Fixing Microsoft Office Sign-In After the Account Migration
If Microsoft Word or another Office app on your iPhone or iPad won't sign in with your new @students.sbts.edu account, the app is likely holding on to your old login. Resetting the apps from Settings clears it.
⏱️ About 5–10 minutes📱 For iPhone (iOS) / iPad (iPadOS)🔐 Have your new @students.sbts.edu password ready
Why you're seeing this
Each Microsoft Office app on your iPad stores a saved copy of your account login. After your Microsoft 365 account was migrated, the apps may still be using the saved login for your old account — which produces a sign-in error (often AADSTS50020). Resetting the apps from the iPad's Settings clears the old login so you can sign in cleanly with your new account.
Save your files first
The reset options include “Clear All Documents” / “Clear All Content,” which remove the copies of documents stored only on the iPad. Anything already saved to OneDrive is safe and will reappear after you sign back in. If you have a document that exists only on this iPad, open it and save it to OneDrive (or email it to yourself) before you begin.
About the pictures
The images below are generalized illustrations of the iPad screens, using placeholder names like [Your Name]. Your real screens will show your own details and may look slightly different by iPadOS version, but the options are the same.
1
Reset the Word app
Open the path: Settings › Word › Reset Word
Open the Settings app on your iPad (the gray gear icon).
Scroll down the left-hand list to find Word. Installed apps are listed below Apple's own settings. Tap Word.
Find the Reset Word section, and turn ON these three switches:
Clear All Documents
Delete Sign-In Credentials
Reset Cloud Settings
Generalized view: Settings → Word → turn on Clear All Documents, Delete Sign-In Credentials, and Reset Cloud Settings.
The key one is “Delete Sign-In Credentials.” That's what removes the old account login. The other two clear cached files and cloud settings so the app starts fresh.
2
Reset the Microsoft 365 app
Open the path: Settings › Microsoft 365 › Reset Microsoft 365
Back in the Settings app, scroll the left-hand list and tap Microsoft 365.
Find the Reset Microsoft 365 section, and turn ON these three switches:
Clear All Content
Delete Sign-In Credentials
Reset Cloud Settings
Have other Office apps? If Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, or OneNote also won't sign in, reset each of them the same way: Settings › [App] › Reset, turning on the same options.
3
Force quit all the Office apps
Closing the apps completely makes the reset take effect.
Open the App Switcher. On an iPad without a Home button, swipe up from the very bottom edge of the screen and pause in the middle. On an iPad with a Home button, double-press the Home button.
You'll see cards for your recently used apps. Swipe each Office app's card up and off the top of the screen to close it — Word, Microsoft 365, and any other Office apps you reset.
Generalized view: open the App Switcher, then swipe each Office app's card up and off the screen.
4
Reopen the apps and sign in
Tap to reopen Word (or any Office app) from your Home Screen.
When prompted, sign in with your updated @students.sbts.edu Microsoft 365 credentials.
Repeat for any other Office apps you use.
You're done! The apps should now sign in cleanly with your new account, and your OneDrive files will sync back automatically.
Quick help
What does the AADSTS50020 error actually mean?
The app tried to sign you in with the saved login from your old Microsoft 365 account, which no longer exists in the SBTS tenant. Resetting the app and signing in fresh lets it use your new account instead.
Will I lose my documents?
“Clear All Documents” / “Clear All Content” only removes copies stored locally on the iPad. Anything saved in OneDrive is safe and syncs back after you sign in. Save any iPad-only documents to OneDrive before resetting.
I don't see Word (or Microsoft 365) in the Settings list.
Scroll all the way down the left-hand list in Settings — installed apps appear below Apple's own settings, usually in alphabetical order. If an app still isn't listed, open it once, then check Settings again.
Quick recap
Settings → Word → turn on Clear All Documents, Delete Sign-In Credentials, Reset Cloud Settings → Settings → Microsoft 365 → turn on Clear All Content, Delete Sign-In Credentials, Reset Cloud Settings → force quit all the Office apps → reopen and sign in with your @students.sbts.edu account.