Fix: Unable to Add Email Account to Outlook 365

One of the advantages of Outlook is that it allows you to add different emails. However, there are times users are unable to connect their Office 365 email account to Outlook.

This makes it difficult for some users to connect their work emails to their devices. Fortunately, there are a series of ways to solve this problem, and we will detail them in this guide.

Why won’t Outlook let me add an email account?

There are different reasons you might be unable to add your Office 365 email account to Outlook. Below are some of the notable ones:

• Outdated app: If you are facing this issue on a specific device, it might be because the Outlook app is outdated. You need to update the app to the latest version to solve this problem.
• Issues with Multifactor authentication: If you have Multifactor Authentication enabled for your Microsoft 365 account, you will likely encounter this issue. To get past this, you need to disable MFA.
• Outdated PC: In some cases, this error might be because you have not installed the latest Windows patches on your PC. The solution to this is to update your operating system.

How can I fix Outlook 365 if I am unable to add email accounts?

1. Update Outlook

1. Launch Outlook and click the File tab at the top.
2. Select the Office Account option.
3. Now, click Update Options.
4. Finally, choose Update Now and wait for the process to complete.
   

If you cannot add an email account to Outlook 365, it might be because the app is outdated. It is good practice always to update the app, which should do the trick for you in this case.

2. Install and run Support and Recovery Assistant

1. Visit the official Microsoft website and click the Download button to get the Support and Recovery Assistant tool.
   
2. Double-click the download file to install it.
3. Now, click the I agree option on the Microsoft Services Agreement page.
   
4. From here, select Outlook from the available options and click Next.
   
5. Select the type of issue you are facing and click the Next button.
   
6. Finally, follow the instructions to get rid of the problem.

Another option to try if you cannot add an email account to Outlook 365 is to use the repair tool by Microsoft. This will help you diagnose the problem and give directions on how to fix it.

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3. Try creating a new profile via Control Panel

1. Press the Windows key, type control, and select the Control Panel option.
   
2. Now, click the category dropdown in the top right corner and select Large icons.
   
3. Next, choose the Mail (Microsoft Outlook) option.
   
4. Select Shows Profiles.
5. Choose Add, enter the details of the profile, and click OK.
   
6. Now, choose Always use this profile and click OK.
   
7. Finally, go to Outlook and try to add the account again.

Sometimes, you are unable to add an email account to Outlook 365 because you are creating the profile wrongly. One effective method that has worked for many users is to create the profile via Control Panel and add the account after.

4. Update PC

1. Press the Windows key + I to open the Settings app and click Windows Update in the left pane.
2. Click the Check for updates button.
   
3. Now, download and install all available updates.

An outdated operating system is a requisite for many problems, including this issue. Hence, if you cannot add an email account to Outlook 365, try to install the latest patches for your PC.

5. Disable MFA for Microsoft 365

If you are facing this issue on an Office 365 email account, it might be because you have Multi-Factor Authentication enabled. The quickest way to eliminate the error is to disable the feature on the Microsoft 365 portal.

However, it must be noted that you might have to contact your Exchange administrator to disable the feature.

Being unable to add an email account to Outlook 365 can be frustrating, as it prevents you from logging in to your important account on your PC. But with the solutions in this guide, you should be able to solve the problem for good.

If Outlook couldn’t set up your account for some reason, check our detailed guide to fix it.

You might also be interested in how to add a BCC to an Outlook meeting invite and the highlighted guide will provide all the information you need. Also, find out how to view the email message source in Outlook.

Feel free to let us know the solution that helped you solve this issue in the comments below.