The Outlook app on iPhone has no separate sign-out button. To sign out, you remove the account from the app: open Outlook’s Settings, go to Accounts, select the email account, and tap Remove Account.
Applies to: Outlook for iOS on iPhone and iPad. Checked against Microsoft Support on October 7, 2026.
Before you remove the account
- Know which app holds the account. These steps are for the Microsoft Outlook app. An Outlook.com or Hotmail address that you added to Apple’s built-in Mail app is managed in the iPhone’s own settings instead, which Apple covers in Add and remove email accounts on iPhone.
- Make sure you can sign back in. Adding the account again means entering the email address and completing any verification your provider asks for, so confirm that you know the password and have your verification method at hand.
- Decide whether you need to sign out at all. If the real problem is too many alerts, you can quiet one account without removing it. See the notifications section below.
Sign out of the Outlook app by removing the account
- Open the Outlook app on your iPhone.
- Tap the Accounts icon in the upper-left corner of the app. Microsoft describes it as the house icon. A side menu opens.
- Tap the Gear icon in the bottom-left corner. Outlook’s settings open.
- Go to Accounts and select the email account you want to sign out of. That account’s settings open.
- Tap Remove Account. If Outlook asks you to confirm, read the prompt and confirm. The account no longer appears in the app.
These are the steps in Microsoft’s article How do I remove my email account?, and the icon locations come from Where can I find the app settings? If you have several accounts in Outlook, repeat steps 4 and 5 for each one you want to sign out of. Accounts you leave alone keep working.
A shared mailbox, or a mailbox you manage as a delegate, is listed alongside your own accounts. Microsoft’s instructions are to go to the accounts section of settings, tap the shared or delegate mailbox, and tap Delete Account.
Despite the wording of that button, Microsoft states that this does not affect any of the data in the mailbox. In its words, you are simply removing access from Outlook mobile. See How do I remove a shared mailbox? for the vendor’s note.
Which option fits your situation
| What you want | What to do |
|---|---|
| Stop using one email account in Outlook on this iPhone | Remove that account in Outlook’s settings |
| Stop seeing a shared or delegate mailbox | Open that mailbox in the accounts section and tap Delete Account |
| Fewer alerts, but keep the account | Change Outlook’s notification settings |
| Sign a personal Microsoft account out on a phone you no longer have | Use Sign out everywhere on the Microsoft account security dashboard |
| Stop using the Outlook app completely | Remove your accounts, then delete the app |
Turn off notifications instead of signing out
Microsoft documents two places to control Outlook alerts.
- In Outlook: open the left navigation menu, tap the Settings icon at the bottom, and select Notifications. Under Mail, you can set push notifications to All, Focused, or None, and you can schedule quiet periods with Do Not Disturb or Quiet Time.
- In the iPhone’s Settings app: scroll down to Outlook, tap Notifications, and turn Allow Notifications and Sounds on or off.
One side effect to know about: Microsoft notes that if you turn off push notifications, Background App Refresh is also disabled, so Outlook cannot fetch your email in the background. New mail then shows up when you open the app. The details are in How can I turn push notifications and sounds on or off?
Sign out remotely if you no longer have the iPhone
If the phone is lost, sold, or with someone else, you cannot use the in-app steps. For a personal Microsoft account, Microsoft offers a sign-out that works from any browser:
- Sign in to Advanced security options on your Microsoft account security dashboard.
- Scroll down to Sign out everywhere and select Sign out.
According to Microsoft’s instructions for signing out everywhere, you are signed out of browsers, apps, and anywhere else the account is used within 24 hours, with the exception of an Xbox console. Because it can take up to a day, do not treat it as instant. This option belongs to the Microsoft account dashboard, so for a work or school mailbox, contact your organization’s IT team instead.
How to confirm it worked, and how to sign back in
Go back to Outlook’s settings and look at the list of accounts. The account you removed should no longer be listed, and its inbox and calendar should no longer be offered in the app.
To sign back in later:
- Open Outlook. At the top of the app, tap Inbox, and then select Settings.
- Select Account, then Add Account.
- Tap Email Account, enter your email address, and follow the prompts to authenticate. If multi-factor authentication is turned on for the account, complete the verification step.
If you removed the only account, Outlook shows its first-run screen when you open it, with Add Account and Create New Account. These steps come from Microsoft’s Set up the Outlook app for iOS.
Troubleshooting
You cannot find the settings
Microsoft describes two routes to the same place: the Accounts (house) icon in the upper-left corner followed by the Gear icon at the bottom left, or tapping Inbox at the top of the app and selecting Settings. If your screen matches neither description, update Outlook from the App Store and look again, because the layout changes between versions.
The button says Delete Account instead of Remove Account
Microsoft’s own articles use both labels. The main removal article says Remove Account, while the shared and delegate mailbox articles say Delete Account. Either one removes the account from the app on your phone. It is not the same as closing the email account with your provider.
Outlook keeps asking for a password
If you changed your password recently, this is expected. Microsoft says Outlook Mobile prompts you to enter your latest password after a change. For repeated prompts on a personal Microsoft account, Microsoft’s sign-in help suggests installing the latest version of the app.
It is a work or school account
Your organization may manage the account or the whole phone, and managed devices can limit what you are allowed to remove. Apple notes, for example, that a device managed through mobile device management may restrict deleting apps. If a control is missing or does nothing, your IT team is the right contact, and they can also end your sessions from their side.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a sign-out button in the Outlook app for iPhone?
Microsoft’s help for Outlook for iOS does not describe one. Its documented method is to remove the account under Settings > Accounts.
Does removing the account delete my email?
Removing an account from the app is not the same as closing it. For shared mailboxes, Microsoft states plainly that the mailbox data is not affected and that you are only removing access from Outlook mobile. Your mailbox stays with your email provider, and you can add the account back whenever you want.
Can I sign out of one account and keep the others?
Yes. You select a single account in the accounts list and remove only that one.
Should I just delete the Outlook app?
Only if you no longer want the app. Remove your accounts first, then delete it the way Apple describes in Delete apps on your iPhone or iPad: touch and hold the app, tap Remove App, tap Delete App, and tap Delete to confirm. Apple also points out that deleting an app does not cancel in-app subscriptions.
How do I sign out of Outlook on a computer?
The desktop app works differently. Our guide on how to sign out of Outlook on Windows 10 covers that version.
Once the account is gone from Outlook, check whether the same address is also set up in Apple’s Mail app. If you would rather use Mail from now on, see how to set up a Hotmail or Outlook.com account on an iPhone.
Matt Jacobs has been working as an IT consultant for small businesses since receiving his Master’s degree in 2003. While he still does some consulting work, his primary focus now is on creating technology support content for SupportYourTech.com.
His work can be found on many websites and focuses on topics such as Microsoft Office, Apple devices, Android devices, Photoshop, and more.