Q: Will changing my Microsoft account phone number, after my devices were seized by police, cause trouble?

A: This depends on whether there are any court orders or bail conditions that may prevent you from accessing digital devices. If not, and If you need to change your phone number to regain access to your Microsoft account, you are entitled to do this. Although your devices may have been seized, this doesn’t give the police the right to control your online accounts or to stop you from securing them. With that said, you should assume that your account may be under surveillance and you would be well advised to create brand new accounts on a more secure platform for future use.

A: Changing the phone number on your Microsoft account, by itself, is not illegal. People update their account information for many reasons, and doing so doesn't automatically mean you're tampering with an investigation. However, because your devices were seized under a warrant related to serious accusations, any action that could be seen as interfering with access to potential evidence could raise concern.

If law enforcement believes you're altering or restricting access to data connected to the investigation, they may try to use that as evidence of obstruction, even if you didn’t intend it that way. Since your Microsoft account is likely linked to your laptop and other cloud services, changing associated recovery details during an open investigation might draw unwanted attention, especially if investigators are still trying to access your files.

To protect yourself, it’s wise to avoid making changes that could appear suspicious while the case is ongoing. If you're unsure of what’s safe or legal to do, consider speaking to a lawyer as soon as possible. You’re already under scrutiny, so every step should be made carefully and with your rights in mind.