Sign and Switch Accounts in PowerPoint 2016 for Windows

Microsoft Office programs, such as PowerPoint 2016 for Windows connect with an Account. Additionally, they may also integrate with the Account you use to sign in within your Windows-based operating system, such as Windows 10 or Windows 8. Many options within PowerPoint show up or change depending on which Account you are signed into. These include your Recent Files list, your connected services, and even the interface color for your program.

This tutorial explores Account management for PowerPoint 2016 within a Windows 10 environment. If you are using Windows 8, you'll discover that the options explained work similarly.

By default, PowerPoint 2016 and other Office 2016 programs sign into the Microsoft Account you use to sign into Windows 10 or 8, but that can be changed as we shall explore later in this tutorial.

Remember that there are two reasons to use Microsoft Accounts within PowerPoint 2016. Of course, you can use the same or different Microsoft Accounts in both these cases:

1. Your Windows Account

This is the Microsoft Account you use to sign into Windows 10 or 8. You can switch to another Account from this one. But you can never sign out or remove this Microsoft Account within PowerPoint 2016, unless you do so within Windows itself. The changes will reflect automatically within PowerPoint 2016.

2. Your other Microsoft Account(s)

These are Microsoft Accounts too, but not the one you used to sign into Windows. You can sign out of these Accounts as you wish, and you can even remove all traces of these Accounts altogether. In many ways, these Accounts work like guest accounts.

We will look at how you can sign in, sign out, and switch Accounts in PowerPoint 2016.

Sign Out (or Remove Accounts)

When you first run PowerPoint 2016 or any other Office 2016 program, you are already signed into the Microsoft Account associated with your Windows operating system. You should therefore first learn how you can sign out or switch Accounts. Thereafter, we will explore how you can sign in and add Accounts.

You can only switch to another Microsoft Account if you are signed in using a non-Windows Account. Follow these steps to learn more:

1. When PowerPoint is launched, you are always signed into the Microsoft account used in your last session. You can find which account you have been signed in by looking at the top right corner of the PowerPoint interface, as shown highlighted in blue within Figure 1, below.
2. 
   Figure 1: Signed in account within PowerPoint 2016 interface
2. Click this account name to bring up the drop-down menu, as shown in Figure 2, below. Choose the Account settings option in this menu, as shown highlighted in red within Figure 2.
3. 
   Figure 2: Account settings option
3. Doing so opens the Account options within Backstage view, as shown in Figure 3, below. Note that you can also get to this screen using the File | Account menu option.
4. 
   Figure 3: Account options within the Backstage view
4. Within the Account window, click the Sign out hyperlink, as shown highlighted in red within Figure 3, above. This action brings up a message window, as shown in Figure 4, below.
5. 
   Figure 4: Remove Account window

Clicking the Yes option will sign you out from PowerPoint, and also other Office 2016 programs.

Switch Accounts (includes Sign In or Add Accounts)

Learn how to switch to (or add) another Microsoft Account:

1. Access the Account option within the Backstage view and click the Switch Account hyperlink, as shown highlighted in red within Figure 5, below.
2. 
   Figure 5: Switch Account option
2. Doing so opens the Accounts window, as shown in Figure 6, below. Here, if you find only one account name, you need to add the new account before switching. To do so, click the Add Account option, as shown highlighted in red within Figure 6.
3. 
   Figure 6: Sign in to Office window
3. This action brings up the Sign in window as shown in Figure 7, below, where you can sign in into another Microsoft account. Just type in your Microsoft Account email address and click the Next button.
4. 
   Figure 7: Sign in window
5. Next, enter the password and click the Sign in button to proceed, as shown in Figure 8, below.
6. 
   Figure 8: Enter password and sign in
4. This action will immediately change the account with PowerPoint 2016. You can see the changed account at the top right corner of the Presentation Gallery, as shown highlighted in red within Figure 9, below. The same change will reflect within the PowerPoint interface also.
5. 
   Figure 9: Changed account
5. Now, if you again click the Switch Account hyperlink, as shown highlighted in red within Figure 9, above, you'll see the Accounts window, as shown in Figure 10, below. Note that the Accounts window displays the Current account and list of Other Accounts signed in. The latter is always the Microsoft Account you use to sign into Windows 10.
6. 
   Figure 10: Accounts window
7. Also, you can add another Microsoft account by clicking the Add Account button, as shown in Figure 10, above. Doing so brings up the Sign in window, as shown in Figure 7, previously on this page. You can thus switch between different Accounts.