What is a Microsoft Account?

4/14/2014

A Microsoft account (formerly Windows Live ID) is the email address and password you use to sign in to any of the Microsoft services. You already have a Microsoft account if you use any of these things:

• Xbox
• Outlook.com or Hotmail
• Windows 8
• Find My Phone
• SkyDrive
• Zune
• MSN

When you use the same account to sign in to the various Microsoft services, you can take advantage of all the ways those services are connected. You can make your grocery list from your computer, and then automatically have it handy when you're at the store with your device. And, naturally, you can get your email, contacts, and calendar online and on your device. Your Microsoft account keeps you connected, no matter where you are or what device you are using.

Once you've created a Microsoft account, you can use it to buy apps in the Windows Phone Store, back up things from your device, add Twitter and LinkedIn accounts to your People Hub, and more.

Create a Microsoft account

You can use any email address you want to create a Microsoft account.

• When you first sign in on your device, your device asks if you want to add a Microsoft account. If you don’t have an account, select Create one, and your device will walk you through creating a new account.
• You can create a Microsoft account at any time at Microsoft account sign-in website.

Sign in with your Microsoft account

• When you sign in to your device for the first time, your device asks if you want to add a Microsoft account. Enter the email and password for your Microsoft account, and the device will do the rest.
• If you want to add your Microsoft account to your device later, go to Settings> email + accounts > Add an account > Microsoft account.