Microsoft 365 and Outlook are down for many – here's everything we know about issues affecting the apps, as a disruption is confirmed

Just hours after a fairly wide-reaching Anthropic Claude issue, it seems that Microsoft's 365 and Outlook are both experiencing a service disruption. And it's a confirmed one, so whether you can't get Outlook to work or you're having issues with one of the facets under Microsoft 365, you're not alone.

Down Detector reports for Microsoft Outlook and Microsoft 365, as well as the Microsoft Store and Teams, began spiking at about 2:30PM ET, and Microsoft formally acknowledged the issue a bit after 3PM ET.

To cover this disruption, which is largely impacting Microsoft Outlook and Microsoft 365, TechRadar is spinning up a live blog.

(Image credit: Future)

Let's take a count of where things currently stand – while I was able to load Microsoft's own status page, which confirmed an active disruption with Microsoft 365, I'm having some difficulty loading it at the moment.

You can try loading that here, but I will also embed Microsoft's post on X (formerly Twitter) below, which also confirms the issue.

We're investigating a potential issue impacting multiple Microsoft 365 services, including Outlook, Microsoft Defender and Microsoft Purview. Further information can be found in the admin center under MO1221364.January 22, 2026

While Down Detector reports are starting to slip, hinting that fewer folks are reporting issues or that the service is entering recovery, Microsoft 365 still stands at over 14,361 reported issues.

Folks in the comments on Down Detector are reporting issues with sending and receiving messages, but also specifically with the 'Admin Console' not loading as intended.

Reported issues with Microsoft Outlook are currently sitting at slightly over 12,000 on Down Detector.

(Image credit: Future)

Here's what Microsoft's status page says is impacted

As well as Microsoft's post on X, the status page – which I've finally got loading again – does a good job of setting the scene and showing where we are with this ongoing disruption.

I'll copy it in full below, but the gist is that inbound and outbound mail through Exchange Online and Outlook are both impacted. There's a chance you'll encounter this specific error message as well: "451 4.3.2 temporary server issue". Using the search functionality in OneDrive and SharePoint Online may fail, as well as accessing Microsoft Purview, Microsoft Defender XDR, and the Microsoft 365 admin center may not load.

So yes, it does match the comments folks are leaving on Down Detector, and Microsoft says the cause is that a "portion of dependent service infrastructure in the North America region isn't processing traffic as expected." This service disruption for Microsoft 365 and Outlook is mostly impacting North America as well.

"More info: More info: Users may be receiving a "451 4.3.2 temporary server issue" error message when attempting to send or receive email through Outlook.

Some of the impacted service functions include, but may not be limited to:

- Sending and receiving email through Exchange Online, including notification emails from Microsoft Viva Engage.

- Collecting message traces may be delayed or fail.

- Searches within SharePoint Online and/or Microsoft OneDrive mail be delayed or fail to complete.

- Accessing the service portals, including Microsoft Purview, Microsoft Defender XDR, and the Microsoft 365 admin center.

Current status: We're continuing to review what actions are required to restore the affected infrastructure to a heathy state and rebalance the service traffic to achieve recovery.

Scope of impact: Any users served through an affected section of service infrastructure in the North America region may be intermittently impacted.

Root cause: A portion of dependent service infrastructure in the North America region isn't processing traffic as expected.

Next update by: Thursday, January 22, 2026, at 11:00 PM UTC"

(Image credit: Future)

And if you're curious about the return-to-normal timeframe, Microsoft isn't quite ready to say when that will be just yet. Its teams are still investigating the problem and working to figure out a fix.

Here's the most recent post from the company on X, which notes a similar tone. It's nice to see a company being communicative during a disruption, though. The hope, though, is that a path to returning to normal operations for Microsoft 365 and Outlook is on the horizon soon.

We're continuing to review what actions are required to restore the affected infrastructure to a heathy state and rebalance the service traffic to achieve recovery. More information can be found at https://t.co/uFnnN6T3jN or under MO1221364 if accessible.January 22, 2026

As is common practice during outages, let's take a look at what some impacted folks are posting on social platforms like X during this Microsoft 365 and Outlook disruption.

I had the best intentions to lock in after lunch but god and Microsoft Outlook had other plansJanuary 22, 2026

Microsoft Outlook is down apparently.... Not like the majority of my job depends on it.... pic.twitter.com/Hqp8BiMzbkJanuary 22, 2026

Microsoft 365 is down? Can’t send or receive emails.January 22, 2026

It's a little after 4:15 PM ET here in New York City, so let's check Down Detector, as Microsoft is still experiencing a disruption affecting Outlook and Microsoft 365. Reports for 365 and Outlook have started to level off a bit, while those for the Microsoft Store, Teams, and Azure are all on the decline.

Now, as we typically see during outages, competing platforms in the space have also spiked a bit on Down Detector; that's why we see Gmail below with some reports. At this time, Google's various status dashboards are not showing any disruptions, but we'll monitor the reports.

(Image credit: Future)

January 22, 2026 at 10:20PM from Latest from TechRadar US in Internet News https://ift.tt/yCM47T5
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