Microsoft users across the United States reported problems accessing Outlook and other services, with more than 39,000 people in the United States reporting issues, according to outage-tracking website Downdetector.
The disruption affected access to Exchange Online mailboxes, Microsoft’s email service used by businesses and organisations. Users reported problems connecting to their accounts through different methods, raising concerns about access to emails and other work-related services.
Microsoft confirmed that it was aware of the reports and had started looking into the issue. The company also shared an incident reference number so administrators could follow updates through the Microsoft 365 admin center.
Microsoft confirms Exchange Online disruption
In a post on X, the official Microsoft 365 Status account said it was investigating the problem. The company shared the following statement:
“We’re investigating reports of users experiencing issues accessing Exchange Online mailboxes through multiple connection methods in the Americas. More details can be found in the Microsoft 365 admin center under EX1550543.”
The incident was listed under reference number EX1550543, allowing Microsoft 365 administrators to check the service status and follow further updates.
The disruption also prompted complaints from users on online forums. Some said Outlook had stopped connecting, while others reported delays in receiving emails and difficulty opening their inboxes.
One wrote, “Everything is DOWN. Outlook, One Drive, Sharepoint, Co-Pilot….the only thing that seems to be working is TEAMS.”
Another said, “Yep, Outlook is disconnected. Web versions are taking forever to load.”
A third user reported, “Same here in Canada , 365 Bus. Also cant access personal via web.” Another added, “Can not access through Desktop or Phone either.”
The experiences appeared to vary, with some people facing connection failures and others dealing with delays.
Microsoft has not confirmed the cause of the disruption in its initial statement.
Microsoft later provided another update, saying:
“While we’re working to mitigate impact, we’ve confirmed the issue may affect Microsoft 365 service connectivity for users in any region, more information will be provided in the Microsoft 365 admin center under EX1550543.”
Microsoft is working to reduce the impact of the outage by redirecting internet traffic across its global network. The company is addressing an overload that has affected Microsoft 365 services in several regions.
The disruption has also reportedly affected Microsoft connectors used in tools from OpenAI and Anthropic. Meanwhile, Downdetector has received more than 130,000 reports from users facing problems with Outlook, Teams and Copilot.