I realize I have 2 different accounts. How do I combine the 2?

mem449 0 Reputation points

Somehow I have 2 different accounts. One is with a google user id and the other is Live.com. I want to keep the one for Live.com as this is where I have my 365 subscription. What do I need to do to eliminate the google account without loosing anything in the process.

Locked Question. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

0 comments No comments

Answer recommended by moderator

EmilyS726 240.6K Reputation points • Independent Advisor

Hello

You cannot really merge accounts.

This is the farthest you can do - close the Microsoft account with Gmail address, bring the gmail address into your live.com's Microsoft account as alias.

By doing so, it means - you can log into your live.com account with either the live.com email, or the gmail.com address.

However, it also means, you cannot bring any purchases, data under the gmail.com Microsot account over, that part of the merge is not supported.

If you don't have data or purchases to worry about, then this is what you can do:

Launch web browser in incognito mode, go to https://account.live.com

sign in with gmail, go to Your Info > Sign in preference, Add an alias.

Create new: this will allow you to use the native domain outlook.com to create a new alias.

Once added, make this new alias your primary alias, then you can delete the other email as alias, and gmail is free from this Microsoft account instantly. Then you can use this method to close this Microsoft account: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/account-billing/how-to-close-your-microsoft-account-c1b2d13f-4de6-6e1b-4a31-d9d668849979

0 comments No comments

3 additional answers

  1. AI answer

    Microsoft accounts cannot be merged or combined, and content such as purchases, subscriptions, files, and game progress cannot be transferred from one Microsoft account to another.

    In this situation, the Live.com Microsoft account with the Microsoft 365 subscription should be kept as the primary account. The Google-based account can continue to exist separately, but it cannot be merged into the Live.com account.

    To use them side by side without losing anything:

    1. Keep using the Live.com account for Microsoft 365 and any Microsoft services tied to that subscription.
    2. If the Google-based account is used as a sign-in alias or email address, it can be added as a sign-in method (proof) on the Live.com account by going to Manage how you sign in to Microsoft and adding it there, but the underlying accounts still remain separate.
    3. If email consolidation is the goal, add both mailboxes into Outlook (desktop or mobile) so mail from both accounts can be viewed together. For mobile, use the All Accounts unified inbox view.
    4. Do not close or delete the Google-based Microsoft account if anything important (purchases, files, Xbox data, etc.) is still associated with it, because those items cannot be moved to the Live.com account.

    If the Google-based account is not used for any Microsoft services or purchases and only serves as a sign-in, it can be left unused; closing it would permanently remove access to anything tied to it.

    References:

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.
  2. Gail Sorenson 0 Reputation points

    At least I now know that I must have gotten two Microsoft accounts--one years ago with Windows and one four years ago or so with Microsoft 365. Now my problem is still to figure out how to get into each one of these and what programs are attached to each. I'm afraid my credentials are all mixed up because I never knew I had more than one "account." I still could use help. Thanks.

    1. Gail Sorenson 0 Reputation points

      see above

    2. Stefan Blom 342.6K Reputation points • MVP • Volunteer Moderator

      @Gail Sorensen,

      Sign in to https://account.microsoft.com/services and see which products and services are associated with each of your account user names / e-mail addresses.

      If you need further assistance from your peers in the forum, please start your own thread by using the Ask a question option. Good luck.

  3. What if the other existing account is an outlook account

    1. Stefan Blom 342.6K Reputation points • MVP • Volunteer Moderator

      What if the other existing account is an outlook account

      @Crossfence Outdoor Solutions

      Sorry, you can't merge @outlook.com accounts. See Emily's reply.

      If you need further assistance from your peers in the forum, you can start your own thread by using the Ask a question option. You can include a link to the current thread, if you want to. Good luck.

      The current thread is old and it will be closed.