Thousands of users across the globe continued to face disruptions as the Microsoft 365 outage affected access to essential productivity tools, according to real-time data from Downdetector. The globally used software suite, which includes services for communication, file sharing, and collaboration, experienced widespread technical issues on Thursday, causing frustration among individuals and businesses alike.
Downdetector, an independent outage monitoring platform, reported that at the peak of the issue, nearly 15,880 users flagged problems related to Microsoft 365. As of 6:03 p.m. ET, around 3,960 users were still reporting service interruptions, indicating that the issue had not been fully resolved for many.
Several core Microsoft services were impacted during the disruption. Users reported that Outlook was not allowing emails to be sent or received, while Microsoft Teams faced connectivity and messaging problems. Other affected services included Defender and SharePoint Online, making it difficult for users to access files, manage security features, and collaborate with team members in real time.
It is important to note that Downdetector gathers outage information from multiple sources, including direct user reports. This means the actual number of people affected by the Microsoft 365 outage could be higher or lower than the reported figures. However, the volume of complaints strongly suggested a significant service disruption.
Microsoft acknowledged the issue through its Windows developer channels, confirming that a portion of its North American service infrastructure was not processing traffic correctly. The company stated that engineers were actively working to adjust traffic across the affected systems to stabilize performance and restore full functionality.
While Microsoft did not provide a specific timeline for complete recovery, it reassured users that corrective actions were underway. As businesses increasingly rely on cloud-based tools for daily operations, outages like this highlight the importance of service reliability and transparent communication during technical failures.
