Which route is yours?
Choose what you see when you try to sign in. The last one is not a lock at all.
Signing in stops at a screen that asks me to prove the account is mine.
- Sign in at account.microsoft.com
- Get a code at a contact you own
- Change your password
After verification, Microsoft requires you to change your password before it removes the lock. Pick your own contact: the screen shows only the last two digits of a phone number.
Your unlock route, step by step
Choose what the sign-in screen shows. Each route lists Microsoft's own steps and where it waits.
Unlocking your Microsoft account, step by step
Which of these steps you get depends on what Microsoft shows you at sign-in. Work down the list and stop where the lock clears.
- Sign in at account.microsoft.com. Microsoft's lock page starts here. If an unlock check appears, Microsoft's help page calls it Let's prove you're human; Xbox Support describes the same moment as Help us secure your account.
- If sign-in fails for an unclear reason, use the Sign-in helper. It asks for the email address or phone number you sign in with, checks it and tells you what to do next. If it can't find the account, you can run it again.aka.ms/sign-in-helper
- Get a code at a security contact you own. To protect you, Microsoft shows only the last two digits of a phone number or the first two characters of an email address. Choose the one that is yours and enter the code on Microsoft's page.
- Change your password. Xbox Support says that after verification you must change your password before the lock is removed.
- No unlock check at all? Use the link in the sign-in window. Microsoft says a missing check means the account was locked for suspicious activity or a Terms of Use issue. Select the link that begins with aka.ms/ and submit the form once.Sign-in window → link beginning aka.ms/ → review form
- Sign back in on your Xbox. Use the new password. Xbox Support says a password change is enough to protect a profile saved on Xbox One or Xbox Series X|S.
The review form and the wait
Once the form is in, Microsoft emails you a ticket tracking number. A support agent then reviews the request and writes to you by email, with a status update, a request for more information or instructions for getting back in. Microsoft says further emails follow until the account is restored, so watch the inbox you named on the form.
Most Microsoft support agents don't have access to this form, and Microsoft says it is the only way to have a locked account reviewed and reinstated. Its agents can send password reset links or change account details only once you have submitted the form.
Locked account or Xbox enforcement?
A lock sits on your Microsoft account: you can't sign in until Microsoft verifies you or finishes its review. Xbox Support says it steps in with enforcement when it detects violations of the Microsoft Services Agreement and the Community Standards for Xbox. With some temporary restrictions, such as losing communication privileges, Xbox Support says you may still be able to sign in to your Xbox profile; a permanent ban blocks the profile from the Xbox network.
The routes differ too. Xbox customer support can't assist with suspensions or enforcement actions, and device bans aren't eligible for a case review. If Microsoft sign-in works and only Xbox is restricted, read the Xbox suspension and ban guide instead.
Which problem do you have?
Can you sign in at account.microsoft.com?
What do you see?
Answer both questions to see your route.
It only sorts your answers into the routes on this page. Nothing you choose leaves this page.
| What you see | Official route | Time Microsoft states |
|---|---|---|
| A check to prove it's you | Code to your own contact, then a new password | None stated |
| Only an aka.ms/ link | Locked-account review form, sent once | None; extra requests slow it |
| Codes never arrive | Junk folder, another method, then wait | A day, up to 1 week |
| Sign-in fails, reason unclear | Sign-in helper | None stated |
| Enforcement notice on Xbox | Not a lock: Xbox case review, if eligible | See the ban guide |
Dead ends that slow the unlock
- Sending the review form again and again. Microsoft asks you not to submit additional requests, because they may slow its response. Keep the ticket email and wait.
- Waiting for chat support to lift the lock. Most support agents can't open the review form. The unlock check or the form are the routes Microsoft names.
- Opening a new account to get around the lock. Creating or using several accounts to break Microsoft's policies is itself on Microsoft's list of what not to do.
- Treating an Xbox suspension as a lock. Unlock steps won't change an enforcement action; only the Xbox case review applies, where it is offered.
Once you're back in
Check that your security info is your own and current. If one method is gone, add the new one first and only then remove the old one: changing all of your security info at once can restrict the account for 30 days.Advanced security options → Add a new way to sign in or verify → Remove
If someone else caused the lock, our guides on an unknown console on your account and on a hacked Xbox account cover the cleanup.
When the usual route won't work
- Codes are blocked. Waiting a day is sometimes enough. If nothing changes after 24 hours, Microsoft suggests waiting longer, up to 1 week, and warns that repeated attempts may reset the block.
- Text messages fail. The block can be tied to the method: try an alternate email on the account, or switch between Wi-Fi and mobile data. Microsoft says it will start phasing out SMS for personal accounts.
- Your only number is a VOIP number. Microsoft doesn't accept VOIP numbers for verification codes; it asks for a mobile number.
- You lost every security method and two-step is on. That is no longer a lock problem. Microsoft's recovery-form page says that in this case "we cannot help you, sorry." Start with the two-step verification guide.
- You changed every security detail at once. Microsoft may restrict the account for 30 days.
- The lock followed a Terms of Use issue. Only Microsoft's review decides whether the account is reinstated; no one outside Microsoft can lift it.
Questions about a locked Xbox account
Why did Microsoft lock my Xbox account?
Microsoft locks an account when activity on it might violate its Terms of Use, and Xbox Support says it also locks accounts after suspicious activity. Common reasons include malware, phishing, spam and bots creating accounts, though not every lock has one of them. The lock is on the Microsoft account, so your Xbox profile can't sign in either.
Is a locked account the same as an Xbox ban?
No. A lock stops sign-in to the Microsoft account until you verify or the review is done. An Xbox enforcement action restricts your Xbox profile or device, and only the Xbox case review applies, where it is offered.
The security code never arrives. What can I do?
Check your junk folder for a message from an @accountprotection.microsoft.com address, then stop requesting. While an account is flagged, codes may not go through, and repeated requests can block them. Wait a day, and choose another contact on the account, such as an alternate email.
How long does the locked-account review take?
Microsoft doesn't publish a time. You get a ticket tracking number by email, then an agent contacts you by email. Sending more requests may slow the reply.
Can Microsoft support unlock it over chat?
No. Microsoft says most support agents don't have access to the review form, and that the form is the only way to have a locked account reviewed and reinstated.
Can I just make a new account instead?
Using several accounts to get around Microsoft's policies is one of the things Microsoft tells you not to do on its lock page. Keep working on your original account.
Someone else signed in before the lock. What should I do after unlocking?
Keep the new password and check your security info. On Xbox One and Series X|S, the password change protects your saved profile. Sign out everywhere doesn't reach Xbox consoles, so don't rely on it for them.
What if I lost every security method too?
With two-step verification on and no method left, Microsoft says the recovery form can't help. Read the two-step verification guide first; if two-step was off, the recovery form guide covers the next step.
Sources
- Microsoft Support: Microsoft account has been locked Checked October 2026
- Microsoft Support: If your account has been locked Checked October 2026
- Microsoft Support: Troubleshoot Microsoft verification code issues Checked October 2026
- Microsoft Support: Microsoft account sign-in helper Checked October 2026
- Microsoft Support: How to sign out of your Microsoft account everywhere Checked October 2026
- Microsoft Support: Help with the Microsoft account recovery form Checked October 2026
- Xbox Support: Secure your account if you think you’ve been hacked Checked October 2026
- Xbox Support: Types of Xbox enforcement actions Checked October 2026
Verified October 2026 against the Microsoft and Xbox support pages above. Microsoft's lock pages publish no review time, so this page gives none.