140k users hit by Microsoft 365 outage
Over 140,000 users reported connectivity issues affecting email and calendar services across the Americas on Thursday.
By Bianca Shevchenko ·
Thousands of users in the Americas lost access to their email and calendar tools on Thursday afternoon.
Microsoft confirmed the outage affects Outlook, a core component of its Microsoft 365 subscription package. The company stated that elevated load across multiple regions of its infrastructure is likely causing connectivity errors. These issues impact messaging, scheduling, and contact management services for users in North and South America.
The problem extends beyond basic email functions. Microsoft acknowledged that users are also experiencing difficulties with Copilot and other Microsoft 365 applications, including Word, Excel, Teams, and OneDrive. The service incidents account on X noted that the team is investigating reports of issues accessing Exchange Online mailboxes through various connection methods. An incident reference number, EX1550543, was provided for administrators to track the status.
Downdetector recorded more than 140,000 reports of the disruption as of 2 p.m. local time on Thursday. Users on the platform described an inability to log into accounts or send and receive messages. One user, Nicolas1167, observed that Microsoft was aware of the situation and noted the issue appeared to affect the entire Americas region. Another account, John Microsoft, added a lighthearted comment suggesting the cause was not a Chinese spy.
Microsoft said it is also investigating specific issues with Microsoft Teams functionality in North America. The company directed users to the Microsoft 365 admin center for further details. As of the latest updates, the outage remains active for a portion of the user base in the affected regions.
