Fix Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 or 2024 stuck on Xbox sign-in or in a login loop on Steam, Microsoft Store, Windows PC and Xbox Series X|S.
Microsoft Flight Simulator usually sticks on the Xbox sign-in screen or repeats the login because its authentication token is stale, the Xbox app and Microsoft Store use conflicting accounts, Gaming Services is damaged, the clock is wrong, or a network filter blocks authentication. Fully quit MSFS, align the accounts, repair Xbox components and retest.
On Windows, these checks apply to Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 and 2024. A Steam installation still needs a Microsoft/Xbox account for its gamertag, cloud profile and online services, but the game licence remains with Steam. Microsoft Store does not need to own another copy.
Why is MSFS 2020 stuck in an Xbox sign-in loop?
A true Xbox sign-in loop returns to the account screen without loading the selected gamertag; an ownership message after login is usually a licence problem instead.
| What happens | Likely cause | Best first action |
|---|---|---|
| The Sign In button does nothing or the window is blank | A hidden account prompt, overlay, damaged Xbox component or administrator-level mismatch | Use our checks for an unresponsive Xbox sign-in button |
| The login window closes and immediately returns | An expired token, conflicting account, incorrect clock or damaged identity component | Refresh the Xbox and Store account sessions |
| “Waiting for Authentication” never clears | Gaming Services, Xbox connectivity, system time or a service-side fault | Work through the targeted authentication-screen checks |
| “You are currently offline” appears | The account was recognised, but MSFS cannot reach its online services | Test Xbox services and remove network filtering temporarily |
| MSFS asks for a purchase, subscription or game disc | The signed-in account does not provide the required entitlement | Confirm which account owns the game or supplies subscription access |
| Other Xbox-enabled games or apps also fail | An Xbox account, Windows, Gaming Services or network fault rather than damaged MSFS content | Repair the shared Xbox components first |
| Login works through a mobile hotspot | VPN, proxy, filtered DNS, router security or firewall interference | Repair the normal network path instead of reinstalling MSFS |
How do I fix MSFS Xbox sign-in on Windows?
On a Windows PC, refresh the complete Xbox identity chain before changing the large Microsoft Flight Simulator installation.
- Test the Xbox account outside MSFS. Open the Xbox app and confirm that it accepts the intended gamertag. Complete any password, consent or security-verification prompt there. If several Xbox-connected apps fail at once, the fault is not specific to MSFS and may need time to clear.
- Close every related process. Quit MSFS, the Xbox app and Microsoft Store instead of leaving them minimised. Check Task Manager for a simulator process left behind, then restart Windows. For Store and subscription installations, sign out of both Xbox and Microsoft Store before restarting; for Steam, refresh the Xbox account while leaving the game licence with Steam.
- Synchronise the clock. Enable automatic date, time and time-zone selection in Windows, then run the time synchronisation option. Even a modest error can cause a secure authentication token to be rejected.
- Verify the accounts and entitlement. For a Microsoft Store or Xbox app installation, Microsoft Store must use an account that owns the game or provides valid subscription access. The Xbox app should show the gamertag whose profile, purchases and cloud progress you expect. The two accounts can deliberately differ in some setups, but if the arrangement is uncertain, test with the owning account in both apps.
- Install pending updates. Update Windows, then use the Microsoft Store Library to update the Xbox app, Gaming Services and any offered Xbox identity components. Restart after the updates finish.
- Repair the Xbox components. In Windows installed-app settings, open the advanced options for Gaming Services and the Xbox app. Use Repair first. If that fails, use Reset, restart Windows and sign in again. Reset clears the component’s local session but should not remove downloaded MSFS aircraft and scenery. If Gaming Services will not update, open or register correctly, use our dedicated Gaming Services repair steps.
- Check the authentication services. Open the Windows Services manager and confirm that Gaming Services and Xbox Live Auth Manager, where present, have not been disabled. Restart available Xbox authentication services, but do not alter unrelated Windows services.
- Find a hidden account window. Press Alt+Tab, try MSFS in windowed mode and temporarily disable overlays that could cover the Microsoft account prompt. Do not run MSFS as administrator while the Xbox app runs with normal privileges; that mismatch can block the hand-off between them.
- Clear only stale Xbox credentials. Sign out, open Windows Credential Manager and inspect Windows Credentials. Remove entries clearly labelled Xbox or
Xbl, restart Windows and authenticate again. Leave unrelated Microsoft credentials untouched. - Test without network filtering. Temporarily disconnect VPNs and proxies and pause restrictive DNS, parental or network-level filters. Keep the firewall enabled, but allow MSFS, the Xbox app and Gaming Services to communicate. A brief test on another connection distinguishes a PC fault from a router or provider problem; restore normal security controls afterwards.
How do I stop the sign-in loop on Xbox Series X|S?
On Xbox Series X|S, fully quitting Microsoft Flight Simulator and discarding its suspended session fixes more sign-in stalls than reinstalling the game.
- Remove the Quick Resume session. Use the console guide to quit MSFS completely and remove it from Quick Resume if it appears there.
- Restart the console. Use the console’s restart command rather than putting it into standby and immediately waking it.
- Refresh the correct profile. Confirm that the intended Xbox profile is active before launching MSFS. Sign out and back in. Remove and re-add the profile only if it cannot authenticate, and first confirm that you know its password and recovery details.
- Test console networking. Run the built-in network and multiplayer tests. Restart the router if other Xbox services also fail, and briefly remove custom DNS or network-level filtering.
- Update and verify access. Install pending console and simulator updates. If profile login succeeds but MSFS displays an ownership message, confirm that the active profile owns the game or has valid subscription access. That is a licence fault, not failed authentication.
Will signing out delete my logbook or purchases?
Signing out and adding the same Xbox account again should not remove cloud-synchronised progress or account entitlements. Let synchronisation finish when MSFS next starts, especially if it asks you to choose between local and cloud data. Do not delete saved data everywhere merely to repair a login token.
Using another gamertag is not the same as refreshing the original account. Each gamertag has its own profile, logbook and entitlements; purchases and progress do not transfer simply because both accounts use the same PC or console.
Why is Xbox Cloud Gaming on macOS stuck at accessibility?
An unresponsive accessibility screen during MSFS cloud gaming on macOS is an input or cloud-session fault, not a Windows Gaming Services problem.
- Connect a compatible controller before launching. Confirm that macOS detects the wired or Bluetooth controller, then start a new cloud session. Do not rely on the Mac keyboard for this test because input support varies between cloud clients and titles.
- Give the stream input focus. Select the streamed game window, then use the controller to highlight and accept the accessibility options or Continue command.
- Start a fresh cloud session. If the controller works elsewhere but not in MSFS, end the session completely rather than merely refreshing or closing the tab. Reconnect the controller before launching the stream again.
- Refresh the cloud account. If the account prompt returns, sign out and back into the intended Microsoft/Xbox account. For a frozen or blank stream, restart the browser and test without network filtering.
There is no local MSFS package on the Mac to repair in this situation. Reinstalling the simulator on another device cannot fix a stuck remote session, and local Quick Resume steps do not apply.
Should I reset or reinstall Microsoft Flight Simulator?
Reinstall MSFS only after the account, clock, Gaming Services and network checks fail, because most Xbox authentication data sits outside the simulator package.
On PC, use the simulator’s Repair option before Reset where Windows provides those controls. Reset can remove local preferences and may make MSFS ask where its existing content packages are stored, so record that location first. Do not delete the large package folder unless there is evidence that its contents are damaged.
On Xbox, remove Quick Resume and refresh the profile before reinstalling. Reinstallation becomes reasonable when the game package will not open or update correctly, file checks identify corruption, or every profile fails after the authentication checks.
What if Xbox login works but MSFS still hangs?
If the Xbox profile appears and MSFS advances to an update, content or loading screen, authentication is no longer the active fault.
A hang at “Checking for Updates” needs the separate update and content-connection fixes, not another round of account resets. An offline message after the profile loads points towards service connectivity or filtering, while a purchase message indicates entitlement.
Community add-ons rarely freeze the Xbox account prompt because identity checks happen separately from normal aircraft and scenery loading. If authentication finishes and MSFS then freezes during loading, temporarily empty the Community folder. If the account prompt itself never responds, concentrate on tokens, Xbox components and connectivity.