Guide: Setting Up Your IOL Office 365 Account – Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1 : Activate your Office 365 by sending a SMS to 711.
Send a SMS with the message ‘O365, your student number’ to 711.
The return message will include your email address, password, and a link to log in to your Office 365 account.

Using your preferred internet browser, go to https://www.office.com as shown above.
Click on the ‘Sign In’ button as outlined with the red box in the screen above.

Instead of navigating to https://www.office.com, you may directly load the page https://login.microsoftonline.com in your browser.
Enter your student IOL email address, then select the “Next” button.

Enter the password provided by IOL, then select the “Sign in” button.

Enter the password provided by IOL via SMS in the first line where the current password is requested. Then, enter a new password that you will remember in the second line, and re-enter the new password in the third line for confirmation. Ensure that your new password is secure and memorable. Select the ‘Sign in’ button when you have completed the password change process.

Select the “Next” button to proceed when presented with the screen above.

Complete the verification process by following the steps shown in the image above. Select your country and enter your personal cell phone number. Do not prefix your number with “+264” as Microsoft will add the country dialling code prefix for you. Your cell phone may be used to verify your identity using two-factor authentication when you log into your Office 365 account. Make sure to have your cell phone close by. Once you’ve entered your phone number, select the ‘Next’ button to proceed.

You will receive an SMS notification on your cell phone. Note the code provided.

Enter the code that you received via SMS, then select the “Next” button to proceed.

Your cell phone has been verified if you see the screen above. Selected the “Next” button to proceed.

The next step is to enter a secondary email address. This email address will be used as a recovery account if you forget your password and need to reset it, or as an alternate two-factor authentication method.
Please note: Do not use your IOL email address here; it must be a different email address. If you don’t have a secondary email account, you can use the email of a close relative whom you trust and who lives with you.
Ensure that you have access to the alternate/secondary email inbox before proceeding to the next step. Select the ‘Next’ button when you are ready to proceed.

Check the inbox on your secondary email account. Note the code that was sent from Microsoft on behalf of Institute for Open Learning.

Enter the code that was sent to the secondary email that you provided.
Select the “Next” button to continue.

If you have completed the setup of your cell phone and email address correctly, you should see the screen above. Select the ‘Done’ button to proceed.

Microsoft may show various information screens.

You should eventually get to the main screen shown above. Select the “Outlook” button on the left side bar as shown in the red box above.

This will load your emails. Remember to check your IOL email account regularly for important communications from IOL.

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