Microsoft 365 Suffers Global Outage, Thousands Face Email and App Disruptions
A major Microsoft 365 outage disrupted Outlook and core apps worldwide, leaving thousands unable to access essential communication services.
Microsoft 365 users across the globe experienced unexpected disruptions on Thursday as several of the company’s core services went offline, affecting communication and productivity for businesses, students, and individual users alike. Platforms including Outlook, Microsoft Store, and other Microsoft 365 tools were reportedly inaccessible for hours, triggering widespread frustration.
The outage quickly gained attention as thousands of users began reporting issues with sending emails, logging into accounts, and accessing cloud-based applications. For many professionals who rely heavily on Microsoft’s ecosystem for daily operations, the disruption brought work to a halt.
Acknowledging the situation, Microsoft confirmed that it was looking into the problem. “We’re investigating a potential issue impacting several Microsoft 365 services, including Outlook, Microsoft Defender and Microsoft Purview," the company said, adding that details were being shared through its admin center.
Outage-monitoring platform Downdetector reflected the scale of the disruption. At its peak, the website recorded more than 11,000 complaints related to Outlook alone. Overall reports tied to Microsoft 365 services crossed 14,000 globally, underscoring the widespread impact.
Many Outlook users encountered a recurring error message — “451 4.3.2 Temporary server error" — which prevented them from sending or receiving emails. The issue left both businesses and individuals scrambling for alternatives, with some turning to backup email services to stay connected.
While Microsoft initially did not offer a specific timeline for restoration, it later shared more details about the cause of the outage and the steps being taken to resolve it.
In a follow-up statement, the company pointed to infrastructure challenges in North America. “We’ve identified a portion of service infrastructure in North America that is not processing traffic as expected. We’re working to restore the infrastructure to a healthy state and rebalance service traffic to achieve recovery," the company said in a post on X, directing users to its service status page for updates.
Microsoft added that its technical teams were continuing to monitor the situation and implement corrective measures to stabilize affected systems. Gradual improvements were reported in some regions, though performance remained inconsistent for several users.
As the company worked toward recovery, social media platforms and Downdetector became hubs for user feedback. Frustrated customers shared screenshots, vented concerns, and speculated about possible causes. Some reported slow but noticeable improvements, while others joked about the inconvenience caused by the downtime.
The incident highlights how deeply integrated cloud services have become in everyday life. Even a brief disruption to widely used platforms like Microsoft 365 can ripple across workplaces, classrooms, and homes worldwide.
Although services have begun stabilizing, the outage serves as a reminder of the growing dependence on digital infrastructure—and the importance of resilience when systems unexpectedly go dark.
