Change your Xbox password through your Microsoft account settings

Your Xbox password is actually your Microsoft account password — the same one you use for Outlook, OneDrive, or Windows. To change it, you go to Microsoft's account website, not to Xbox itself. The process takes about five minutes and works the same way whether you play on Xbox console, PC, or the Xbox app.

You'll need to be signed into your Microsoft account and have access to the email or phone number attached to it, because Microsoft will ask you to verify your identity before letting you set a new password. If you've lost access to that recovery email or phone, the process takes longer — you may need to answer security questions or wait for Microsoft to review your account.

Key Takeaways

  • Go to account.microsoft.com, sign in, and select "Security" to find the password change option — you cannot change it from Xbox settings alone.
  • Microsoft will ask you to enter your current password and then choose a new one that is at least eight characters long and includes uppercase, lowercase, numbers, and symbols.
  • After you change your password, you'll be signed out of all your devices and will need to sign back in with the new password on each one.
  • If you cannot access your recovery email or phone, contact Microsoft Support through account.microsoft.com/security-info to verify your identity another way.

Step-by-step: changing your password on the Microsoft website

Open a web browser and go to account.microsoft.com. Sign in with your email address and current password. Once you're logged in, look for the "Security" tab on the left side of the page — it's usually near the top of the menu.

Click "Security" and then find the option that says "Change password" or "Password security". Microsoft will ask you to enter your current password one more time to confirm it's really you. Type it in and click next.

Now enter your new password twice — once in the first box and again in the second to make sure you typed it correctly. Microsoft requires passwords to be at least eight characters long and to include uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers, and at least one symbol (like ! @ # $ % or &). Once you've entered it, click "Next" and Microsoft will confirm the change.

What happens after you change your password

You will be signed out of Xbox on all your devices — your console, your PC, your phone, anywhere you were logged in. This is a security feature. The next time you try to use Xbox, you'll see a sign-in screen asking for your email and password. Enter your new password and you'll be back in.

If you have multiple devices, you'll need to sign in on each one separately. If someone else in your household uses Xbox on a shared console, they'll also be signed out and will need to sign in with their own account and password when they next use it.

If you've forgotten your current password

Go to account.microsoft.com and click "Can't access your account?" at the bottom of the sign-in screen. Microsoft will ask you for your email address and then walk you through recovery steps. Usually this means clicking a link sent to your recovery email or entering a code texted to your recovery phone number.

If you don't have access to that email or phone anymore, you'll need to contact Microsoft Support. Go to account.microsoft.com/security-info and select "I can't access my account" — Microsoft will ask you security questions or other ways to prove the account is yours before letting you reset the password.

Making your new password strong and memorable

A strong password is one that's hard for someone else to guess but easy enough for you to remember. Avoid using your username, your real name, or common words like "password" or "12345". A good approach is to think of a phrase you'll remember — like "I bought my first Xbox in 2015!" — and use the first letter of each word plus a symbol: IbmfXi2015!

If you use the same password across multiple websites, change that habit. Your Xbox password should be different from your email password, your bank password, and your social media passwords. If someone gets one password, they shouldn't be able to get into everything. A password manager like Bitwarden or 1Password can store different passwords for you so you only have to remember one master password.

Signing in on a shared console

If you share an Xbox console with family members, each person should have their own account with their own password. When you change your password, only your account is affected — other people's accounts stay the same and they can keep using theirs without signing in again.

If you want to let someone else use your account on a shared console without giving them your password, you can set up a local profile for them on that console. Go to Settings > Account > Add or manage family members, and Microsoft will walk you through creating a child account or guest profile. That person can then use Xbox without needing your password.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to change my password on the Xbox console itself?

No. Your Xbox password lives in your Microsoft account, not on the console. You must change it through account.microsoft.com. The Xbox console has no password-change option because it's designed to sign you into your Microsoft account, not to manage it.

Will changing my password affect my Game Pass or other subscriptions?

No. Your subscriptions are tied to your Microsoft account, and they stay active when you change your password. You'll just need to sign in again with the new password to keep using them.

How often should I change my Xbox password?

Microsoft doesn't require you to change it on a schedule. Change it if you think someone else knows it, if you've used the same password on another website that was hacked, or if you haven't changed it in over a year. You don't need to change it just because you changed it before.

What if I change my password but still can't sign in?

Wait a few minutes — sometimes it takes a moment for the change to sync across Microsoft's servers. If you still can't sign in after 10 minutes, make sure you're typing the new password correctly (passwords are case-sensitive, so "Password" is different from "password"). If that doesn't work, go to account.microsoft.com and check that you're signed in there — if you can't sign in on the website either, your account may have a security issue and you should contact Microsoft Support.