A Microsoft account is a free account you use to access many Microsoft devices and services, such as the web-based email service Outlook.com (also known as hotmail.com, msn.com, live.com), Office Online apps, Skype, OneDrive, Xbox Live, Bing, Windows, or the Microsoft Store. If you already use any of these services chances are you already have a Microsoft account. Microsoft account used to be called “Windows Live ID”. When you create a Microsoft account, you can use any email address as the user name, including addresses from Outlook.com, Yahoo! or Gmail.
If you already use an email address and password to sign in to Microsoft devices and services like the ones mentioned above, then you already have a Microsoft account. One of the benefits of having a Microsoft account is having a single password to sign into all your Microsoft services. (Source: Microsoft)
Microsoft Accounts for email, Microsoft 365, and Microsoft 365 Business
Microsoft’s products, and product names are bewildering. Ideally you’ll have one username (an email address) and password for all the Microsoft products and services you use. The focus of this lesson is to set up your Microsoft hosted account in System Preferences->Internet Accounts.
If it’s a work account, ask your IT department if there’s any specific server settings you need to be aware of. You’ll want to decide whether you need to use your Microsoft Account to synchronise your contacts, calendars, tasks and notes amongst your devices.
Adding your Microsoft Account in macOS.
To add your Microsoft Account in macOS
![The System Preferences pane, Internet Accounts](http://howtouseamac.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/sys-prefs-internet-accounts-4-1024x518.png)
![To add your Microsoft email, choose Exchange.](http://howtouseamac.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/sys-prefs-internet-accounts-ms.png)
![](http://howtouseamac.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/ms-ac-setup-enter-email.png)
![](http://howtouseamac.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/sign-in-with-ms.png)
![Choose which apps you need to use to access and manage your Microsoft Account.](http://howtouseamac.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Screen-Shot-2020-05-02-at-16.12.19.png)
- Use Apple’s suite of apps to access and manage your account
- Mail: used for managing email
- Contacts: used as an address book
- Calendars: add appointments, birthdays.. create separate calendars for birthdays, holidays, work, family, and so on.
- Notes: for general note taking, and more.
- Reminders: Microsoft’s Tasks can be managed in Apple’s Reminders app.
![Apple's suite of internet account related apps.](http://howtouseamac.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/apple-suite-internet-account-apps.png)
![Internet Accounts - Apps: Mail, Contacts, Calendars, and Notes.](http://howtouseamac.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/internet-accounts-apps.png)
Microsoft cloud file storage: OneDrive, and Sharepoint.
![](http://howtouseamac.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/onedrive-icon-150x150.png)
OneDrive is Microsoft’s equivalent to Apple’s iCloud Drive. OneDrive is used to store your personal files in the cloud, in order to have access to them across your devices.
And if you’re Microsoft Account is part of a business organisation, you can use it to add Sharepoints, too, in order to collaborate with team members.
In order to have access to your OneDrive in Finder, you’ll need to download, install, and sign into the OneDrive app with your Microsoft account credentials.
![](http://howtouseamac.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/sign-into-onedrive.png)
Download OneDrive from here.
Once installed, and signed in, OneDrive will add a folder to your Home folder that you can access in Finder. It will also an icon to your menu bar that you can use for quick access to your OneDrive folder, and OneDrive settings.
![OneDrive menu, providing quick access to your OneDrive folder, located in your Home folder.](http://howtouseamac.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/onedrive1-677x1024.png)
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