Service guide
How to close your Microsoft account
Route checked by TraceErase on · Page last updated
On this page
The short answer
Microsoft says a closed personal account is deleted after a reopen window that you choose when you close it, either 30 or 60 days. Closure is not instant, and signing in during the window cancels the closure. TraceErase read Microsoft’s help article and privacy statement on 7 October 2026 but has not signed in to run the flow.
At a glance
- Organisation
- Microsoft Ireland Operations Limited and Microsoft CorporationThe Microsoft privacy statement lists both companies as controllers for UK users and gives the Irish company a Data Protection Officer address.
- What this page covers
- The personal Microsoft account that signs in to Outlook.com, OneDrive, Xbox, Skype and Teams for personal use. Work or school accounts are managed by the organisation and are not covered.
- How the route was checked
- Checked by TraceErase on 7 October 2026 against the organisation’s own pages (listed under Sources). The signed-in steps have not been run, so menu names can differ from what you see, and the organisation may have changed its pages since. You follow the steps yourself.
- Official websites
- microsoft.com, live.com, xbox.com
Which request do you want?
Closing an account, erasing data, stopping marketing and getting a copy of your data are four different things. This table shows what each one means and whether TraceErase has checked its route for this organisation.
| Request | What it means | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Close the account | Ends your use of the service. It is not the same as asking the organisation to erase everything it holds. | Checked by TraceErase |
| Ask for your data to be erased | A request under UK data protection law to delete personal data. The right is not absolute, and the organisation can keep what it must. | Checked by TraceErase |
| Stop marketing | Asks the organisation to stop using your data for direct marketing. It is separate from closing the account. | Checked by TraceErase |
| Get a copy of your data (SAR) | A subject access request: you ask what the organisation holds about you and for a copy of it. | Checked by TraceErase |
| Correct inaccurate data | Asks the organisation to fix personal data that is wrong. | Checked by TraceErase |
| Complain about how data was handled | A data protection complaint to the organisation, and then to the ICO if you are not satisfied. | Checked by TraceErase |
Before you start
A personal Microsoft account is the sign-in for Outlook.com, OneDrive, Xbox, Skype and Teams for personal use, and for Windows tied to it. Closing it is a bigger step than leaving any one of those services.
This page covers the personal Microsoft account. Work or school accounts are managed by the organisation that issued them and are not covered.
Microsoft’s privacy statement lists Microsoft Ireland Operations Limited and Microsoft Corporation as the controllers for UK users, and gives the Irish company a Data Protection Officer address.
Because the account often works as a login elsewhere, and can hold recovery keys, it is worth more preparation than closing a single-purpose account.
- Save what you need. That includes OneDrive files, BitLocker recovery keys and Teams data. Saved BitLocker recovery keys are lost on closure.
- Be able to sign in. You must be able to sign in to the account to close it.
- Move other sign-ins. If other sites use this account to sign in, move them to another login before you close.
- Expect mail and contacts to go. Email and contacts on the account are deleted and cannot be recovered.
- Check subscriptions and balances separately. The help page does not discuss them.
- Mind the 60-day wait. If you recently reset all your sign-in verification details, you must wait 60 days before closing.
Close the account
Done through the website. You need to sign in to your account first.
- Sign in through the Close account link on the Microsoft help page; if you cannot sign in, use the sign-in helper first.
- Complete any verification prompt and check the account shown is the right one.
- Tick the boxes acknowledging each consequence listed.
- Choose a 30 or 60 day reopen window and give a reason.
- Select Mark account for closure.
The organisation’s own page (opens in a new tab)
Limits to know about
- If you recently reset all your sign-in verification details, you must wait 60 days before closing.
- The page does not discuss subscriptions or balances; check those separately.
- Authenticated flow was not run.
Based on: source 1
Ask for your data to be erased
Done through the website. You need to sign in to your account first.
- Sign in and open the Microsoft privacy dashboard to review and delete data linked to your account.
- For data the dashboard does not hold, use the privacy support and requests form.
The organisation’s own page (opens in a new tab)
Limits to know about
- This is deletion of specific data, not closing the account. The dashboard was not opened.
Based on: source 2
Stop marketing
Done through the website or email.
- Use the unsubscribe instructions in a promotional email or text.
- For wider choices, sign in and use the communication permissions page named in the privacy statement.
- Use the personalised ads and offers page to switch off ad personalisation.
The organisation’s own page (opens in a new tab)
Limits to know about
- The preference pages were named in the statement but not opened. Service and account messages continue.
Based on: source 2
Get a copy of your data (SAR)
Done through the website or support_form.
- Use the Microsoft privacy dashboard while signed in to your Microsoft account to access, download or delete data linked to it.
- For data not shown there, use the privacy support and requests web form named in the privacy statement.
- Choose the option to contact the Microsoft privacy team or Data Protection Officer.
The organisation’s own page (opens in a new tab)
Limits to know about
- The dashboard and request form were named in the privacy statement but not opened.
- Microsoft says it responds within 30 days or as the law requires.
Based on: source 2
Correct inaccurate data
Done through the website or support_form.
- Update details through your Microsoft account or the privacy dashboard where they are shown.
- For other corrections, use the privacy support and requests form and pick the privacy team or DPO option.
The organisation’s own page (opens in a new tab)
Limits to know about
- The request form was named in the privacy statement but not opened.
Based on: source 2
Complain about how data was handled
Done through the website or post.
- Contact the Microsoft privacy team or Data Protection Officer through the privacy support and requests form.
- Or write to the Data Protection Officer at Microsoft Ireland Operations Limited at the address in the privacy statement.
- The statement says you can also complain to a data protection authority with jurisdiction.
The organisation’s own page (opens in a new tab)
Limits to know about
- The statement does not name the UK regulator in the part that was read.
Based on: source 2
Closing the account is not the same as deleting some data
Closing the account marks it for closure, and Microsoft then deletes it after the 30 or 60 day reopen window you picked. Signing in during that window cancels the closure.
Deleting specific data is a different request. Microsoft’s privacy statement points to the Microsoft privacy dashboard for reviewing and deleting data linked to your account, and to a privacy support and requests form for data the dashboard does not hold. That removes particular data, not the account. The dashboard was named in the statement but not opened.
Which help article was read
The Microsoft help article at the UK English address returned not found, so the English (US) article was read. Wording on the page you see may differ.
Data requests and marketing choices
For access, Microsoft’s statement points first to the privacy dashboard, which lets you access, download or delete data linked to the account, and then to the privacy support and requests form for data not shown there. Microsoft says it responds within 30 days or as the law requires. Neither the dashboard nor the form was opened for this review.
Marketing choices sit in Microsoft’s own preference pages: unsubscribe instructions in promotional emails and texts, a communication permissions page, and a personalised ads and offers page for ad personalisation. Service and account messages continue. These are preference settings, so the guide on objecting to direct marketing explains the wider right if you need it.
What to expect afterwards
What changes or is lost
- Closure is not instant: the account is deleted after the reopen window you choose.
- Signing in during the window cancels the closure.
- Email and contacts on the account are deleted and cannot be recovered.
- You lose access to Xbox, Skype, OneDrive and other services tied to the account.
- Saved BitLocker recovery keys are lost.
Changing your mind. You choose a 30 or 60 day reopen window when closing.
Linked accounts. Closing the Microsoft account ends sign-in to Outlook.com, OneDrive, Xbox, Skype, Teams for personal use and Windows tied to it, and removes saved BitLocker recovery keys. Back up and move linked sign-ins first.
What TraceErase does here, and what you do
- You follow the organisation’s steps above on its own site or app, and send any request yourself. TraceErase does not log in to your accounts, does not hold your passwords and does not send requests to Microsoft Account for you.
- TraceErase shows the guidance it checked and the date, prepares an editable draft request from a template, and keeps a record of what you sent and when, with provisional response dates worked out from the dates you enter.
- A directory listing is not proof that you have an account, and following these steps is not proof that the organisation has erased anything. The organisation decides its own reply.
Sources
The organisation’s own pages that TraceErase checked this guide against, and the day each was read.
- support.microsoft.com/en-us/account-billing/how-to-close-your-microsoft-account-c1b2d13f-4de6-6e1b-4a31-d9d668849979 (opens in a new tab) · read 7 October 2026Explains the steps to close a Microsoft account and that it is deleted after a 30 or 60 day reopen window.
- www.microsoft.com/en-gb/privacy/privacystatement (opens in a new tab) · read 7 October 2026Lists the controllers for UK users and the dashboard, request form, marketing preference and complaint routes.
- support.microsoft.com/en-us/accounts-billing/manage/close-your-outlook-com-account (opens in a new tab) · read 7 October 2026States that closing an Outlook.com email account means closing the whole Microsoft account, with mail and contacts deleted.
General information, not legal advice. Organisations change their pages, so check the source for anything that matters to you.
Questions
What happens to my data when I close a Microsoft account?
Microsoft says email and contacts on the account are deleted and cannot be recovered, you lose access to Xbox, Skype, OneDrive and other services tied to the account, and saved BitLocker recovery keys are lost. The account itself is deleted after the reopen window you choose.
Can I change my mind after closing a Microsoft account?
Yes, during the reopen window. You choose 30 or 60 days when you close, and signing in during that window cancels the closure.
Does closing my Microsoft account erase everything Microsoft holds about me?
The reviewed pages say the account is deleted after the window but do not set out what Microsoft keeps afterwards or for how long. If you want specific data removed, the privacy dashboard and privacy support form are the routes the statement names for that.
Who is responsible for my Microsoft account data?
Microsoft’s privacy statement lists Microsoft Ireland Operations Limited and Microsoft Corporation as controllers for UK users, and gives the Irish company a Data Protection Officer address.
Keep track of your request
A free TraceErase account includes the directory, request drafts and a case record with dates. A plan is a separate, later choice, and creating an account does not start a purchase.