Deleting an Xbox Live Account: You Can Only Close It (60-Day Grace Period)

You cannot fully delete an Xbox Live / Microsoft account yourself. You can close it, which marks it for permanent deletion after 60 days.

How to Close Your Account

1. Go to account.microsoft.com and sign in.
2. Security → Advanced security options → Close my account.
3. Read the checklist: cancel subscriptions, use balances, save data you want.
4. Select reason → Mark account for closure.

What Happens

• 60-day grace period: you can reopen by signing in.
• After 60 days: permanently deleted — gamertag, achievements, purchases, email (if @outlook/@hotmail) gone.
• Subscriptions (Gold, Game Pass) must be cancelled first.

Alternative: Just Stop Using It

Remove payment methods, set a random password, enable 2FA. The account sits inert.

Note: This deletes the Microsoft account, not just Xbox profile. All linked services (OneDrive, Office, Skype) are affected.