How to sign out of your Microsoft account everywhere

Why Sign Out Everywhere?

Signing out of your Microsoft account everywhere is a smart security step to take if you’re concerned about who might be using your account or if you’ve logged in on a public computer.

Another common reason is using a public computer. Perhaps you logged into your Microsoft account at a library, an internet cafe, or a friend’s house. It’s easy to forget to sign out of everything on these shared machines. Signing out from your own device ensures your account is no longer active there, even if you forgot to log out on the public one.

Sometimes, you might want to tidy up. You could have logged into your account on old devices you no longer use, or on devices that were lost or stolen. Signing out everywhere helps you see and manage which devices are connected to your Microsoft account. This leads to a cleaner and more secure online presence.

How to Sign Out Everywhere: Step by Step

Ready to take control? Follow these steps. You’ll need a device with internet access and your Microsoft account login details.

Step 1Go to Your Microsoft Account Security Page

To start signing out of your Microsoft account everywhere, you first need to go to your account’s security page, where you can manage all your security settings.

• Open your web browser.
• Go to the Microsoft account security page. You can often find this by searching for “Microsoft account security” or by going to a Microsoft support page that guides you there. The Microsoft account dashboard is a good starting point.
• You will be asked to sign in with your Microsoft account email and password. Make sure you use the right login details for the account you want to secure.

Step 2Find the “Sign out everywhere” Option

Once you’re logged into your Microsoft security dashboard, look for the ‘Sign out everywhere’ option. You’ll usually find it under advanced security settings or device activity.

• After signing in, look for a section that might say “Advanced security options,” “Security settings,” or “Device activity.”
• Scroll through the options. You are looking for a clear link or button that says something like “Sign out everywhere” or “Sign out on all devices.” Microsoft often puts this feature near the bottom of the security settings page.

Step 3Start the Sign-Out Process

When you find the ‘Sign out everywhere’ button, click it to begin ending all your active Microsoft account sessions on different devices.

• Click on the “Sign out everywhere” link or button.
• You might see a confirmation message. This message will explain what signing out everywhere means and warn you about how long it might take to complete.
• Confirm that you want to continue. This usually means clicking another button like “Sign out” or “Confirm.”

Step 4Understand What Happens Next

After you click ‘Sign out everywhere,’ know that it can take up to 24 hours for Microsoft’s system to fully log you out of all the browsers, apps, and services you’re using.

• The 24-Hour Window: Microsoft says it can take up to 24 hours for you to be signed out of all browsers, apps, and other services where your account is used. This is because the system needs time to update the status for every active session.
• What Gets Signed Out: This action usually signs you out from web browsers (like Chrome, Edge, Firefox) on computers and phones. It also signs you out from apps that use your Microsoft account to log in, such as Microsoft 365 apps (Word, Excel, Outlook) and OneDrive.
• What Might Not Get Signed Out (Immediately): An important exception is often an Xbox console. Signing out from an Xbox usually needs to be done directly on the console itself. The “Sign out everywhere” feature might not cover it.

Practical Tip: If you are doing this because you suspect someone has accessed your account, change your Microsoft account password right after you start the “sign out everywhere” process. This adds another layer of security. It makes sure that even if someone had your old password, they can’t log back in easily after the sign-out is done.

Summary

Signing out of your Microsoft account everywhere is a simple yet powerful security step, involving a quick visit to your security page to activate the feature and ensuring all your sessions are closed.