To switch accounts in the Xbox app for Windows, open Xbox, select your profile picture or account name, choose Sign out, then select Sign in and choose Switch account or Use a different account. Enter the other Microsoft account’s details and complete any security verification.
This changes the Xbox profile used by the app. It does not automatically transfer purchases, Game Pass subscriptions, achievements, or game progress between Microsoft accounts.
Switch accounts in the Xbox app
- Open Xbox from the Windows Start menu.
- Close any running game before changing accounts.
- Select your current profile picture or account name, usually near the upper-left corner.
- Select Sign out.
- Select Sign in.
- When the previous account appears, choose Switch account. If shown, select Use a different account instead of continuing with the displayed account.
- Enter the replacement account’s email address, phone number, or Skype ID.
- Complete two-factor authentication, a passkey, authenticator approval, or security-code request if prompted.
After signing in, check the displayed gamertag, profile picture, friends list, achievements, and library. The Xbox PC app is Microsoft’s Windows hub for Xbox profiles, friends, achievements, Game Pass libraries, and game management, although exact buttons and their locations can change between app releases and Windows builds. Microsoft’s Windows gaming guide describes the app’s current role.
Which account are you trying to change?
“Switch Microsoft account” can mean three different things:
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- Xbox app account: Changes the Xbox identity, including the gamertag, friends, achievements, and account-specific game access. This is usually what you need.
- Microsoft Store account: Controls many Windows game purchases, licenses, downloadable content, and subscriptions. You may need to change this account if a game or Game Pass plan belongs elsewhere.
- Windows user account: Changes the entire Windows session, including files, settings, permissions, and app context. It is not normally necessary just to use another Xbox profile.
You can often use a different Xbox account from the account used to sign in to Windows. Avoid changing your Windows login account unless you actually want a separate Windows environment. Microsoft documents Windows user switching separately from app sign-out at User account access in Windows.
If Xbox keeps signing in to the old account
Windows may reuse credentials cached by Xbox, Microsoft Store, or other Microsoft services. Try these steps in order:
- Sign out of the Xbox app and close it completely.
- Open Microsoft Store.
- Select the Store profile icon and sign out if it uses the unwanted account.
- Sign in to the intended Store account if that account owns the game or subscription.
- Reopen Xbox.
- Sign in and choose Switch account or Use a different account when the old account is displayed.
- Restart Windows if the old account still returns.
Changing the Store account can affect which purchases, subscriptions, and licenses Windows recognizes. Xbox and Store identities can sometimes be different, but the correct arrangement depends on the game, entitlement, and current Microsoft implementation. See Microsoft’s guidance on gaming and Store accounts.
Review accounts used by Windows apps
If the unwanted account still appears, review the accounts connected to apps:
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- Open Settings.
- Go to Accounts.
- Open Email & accounts.
- Review the accounts listed under accounts used by apps and other services.
- Remove the unwanted account only if you understand that other Microsoft apps and Store sign-ins may be affected.
- Restart Windows and sign in to Xbox again.
Removing an account from this Windows device does not delete the online Microsoft account. It removes device-linked sign-in information and may remove locally stored account data. Microsoft explains the distinction in its Windows account-management guidance.
Repair or reset the Xbox app
Use Windows’ app-repair controls when Xbox signs back in automatically, gets stuck during authentication, or refuses to show the account picker:
- Open Settings.
- Select Apps, then Installed apps.
- Find Xbox.
- Open its three-dot menu and select Advanced options.
- Select Terminate first.
- Try Repair.
- If the problem continues, select Reset.
- Open Xbox and sign in again.
Repair attempts to fix the app without normally clearing its data. Reset can clear local app data and preferences, so expect to authenticate again. It does not delete your online Xbox account, purchases, achievements, or cloud account data. If Xbox is missing or outdated, update it through Microsoft Store and install pending Windows updates.
Do you also need to change the Microsoft Store account?
Change or verify the Store account when:
- A purchased game belongs to another Microsoft account.
- Game Pass is active on another account.
- Xbox shows the correct profile but a game says you do not own it.
- A game installs but will not launch because Windows cannot find the license.
- DLC or an add-on is missing.
Switching the Xbox profile does not move ownership. The Store account may determine whether Windows recognizes a game license, subscription, or add-on. Before buying Game Pass, redeeming a code, or purchasing a game, check both the Xbox gamertag and Store profile so the transaction is attached to the intended account.
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What changes when you switch accounts?
| Item | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Xbox profile | The newly selected account’s gamertag, profile, friends, and achievements appear. |
| Achievements | They remain associated with the account that earned them. |
| Cloud saves | They are available only when the game, account, and entitlement support them. A different account may not see the original cloud saves. |
| Digital purchases | They remain with the Microsoft account that bought them. |
| Game Pass | Access depends on the account holding the applicable subscription and the Xbox/Store arrangement required by the game. |
| Installed games | Switching accounts does not necessarily uninstall files, but the new account may not have permission to launch them. |
| Local saves | Files may remain on the PC, but they are not automatically transferred into the new account’s Xbox cloud-save context. |
| DLC and add-ons | They generally remain tied to the purchasing account or platform license. |
Microsoft says personal Microsoft accounts cannot be merged. Purchases, balances, gamertags, and game progress cannot be transferred between them. Do not switch accounts expecting an account merge or progress transfer.
If Xbox sign-in still fails
- Restart Windows.
- Install pending Windows updates.
- Open Microsoft Store and confirm that it can sign in.
- Update Xbox through Microsoft Store.
- Confirm that Gaming Services is installed.
- Use Settings > Apps > Installed apps to repair or reset Xbox and, if necessary, Gaming Services.
- Sign in to the intended Microsoft account in a browser first to confirm the credentials work.
- Use Microsoft’s sign-in helper if the account rejects the credentials.
- Check Xbox service status before assuming the account or PC is broken.
Gaming Services can be involved in Xbox-app authentication problems, but service repair or reset is a troubleshooting measure rather than a guaranteed fix. Microsoft’s current community troubleshooting discussion is available on Microsoft Q&A.
Work or school Microsoft 365 accounts are separate from personal Xbox accounts and are not interchangeable in every sign-in flow. Child accounts may also be restricted by Family Safety settings, purchase controls, or parental permissions. The replacement account may require additional verification even when the old account did not.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Use separate Windows accounts on a shared PC
For families or roommates who regularly share a computer, separate Windows users are usually more reliable than repeatedly switching Xbox and Store identities. Each person gets separate files, settings, permissions, and app context.
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To add one, open Settings > Accounts > Other users, then choose Add account and follow the prompts. This requires more setup and uses separate Windows environments, but it reduces cached-credential conflicts and makes accidental purchases or profile mix-ups less likely.
Using one Windows user and switching only Xbox accounts is reasonable when the same person occasionally needs another profile. Always verify the gamertag before launching a game, buying content, redeeming a code, or checking a subscription.
Can Microsoft accounts be merged?
No. Microsoft does not provide a supported way to merge personal accounts so that purchases, balances, gamertags, achievements, subscriptions, or game progress become one combined account. If progress is missing after the switch, sign back in to the original Xbox account rather than trying to transfer it.
For account-access problems, use Microsoft’s official sign-in recovery tools. Support agents cannot bypass account-security verification or provide a shortcut around password and identity checks.
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