Microsoft 365 was down globally: Users faced issues accessing services across the platforms

Microsoft 365

• Microsoft 365 outage hit Outlook, Teams, and Exchange on January 23
• Over 15,000 reports at peak, with gradual service restoration later
• Microsoft is investigating the cause and monitoring service performance

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Microsoft 365 services experienced a disruption on January 23, impacting users across several regions, as indicated by outage-tracking platform Downdetector. Users reported difficulties accessing core services, prompting a sharp rise in complaints during peak hours before numbers began to ease.

According to Downdetector, reports crossed 15,000 at the height of the incident and later declined to a few thousand, suggesting gradual service restoration. The platform relies on user-submitted data and real-time signals, which means the scale of disruption could be broader than reported.

The outage affected multiple Microsoft 365 services, including Outlook, Teams, Exchange, and administrative dashboards. Users flagged problems such as login failures, delayed or undelivered emails, and limited access to cloud-based tools. While a large number of reports originated from the United States, complaints were also recorded from other regions, pointing to a wider impact.

Microsoft acknowledged the disruption through its service status channels, stating that a section of its infrastructure was not handling traffic as intended. The company said it had initiated corrective steps, including redistributing traffic, to stabilise affected services.

Key problems faced by users

Downdetector’s issue breakdown showed that Exchange-related problems formed the largest share of complaints. Access issues with the Microsoft 365 Admin Center were also widely reported, alongside general website and sign-in problems. Some users noted intermittent access, indicating that the outage did not affect all services or accounts uniformly.

As recovery efforts progressed, certain services appeared to resume normal operation earlier than others.

No official response on root cause yet

Microsoft confirmed that mitigation measures were underway but did not immediately disclose the exact cause of the outage or provide a timeline for full resolution. The company said it would continue monitoring service performance and share updates as systems stabilised.

By later in the day, Downdetector data showed a steady decline in new reports, suggesting that the disruption was easing. However, users still facing issues were advised to keep an eye on official Microsoft service updates for the latest information.