Hi,

    I have an email, abc[at]hotmail.com which I upgraded to outlook. I created another email abc[at]outlook.com. Now I want to receive my hotmail emails on outlook inbox. The only way I am able to do this is, by putting my outlook id on hotmail mail forward. Is there a smarter way? – i tried creating my existing hotmail id as an alias on outlook, but it did not allow me to do that. I tried renaming my hotmail account, but it does not allow that either. The only think I can do besides mail forward is link both email accounts.

    I want to start using Outlook.com mail but want my hotmail.com mails to come automatically into my outlook inbox.

  12. My Hotmail account was automatically updated to outlook. At first I was pleased until I realized I could no longer access my email from my Android. I had to delete the account from my Android email and add it again in order to get it to work properly. Too bad they didn’t post that as a note/warning when they updated the account. I spent some time trying other things before i deleted and added it back.

  13. hi
    i have been using Hotmail account since 1996.
    For the past few month i didn’t log in. When i try to login today ( 14/8/13), i cant see normal Hotmail interface, instead there is a outlook page asking me enter Microsoft email. when i tried with my old Hotmail, it shows error message.

    then i create new Hotmail (in outlook.com) with same old id. i created the same id, with a different password. But i lost all my previous emails and contact. Could you please help me out to get my old emails and contacts ??
    Regards
    Saheed

  14. I am unable to upgrade my Hotmail account because someone else apparently took it…looks like I will be staying with a Hotmail address….if I create a junk outlook.com alias will I get any additional features or is it not worth the effort?

  15. Dear
    just we need to create alias name only ? then it will be upgrade automatically ?

  16. I want to update my hotmail account but am very fearful to do it. I have Windows Vista on my computer because I have DOS database program that can only run on Vista or earlier versions. It looks like I would have to update to Windows 8 to be able to update the hotmail account (or convert to outlook). Can I update the hotmail and still keep the Windows Vista (which I must keep for my work)?

  17. Hi,

    I have been using MSN email account since 1999. Now I would like to upgrade to business account (paid account), I am currently using mac and iphone.

    Thanks.

  18. I am using hotmail account. Now need to update my account with out change my email address.
    my account is automatically updated or not ?

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