1 hour ago
Last Updated:January 23, 2026, 08:23 IST
Acknowledging the issue, Microsoft said it was investigating a widespread service disruption affecting multiple Microsoft 365 tools.
Microsoft 365 Outage
Microsoft 365 services were disrupted globally on Thursday, leaving thousands of users unable to access key platforms, including Outlook, Microsoft Store and other applications.
Acknowledging the issue, Microsoft said it was investigating a widespread service disruption affecting multiple Microsoft 365 tools.
“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.
As of the latest update, outage-tracking website Downdetector showed more than 11,000 reports related to Microsoft Outlook alone, while overall complaints linked to Microsoft 365 crossed 14,000.
Many Outlook users reported receiving a “451 4.3.2 Temporary server error" message, preventing them from sending or receiving emails.
Although Microsoft did not provide a timeline for full restoration, the company later clarified the cause of the outage and outlined the steps being taken to resolve it.
What Caused The Outage?
In a follow-up update, Microsoft said it had identified a section of its service infrastructure in North America that was not handling traffic properly, triggering the widespread disruption.
“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 teams were continuing to assess the issue and take corrective actions to stabilise affected services.
As Microsoft worked to fix the outage, frustrated users took to Downdetector and social media platforms to share their experiences.
Some speculated about possible causes behind the disruption, while others reported slow but noticeable improvements.
One user joked about potential explanations, while another noted that access to accounts through the admin centre had started returning, albeit at a sluggish pace.
First Published:
January 23, 2026, 08:23 IST
News tech Microsoft 365 Outage: Tech Giant Issues Update After Services Hit Worldwide
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