For many professionals and everyday users, accessing your email account is second nature, but seeing the password is not something you do frequently. If you are trying to configure a new device or a third-party application like a calendar or contact sync tool, you might find yourself asking how to view Outlook password instead of just resetting it. While Microsoft prioritizes security by masking these credentials, there are legitimate scenarios where you need to see the actual text, and understanding the official pathways is the safest way to proceed.
Before diving into the technical steps, it is important to distinguish between "viewing" a password and "resetting" one. If you have not previously saved the credentials on the device you are using, the password field will typically display as a series of dots or asterisks for security reasons. The goal here is not to bypass security but to retrieve the information securely through Microsoft's own infrastructure. This usually involves verifying your identity through a secondary email or phone number to ensure that only the rightful account holder can proceed.
Checking Saved Credentials on Your Current Device
If you are currently logged into Outlook on your computer and need to find the password for another application, the operating system often stores these details. For Windows users, the Credential Manager acts as a secure vault for storing passwords for websites, email servers, and network resources. You can access this tool to see if the Outlook SMTP or POP/IMAP password is saved there, which is often the case if you checked the "remember password" option during setup.
Using Windows Credential Manager
Open the Control Panel and navigate to "User Accounts" and then "Credential Manager."
Select "Windows Credentials" and look for entries related to Microsoft Exchange, Outlook, or mail.microsoft.com.
Click on the specific entry and select "Show" to reveal the password after confirming your user account password.
Keep in mind that this method only works if the password was saved locally on that specific machine. If you use multiple devices or recently changed your password, the stored credentials might be outdated, requiring you to update them or check other methods outlined by Microsoft.
Using the Outlook Mobile Application
Mobile devices handle passwords differently than desktop systems, often integrating with the device's keychain or account manager. If you are using the Outlook app on an iPhone or Android, the password is usually managed by the operating system rather than the app itself. To view it, you have to navigate to the settings of your device, not the app, to inspect the stored account details.
Viewing on iOS and Android
On iPhone, go to Settings, tap your profile at the top, and select the Outlook account.
You may need to tap the account name again to reveal server settings, though the actual secret string might be hidden for security, requiring a delete and re-add of the account to view it in full.
On Android, go to Settings, Accounts, and then find Outlook to inspect the synced data, though full password visibility often requires system-level access or third-party tools, which should be approached with caution.
Using the mobile interface helps you verify if the account is active and syncing, but it generally does not display the raw password text due to strict Apple and Google security policies.
Resetting Through the Microsoft Admin Panel
For enterprise users or those managing multiple accounts, the Microsoft 365 admin center provides the most direct way to view or reset sign-in credentials. If you have administrative privileges, you can see the status of user accounts and force a password reset that will be visible to the user immediately upon next login. This is the most reliable method for businesses that need to maintain oversight of access credentials.
Admin Console Steps
Sign in to the Microsoft 365 admin center with your global admin account.
