TL;DR
Microsoft services including Outlook, Microsoft 365, Teams, Copilot and the Microsoft Store experienced outages starting around 1 p.m. ET Thursday. Downdetector reports peaked at about 130,000 for Outlook, and Microsoft said servers were becoming unresponsive as traffic returned; problems were still reported at 11 p.m. ET, though reports had fallen.
Microsoft Outlook and several other Microsoft services experienced a widespread outage Thursday, with user reports peaking at about 130,000 on Downdetector around 1:15 p.m. ET. Microsoft said some affected servers became unresponsive when traffic returned, and reports of problems were still coming in at 11 p.m. ET, although they had fallen from the peak.
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The reported disruption affected Outlook, Microsoft 365, Teams, Copilot and the Microsoft Store. Downdetector, which tracks user-submitted reports, showed nearly 50,000 reports for Microsoft 365 at one point. Around 7:55 p.m. ET, Outlook remained at the top of the site’s error-report list, with about 30,000 reports. These figures reflect reports submitted to Downdetector, not a verified count of affected users.
Microsoft said it had returned some affected servers to service, but they became unresponsive again after receiving traffic. The company was temporarily limiting traffic in specific locations and rebuilding a subset of servers with an earlier software configuration to test whether that would keep them available. It also said it was reviewing traffic flows and affected infrastructure to find ways to improve routing.
At around 6 p.m. ET, Microsoft said it was shifting traffic to alternate routes and had observed limited recovery. The company cautioned that users could see a gradual return to service as capacity was restored and clients reconnected. Microsoft’s status page was reportedly unavailable at one point, but later came back online. The company was also posting updates on social media.
Is Microsoft Outlook Down? What We Know Now
Microsoft services were still experiencing reported problems late Thursday as the company worked to restore capacity. A lower report count did not confirm full recovery.
Services in the disruption
The reports spanned tools people use for email, meetings, office work and AI assistance.
Outlook
Users reported problems, with reports continuing late into the evening.
Microsoft 365
The service also drew a large volume of user-submitted reports.
Teams
Disruption could interrupt communication and daily work.
Copilot and Store
Both were included among the affected Microsoft services.
Microsoft’s recovery work
The company described servers becoming unresponsive as traffic returned and said recovery could be gradual.
Microsoft routed traffic through alternate paths and reported limited recovery.
It temporarily limited traffic in specific locations and tested an earlier software configuration on some servers.
Clients reconnecting and capacity returning could bring a gradual improvement.
What the reports can tell you
Downdetector counts user-submitted reports, not verified affected customers.
- Many users reported problems.
- Reports fell from the afternoon peak by evening.
- How many customers or regions were affected.
- That service was restored for everyone.
Disruption Across Microsoft Workflows
The outage affected a cluster of tools used for email, meetings, office work and AI assistance. For organizations that depend on Microsoft 365, an inability to access Outlook or Teams can interrupt communication and day-to-day work. The extent of the impact on individual businesses, including any effects on time-sensitive services, was not established in the available updates.
The spread across multiple Microsoft products also made it harder for some users to switch to another Microsoft app when one service failed. Reports on Downdetector indicate that many customers were encountering problems, but they do not establish that all users or regions were affected. The falling report count by evening suggested fewer reports than at the afternoon peak, but did not confirm that service had been restored for everyone.
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Earlier Outlook Disruption
The outage recalled a separate Outlook disruption described in the source reporting as having occurred in late summer. That earlier incident involved Exchange Online, which supports Outlook mailbox access and email delivery. Microsoft later attributed that event to a “core authentication configuration” issue.
Microsoft had not attributed Thursday’s disruption to that same cause. In updates during the current incident, it described servers becoming unexpectedly unavailable and outlined tests involving older software configurations, traffic limits and alternate routes. The available information does not establish whether the two incidents were related.
Downdetector’s lists also included services beyond Microsoft products. Clear Wave Fiber, a regional internet provider in parts of the South and Midwest, appeared among the most-reported sites Thursday evening. Its appearance does not by itself show that its reported issues were caused by Microsoft’s outage.
““We’ve monitored the status of the changes applied to improve serviceability and confirmed they’re not taking as expected.””
— Microsoft, in a social media update posted around 10:15 p.m. ET
Scope and Recovery Still Unclear
Microsoft had not provided a confirmed root cause in the updates described, nor a firm time for full recovery. It was also unclear how many customers, organizations or geographic areas were affected and whether every listed Microsoft service experienced the same underlying problem.
Downdetector figures are based on reports submitted by users and can fluctuate; they do not measure the total number of people affected. A lower number of reports late Thursday was not proof that all services were working normally. Microsoft’s status page and social updates remained the best cited sources for its own assessment, but the source material did not include a final resolution notice.
Watch for Microsoft Status Updates
Microsoft said it was continuing to restore affected servers, test a previous software configuration on a subset of them, and shift traffic where possible. It planned to expand the server-rebuild approach if the test produced positive results. Customers can check the company’s service health page and social media accounts for further updates.
The next meaningful update would be confirmation that services are stable under normal traffic and that the incident has been resolved. Until Microsoft reports that, the duration and reach of any continuing problems remain uncertain. The information available as of 11 p.m. ET Thursday indicated that the outage was still developing.
Key Questions
Is Microsoft Outlook down?
Outlook was experiencing problems during the Thursday outage, according to the source reporting and user reports on Downdetector. As of 11 p.m. ET, reports were continuing, though they had fallen from their afternoon peak.
Which Microsoft services were affected?
Reports involved Outlook, Microsoft 365, Teams, Copilot and the Microsoft Store. The available information does not confirm that every user of each service was affected.
What caused the outage?
Microsoft said servers became unexpectedly unavailable and were becoming unresponsive again when traffic returned. The company had not confirmed a root cause in the updates described.
When will Outlook be back to normal?
No firm restoration time was given. Microsoft reported limited recovery efforts and said service could return gradually as capacity was restored and clients reconnected.
Where can I check for updates?
Microsoft directed customers to its service health page and social media updates. Downdetector can show user-submitted reports, but those figures are not an official measure of the outage or proof of restoration.
Source: CNET
