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REDMOND, Wash. — Microsoft confirmed that a service disruption on Thursday affected several of its widely used products, including Outlook email and other Microsoft 365 tools, leading to temporary access issues for users across parts of North America.
According to Microsoft, the incident caused difficulties with email, messaging, and collaboration services for a portion of customers. The issue began in the early afternoon and continued for several hours before services gradually started to recover.
Outlook Email and Teams Experience Disruptions
Many users reported problems accessing Outlook email, including delays in loading messages, sign-in failures, and errors when attempting to send or receive emails. The Outlook outage today also coincided with issues in Microsoft Teams, where some users were unable to join meetings or send chat messages.
As reports increased, users searched for updates using terms such as is Outlook down, is Microsoft down, and is Microsoft Outlook down right now, reflecting uncertainty during the disruption.
Microsoft 365 Outage Reported on Downdetector
Outage-tracking platforms such as Downdetector recorded a sharp increase in user-reported issues related to Microsoft 365 down services. At one point, thousands of reports were logged, indicating widespread impact across Outlook, Teams, and Exchange.
The data showed a noticeable spike in Microsoft outages, with users describing similar problems involving Outlook email down, login difficulties, and connection errors. Reports on downdetector Microsoft suggested the issue was affecting users in multiple regions.
Microsoft Status Page Confirms Ongoing Investigation
Microsoft acknowledged the disruption through updates on its Microsoft status page and Microsoft service status dashboard. In a statement, the company said engineers were investigating a server-related issue that was affecting traffic processing for some Microsoft 365 services.
The incident was listed under internal reference MO1221364 on the Microsoft 365 status page. Microsoft said the issue impacted Exchange-related services, contributing to a broader Microsoft email outage.
“We’re continuing to apply mitigation steps to restore service as quickly as possible,” Microsoft said in an update.
Impact on Businesses, Schools, and Remote Work
The Office 365 outage affected daily operations for businesses, schools, and remote workers who rely on Microsoft tools for communication and scheduling. Some organizations reported delays in internal messaging, while educators experienced difficulty accessing calendars and email-based notifications.
Remote workers also noted challenges joining virtual meetings and sharing files during the period when Microsoft 365 was down. In response, some users temporarily switched to alternative communication platforms while awaiting service restoration.
Gradual Recovery and Service Stabilization
By early Friday, Microsoft reported that most affected services were recovering. Outlook email, Teams, and Exchange systems were returning to normal operation, though the company noted that some users might still encounter minor delays while systems fully stabilized.
Microsoft said it would continue monitoring the environment through its Microsoft service status tools to ensure consistent performance following the m365 outage.
Cause of the Microsoft Outlook Outage
Microsoft has not yet released detailed technical findings about what caused the disruption. Initial information suggests the issue was related to server infrastructure components in North America that were not processing traffic as expected.
Technology analysts note that incidents like this highlight how essential cloud-based services have become for daily communication and productivity. Even brief interruptions can affect workflows when email and collaboration platforms are unavailable.
What Users Can Do During Microsoft Service Issues
Microsoft advises users experiencing issues to check the official Microsoft status page for verified updates rather than relying solely on third-party reports. Tools like down detector can help identify trends, but official status updates provide the most accurate information.
Users are also encouraged to sign out and back in or refresh their sessions once Microsoft confirms service recovery.
Looking Ahead
Microsoft said it is reviewing system data related to the outage to help prevent similar disruptions in the future. The company emphasized its commitment to improving reliability across Microsoft 365 services.
While the Microsoft Outlook outage today has largely been resolved, the incident serves as a reminder of the importance of communication tools in modern work environments and the need for continued infrastructure resilience.
