Know If Hotmail Is Still Around in 2025
At the time, when emails and the internet were starting to become popular throughout the world. A new email client Hotmail was introduced in the market. It was the first webmail that provided free email services, offered free 2 MB storage space, basic spam filter and access to account from any devices. At the time it was the biggest email client where its popularity increased day by day. But in the coming years, Microsoft acquired Hotmail and changed the names many times. Thus, to answer the question of is Hotmail still active? Let’s see the history of the program over the years.
Hotmail Rebranding History
Hotmail has gone through several rebranding since it was introduced. From being an individual webmail to being a part of Microsoft. It goes through so many changes. So, we provided a flow chart to understand the history of History.
- Year 1996: On July 4, 1996 Hotmail was launched as the world’s first webmail service. The name was inspired by HTML as they used HTML technology.
- Year 1997: In December 1997, Microsoft purchased Hotmail and rebranded it to MSN Hotmail. Microsoft integrated the MSN messenger and other products with the Hotmail program.
- Year 2005-2011: In 2005, Microsoft combined Hotmail with the Windows Live Mail to use the program more easily in your computer/PC or laptop.
- Year 2012-13: In 2012, Microsoft transitioned the Hotmail to Outlook.com with modernized email features. In 2013, the company completely moved all the features of Hotmail and users in Outlook.com. So, now users access their Hotmail account in Outlook.com.
Thus, Microsoft phased out Hotmail combine with Outlook.com. But, you can use your old @hotmail.com email address in Outlook.com. But, you cannot create a new account.
Difference Between Hotmail and Outlook.com
To answer the question: is Hotmail still around? The answer is no, Microsoft closes the program and you can only access your old account. So, before we go further. Let’s compare Hotmail with Outlook.com. To understand the improvement made over the years.
| Features | Hotmail (1996-2013) | Outlook.com (2013-present) |
|---|---|---|
| User Interface & Design | The interface of this program is simple and provided limited number of customization options. | Outlook.com has a modern UI and offers custom features and tools. |
| Free Storage | Initially Hotmail provided 2 MB free storage, but later on it increased to 5 GB. | On the other hand, this email client offers 15 GB free storage. You can increase the storage capacity with Microsoft 365. |
| Security Measures | You had a basic spam filter and limited protection. | Outlook.com on the other hand, provides advanced AI powered spam detection, strong anti-phishing functions and Two-Factor Authentication. |
| Accessibility & Account Management | You can simply login in your Hotmail with @hotmail.com email address | Here, you can sign up with Outlook account and old Hotmail account easily. |
| Email Features | In this, you can attached maximum 10 MB file size and provide basic folders with no filtering option. | But, here you attach files upto 34 MB per email and offer categories and various filter options. |
How to Access Old Hotmail Emails in Outlook?
We now know that Hotmail is no longer available and we also compare the features of Hotmail with Outlook. Now a question arises in your mind: how can I access my Hotmail emails? If you still have the old account and you want your old data, then follow the steps below to get your old emails.
- First, run Outlook.com in your web browser.
- On the Sign in page, enter your @hotmail.com email address and password. Login to your account.
- If everything is correct, the program takes you to your account and you can now access your emails.
By following the above steps, you can open your old Hotmail account and retrieve your old Hotmail emails. But, it is better to save your data to a secure place. Because there are chances of losing your data. To secure your Hotmail data, read the next section of the article.
How to Secure Old Hotmail Email Account?
Shutdown of Hotmail’s webclient and integrated with Outlook. Most users are switching to another better email client. Those who still uses it or those who want to migrate to another account, finding a way to secure their old Hotmail email account. This process can be done manually, however, it may cause you problems like unable to access the account, losing some of the emails during the process. So, to avoid that use Corbett Hotmail Backup Tool.
A professional tool that can easily save Hotmail emails into your desktop. This software is a great way to secure your location. As it provides you multiple backup options and preserve the data integrity throughout the process. Moreover you can export your Hotmail emails to another account. Hence, it is the best way to secure your data.
Final Statement
So, the answer of “is Hotmail still around” is that Microsoft closed Hotmail services. But, old users can still access their emails from the existing email addresses. In this article, we have learned the journey of Hotmail, compared the features of Hotmail with Outlook.com. and discussed the steps to access and secure your old Hotmail account. In this, we have provided all the information related to this topic, so if you have any more questions contact our support team.
Frequently Asked Queries
Q: Can I still open and use my Hotmail account?
A: Now, Hotmail as a brand is no longer exists, but old account still accessible through Outlook.com.
Q: Do people still use Hotmail accounts?
A: You cannot create a new Hotmail account. However, old Hotmail users still use their account in Outlook.com.
Q: Can I still receive Hotmail emails?
A: If you have an old Hotmail account and sync it in an email client. Your email address is still active and you will get an email.
Q: Is it necessary to change my Hotmail account to Outlook?
A: Well, it depends on you. But, it is better to switch to Outlook as it is relevant in today’s time. Hotmail services no longer exist, so you may have difficulty in sending and receiving the emails.