Know If Hotmail Is Still Around in 2025
At the time, when emails and the internet were beginning to become more accepted across 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. However, in the coming years, Microsoft acquired Hotmail and changed its name multiple times. Thus, to answer the question of is Hotmail still active? Let’s look at the history of the program over the years.
The History of Hotmail Rebranding
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. Here’s a glimpse of the flow chart to better comprehend the history of Hotmail.
- 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 bought Hotmail and rebranded it as MSN Hotmail. They further integrated the MSN messenger and other products with the Hotmail program.
- Year 2005-2011: In 2005, Microsoft merged Hotmail with Windows Live Mail to make the program more accessible on the user’s computer/PC or laptop.
- Year 2012-13: In 2012, Microsoft transitioned Hotmail to Outlook.com with modernized email attributes. In 2013, the company completely moved all the features of Hotmail and users to Outlook.com. Now users can access their Hotmail accounts at Outlook.com.
Thus, Microsoft phased out Hotmail and combined it with Outlook.com. However, users can use their old @hotmail.com email addresses on Outlook.com, but cannot create a new account.
Difference Between Hotmail and Outlook.com
Is Hotmail still around? The answer is no, as Microsoft has closed the program and the user can only access their old account. So, before we go any further. Let’s compare Hotmail with Outlook.com to have a better understanding of the improvements made over the years.
| Features | Hotmail (1996-2013) | Outlook.com (2013-present) |
|---|---|---|
| User Interface & Design | The interface is simple and provides a limited number of customization options. | Has a modern UI and offers custom features and tools. |
| Free Storage | Initially it provided 2 MB of free storage, later increased to 5 GB. | Offers 15 GB of free storage. Users can increase the storage capacity with Microsoft’s 365. |
| Security Measures | Has a basic spam filter and limited protection. | Provides advanced AI-powered spam detection, strong anti-phishing and Two-Factor Authentication. |
| Accessibility & Account Management | User can simply login to your Hotmail with @hotmail.com email address | Users can sign up with their Outlook account or an old Hotmail account. |
| Email Features | Can attach maximum 10 MB and provide basic folders with no filtering option. | Attach files upto 34 MB per email and offer categories and various filter options. |
How to Access Old Hotmail Emails in Outlook?
As the world is aware that Hotmail is no longer available. Now the question that arises on many minds is how can users access their Hotmail emails? If the user still has the old account and wants retrieve their old data, then simply 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 will take you to your account and you can now access your emails.
By following the above steps, you can open your old Hotmail account and extract your old Hotmail emails and save your data in a secure place. Since there are plenty of chances of data corruption, it is essential to secure Hotmail data.
How to Secure Old Hotmail Email Account?
Most users are switching to another better email client. For those who still use it or those who want to migrate to another account, finding a way to preserve their old Hotmail email account. This process can be done manually, however, it may cause users problems such as being 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 to your desktop. This software is a great way to secure the user’s location. As it provides multiple backup options and preserves the data integrity throughout the process. Moreover, Hotmail emails can easily be exported to another account.
To Conclude
To answer the question “is Hotmail still around” is that Microsoft shut down Hotmail services. However, old users can still access their emails from their existing email addresses. Throughout this article, we have explored the journey of Hotmail, compared the characteristics of Hotmail with Outlook.com, and discussed the steps to access and secure old Hotmail account. With this, we have provided all the information related to this topic, so if you have any queries feel free to contact our support team.
Frequently Asked Queries
Q: Can I still open and use my Hotmail account?
A: Now, Hotmail as a brand no longer exists, but old accounts are still accessible through Outlook.com.
Q: Do people still use Hotmail accounts?
A: You cannot create a new Hotmail account. However, old Hotmail users can still use their account in Outlook.com.
Q: Can I still receive Hotmail emails?
A: If you have an old Hotmail account, 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 service no longer exists, so you may have difficulty in sending and receiving emails.