How to Remove an Account From an Xbox One

When you travel to a friend’s house or a new location and want to play Xbox, a great feature is that you can add your profile to their Xbox and have access to all your account information. Later however, you may want to delete your account from that console so you don’t have to worry about what happens to it when you’re not there. It also can be that you need to delete an old or compromised account from your own console.

Fortunately, removing an account is a straightforward process. This article will explain how to remove an account from an Xbox One.

Remove Xbox One Account

When you’re ready to remove an account from your Xbox, follow these simple steps. This process is the same for any of the Xbox Series consoles. Before you begin, check to be sure any console information has been updated to your online account. If you are connected to the internet, this shouldn’t be a problem.

1. From the main menu page, press the Xbox button on the controller to open the Guide.
   
2. In your Profile section, select “Settings” to bring up the settings menu.
   
3. Scroll to the “Account” tab and choose “Remove accounts.”
   
4. Choose the account you want to remove. Once you’ve read the information, confirm the action to continue.
   
5. Select “Remove” to complete the process and delete the profile from this console.
   

Once the account is removed, its information will no longer be saved to the console. All your data will, however, still be accessible from your Xbox Live account.

What Happens When You Remove an Xbox Account

Following these steps will not delete or damage either your Microsoft or Xbox Live Account. This process simply removes the account from being stored on the Xbox console. If you have an old account that is no longer useful, you will need to permanently delete the associated Xbox Live and Microsoft accounts too.

How to Permanently Delete an Xbox One Account

If you’re looking to permanently delete your Xbox account, never to be used again, that is also possible to do. Note that this process requires you to delete your correlating Microsoft account as well. When you’re ready to delete your Xbox/Microsoft account permanently, follow these steps.

1. Open an internet browser and navigate to the Xbox website.
   
2. Sign into your Xbox account with your username and password.
   
3. Click your profile icon in the upper right corner.
   
4. Select the link to “My Microsoft Account.”
   
5. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and select the link to “Close your account.”
   If you can’t find it select the “Help” icon on the upper right corner.
   
6. If the link is not available, choose “More Help with Your Microsoft Account.” Search for “Close Account,” and instructions will be available with a “Close your account” link.
   
7. You will have to verify your identity to approve the process.
   
8. Follow the prompts to read the information about account closure and acknowledge that this is what you want to do.
   

Whether you’re closing an old account or just decided you’re finished with Microsoft, you’ll have 60 days to reopen the account if you change your mind. After 60 days of inactivity, your account will disappear forever.

Why Should I Delete an Xbox One Account?

There are several reasons why it might be helpful to delete accounts from your Xbox One console.

• You have an old account that you no longer use.
• You’ve allowed a friend or family member to add their account and play on your console, but it’s no longer needed.
• You’re selling or giving away your console and don’t want to leave your account information on it.
• You have bought separate Xboxes for members of a family who used to share one, and now the accounts need to be separated. Removing accounts that won’t be used saves storage space and creates a cleaner interface.
• You want to try to fix a glitch with an account that has been added.

Any of these situations give you a great reason to remove accounts from your Xbox.

Why Would I Permanently Delete an Xbox One/Microsoft Account?

Microsoft accounts are notorious for having password issues and app compatibility problems. A Microsoft account will often stop allowing password resets or continually give error messages saying “Something Went Wrong,” with no explanation or fix. Sometimes it’s too hard to untangle a Microsoft mess, and it’s easier just to set up a new account.

The restart process is so simple it makes sense to delete old accounts sometimes and start from scratch. Xbox Live accounts can’t stand alone without an associated Microsoft account, so they must be deleted in tandem.

How to Remove All Accounts from an Xbox One

If you are changing consoles or want to start from scratch, you can delete all the accounts on an Xbox by resetting it. Note that restoring the console to factory settings will delete all information stored on it.

1. Press the Xbox button on your controller.
   
2. Navigate to the Settings menu.
   
3. Choose “All settings.”
   
4. Scroll down to select “System.”
   
5. Select the “Console Info” option.
   
6. Move down with the d-pad to highlight “Reset console.”
   
7. Highlight “Reset and remove everything” and select it. This will restore the factory settings on your console, removing all data, including accounts.
   

Be warned that there is no step to confirm this choice. The action cannot be undone once you choose to reset the Xbox.

FAQ

Why are there two reset options in the system settings?

The “Reset and remove everything” option resets the console to factory defaults as if it were brand new and had never been played on. The “Reset and keep my games & apps” option resets the console firmware and Xbox settings without changing your apps and games.

What will I need to remove my Xbox account?

You will need a connected controller and the ability to log in to your account. Be prepared to confirm your identity during the process.

Can I close my Xbox Live account without closing my Microsoft account?

Unfortunately, each Xbox account is associated with a Microsoft account, and there is no way to separate them and only delete the Xbox account. To truly delete an Xbox Live account, you must close the Microsoft account as well.

If I remove an Xbox One profile, can I add it again later?

Yes, you can add and remove profiles at your leisure without any lost data on your account.

Removing an Xbox One Account

Thankfully, Xbox has made it simple to add and delete profile accounts. This feature means that you can play from any Xbox you play on without having to store your information on consoles all over the world. Protect your information by removing your account any time you finish playing on a particular console that is not yours. It’s also nice to know that you don’t have to take up storage room on your Xbox just so your buddies can play on it from time to time. Once you know how to remove an account, your gaming options are much more flexible.

Have you removed an account from an Xbox? Please share your experience with us in the comments.