How to change the email linked to your Xbox Live gamertag
Get rid of that embarrassing email you're using with your Xbox gamertag!

Whether you've just picked up a new email address or you want to move on from that embarrassing nickname you made a few years ago, Microsoft account aliases are the way to go. Allowing users to switch out the email addresses attached their Microsoft accounts, aliases can save your precious purchases and data, eliminating the need to create an entirely new account.
To get started with Microsoft account aliases, you'll need an Xbox Live gamertag and access to a web browser. Although the following steps are likely easier on a PC or mobile device, the browsers on the Xbox One and Xbox 360 should also suffice.
Adding a Microsoft account alias
By adding an alias to your Microsoft account, you gain an email address which can be used during the sign in process. After being added, these aliases can be configured to your preferences, with the ability to set a primary alias and remove any unused ones. Here's how to add a new or existing email to your Microsoft account.
- Login into your Microsoft account via account.microsoft.com{.nofollow}.
- Click Your Info at the top of the page once signed in.
- Select Manage how you sign in to Microsoft from the options that appear.
- Click Add Email underneath your current email address.
- From the options appear, choose whether you'd like to use a new or existing email address for your account. Select the applicable option from the list and follow the on-screen instructions to finish attaching the alias to your account.
Note: If you're adding an existing email address, it can't already be associated with another Microsoft account.
Configuring a Microsoft account alias
When visiting the 'Manage how you sign in to Microsoft' page, a list of email addresses attached to your account should appear. Once you've attached a new alias, you'll need to set this as your 'Primary alias' as the account's main associated email address. If you have an old email address that you're looking to unlink from the account, the alias can also be removed using the steps below.
- To set a newly attached address as your primary alias, click Make Primary below the main email address you're looking to use. This will set the selected address as your main address for your Microsoft Account and displayed across Microsoft services.
- To remove an old email address account from your Microsoft account, click Remove next to the email you want to detach. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete this process.
And like that, you can start fresh with new credentials for your Microsoft account. Need more Xbox One guides like this one? Make sure to check out our Xbox help, tips and tricks page.
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Matt Brown was formerly a Windows Central's Senior Editor, Xbox & PC, at Future. Following over seven years of professional consumer technology and gaming coverage, he’s focused on the world of Microsoft's gaming efforts. You can follow him on Twitter @mattjbrown.
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So after u make the alias the primary email u can delete the old one? Im thinking of trying to use my same email just change it from @hotmail to @outlook.... So I can go from myname@hotmail.com to myname@outlook.com?
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Yes. I've been changing my Passport email, Windows Live ID email, MicrosoftAccount email whenever I change ISPs and I've kept my gamer tag for over a decade, and multiple ISPs.
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So what happens to my one drive, OneNote, windows phone purchases, contacts and windows phone backups if I transfer everything over to the new account does that all transfer over as well?
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It's not a new account. It's the same account with a different primary identifier. I have all the content across every segment that I've purchased. Xbox live gold, app purchases, zune purchases, groove purchases, windows store audio/video purchases. All of my SkyDrive/OneDrive content is also still in tact. The thing with Micrsoft's account system is that you get a globally unique identifier (GUID) which is the ID they associate to everything. Your email address is just another field in the account information. As long as that GUID doesn't change, you're the same person to MS.
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Any word from MS when Family account will share my bought films with my children account? As opposed for me having to be logged into their Xbox so I can't play while they watch???
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I know for games you can set an Xbox One as your Home Xbox and anyone logged into it can access whatever games are on it without you having to login. I don't know as if the same would be true for movies, as I've honestly never purchased one, but it might be worth a shot. Having multiple consoles in one household and wanting to tie them all to the same content library definitely isn't as convenient as it could be.
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Yeah they can access my games without signing into me. I made theirs my home Xbox. But movies don't link. Even though in Accounts they are added as family members as well. I have alot of films in HD via MS store. The deals are just to incredible. Cheaper than all the shops physical. I just got The Fast Furious 1-7 in HD with all bonus content on MS Store for £14.99. In HMV it's £69.99
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Good to know. Like I said, never bought a video from MS, either on the Xbox or on my PC. Most of my movie and TV purchases are through Amazon so the rest of my family can watch them on the plethora of streaming devices we have scattered throughout the house.
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Trying this always worries me. I have two accounts: One @live that my Xbox gamertag and my Windows phone are currently on but don't prefer that login. The other is an @outlook that I would prefer and has my O365 subscription. Can I make a current account @outlook an alias to the @live and then detete the @live? What will transfer from this move (OneDrive stuff, gamer score/history, purchased content, etc)?
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No that will not work, I wanted to do the same thing and change my @hotmail to @outlook. If the @outlook account already exists, if you say add an existing email address then it says: this email address is already taken. What you could do though is add name@yourdomain.com or some other domain. I managed to get myfirstname@outlook.com and really want to move to that, but I cannot. Very annoying.
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I've tried this but it won't let me add my Live email ad an alias for some reason. I get a domain error of some sort. Frustrating as its one of my last Gmail uses.
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The question is - How to delete gametag linked to email, of course keeping the email address?
Oh, and also - can I play with one account on two consoles (360 & One S) at the same time on two different Wi-Fi? I know it works (tried) but is it safe (getting banned or something else)? -
It's safe. Although both Xbox Live, they are actually completely different services.
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I hope it works well. I need to GTFO of my @yahoo address.
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Can't change the email linked to Gamertag to an existing Microsoft email address (@msn.com, @hotmail.com, @live.com and @outlook.com) through this way.
There was an option on Xbox 360 to do, but it is discontinued.
Is there another solution?