How to Merge or Delete OneDrive Accounts Using Gmail and Googlemail
Question details
The user wants to know if they can merge two OneDrive accounts registered under equivalent Gmail and Googlemail addresses, or delete the unused account without losing their premium subscription.
- Product
- OneDrive
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Managing duplicate email addresses (gmail.com vs googlemail.com) that point to the same inbox but are used for Microsoft cloud storage and subscriptions.
- Observed behavior
- The user has two Microsoft login addresses delivering mail to the same Gmail inbox and needs to consolidate the OneDrive storage or safely remove the redundant login.
Before making any changes to your Microsoft accounts, verify whether your Gmail and Googlemail addresses are set up as aliases for a single account or if they exist as two entirely separate Microsoft accounts.
Check Subscription Status and Manage Microsoft Account Aliases
Determine if your addresses are aliases of the same account or separate accounts, and manage or remove the unused address safely.
Microsoft accounts cannot be automatically merged simply because two email addresses deliver to the same third-party inbox (like Gmail). However, if one address is an alias of the other, they share the same OneDrive storage and subscription.
Sign in to OneDrive using the Gmail address, note the files, then sign out and sign back in using the Googlemail address to see if the contents match.
Go to the Microsoft Services and Subscriptions page (https://account.microsoft.com/services) with both accounts to verify which login holds your active premium subscription.
If the addresses use the same inbox, contacts, and settings, they are aliases. Navigate to the Microsoft Alias Management page (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/p/?linkid=842796) to view them.
Locate the redundant email address on the alias management page and click 'Remove'. This deletes the login option but leaves your premium subscription and OneDrive files intact on the primary alias.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can I merge two separate Microsoft accounts into one?
No, Microsoft does not offer a feature to merge two separate Microsoft accounts, even if the email addresses route to the same third-party inbox. You must manually move your files and subscriptions to the preferred account.
Will deleting an alias delete my Microsoft account?
No, removing an alias only removes that specific email address as a sign-in option. You can still sign in using your primary alias, and your files, premium subscriptions, and account data will remain intact.
How do I manually transfer files between two OneDrive accounts?
You can download the files from the OneDrive account you plan to close onto your local hard drive, and then sign in to your primary OneDrive account to upload those files. Alternatively, you can use the OneDrive sync client on your computer to copy files between folders.
