How to Sign Out of Microsoft Account on Windows 10

If you no longer want to use the online account feature, follow these steps to sign out of Microsoft account in Windows 10.

Microsoft has been pushing Windows 10 users to use an online account a.k.a, a Microsoft account to log into Windows 10. So much so that it is fairly hard to find a way to create a regular local account. Of course, using an online account has its benefits like being able to sync settings, access online specific features, tracking purchases and downloads, etc. However, an online or Microsoft account is not needed every step of the way.

If you’ve already created a user account using a Microsoft account, you can sign out of Microsoft account on Windows 10 and make it a local account. This is particularly useful if you no longer want to use a Microsoft account or for PCs like media centers.

In this simple guide, let me share with you the steps to completely sign out of Microsoft account on Windows 10 and switch to a local account.

Steps to sign out of Microsoft account on windows 10

To sign out, you first need to create a local account and then switch to it. These are the steps you should follow to sign out of Microsoft account in Windows 10.

1. First, log in to Windows 10 with your MS account.
2. Press “Win + I” to open Settings.
3. After opening Windows Settings, go to the “Accounts → Your Info” page.
4. Click on “Sign in with a local account instead” link.
   
5. Click “Next” in the confirmation window.
   
6. You will be prompted for the password or pin, authenticate yourself.
   
7. Now, type a new username, password, and password hint.
8. Click “Next“.
   
9. Finally, click the “Sign out and finish” button.

As soon as you click the button, you will be signed out of the Microsoft account in Windows 10 and switched to a local account.

Do keep in mind that even though you’ve signed out, the information like the sync settings, purchase history, etc., that is already with Microsoft will still be there. If you want to, you can download your personal info from Microsoft.

Features that require Microsoft account

As I said before, some features in Windows 10 require you to sign in with a Microsoft account. Some of those features include the ability to sync settings between devices, to track store downloads and purchases, OneDrive, Cortana, etc. In addition to these, parental controls require you to use Microsoft accounts for all your family members. Depending on how you activated your Windows 10, you might have to sign-in and sign-out for it to properly activate. For laptop users, Find my Device feature also requires a Microsoft account.

Of course, most common Windows apps like mail, music, maps, news, etc., work perfectly fine without logging into Microsoft account.

That is all. I hope that helps. If you are stuck or need some help, comment below and I will try to help as much as possible. If you like this article, check out how to unlink Windows 10 license from Microsoft account.