Global Microsoft services outage disrupts worldwide operations
On Thursday, November 12, 2026, Microsoft experienced a massive, prolonged service outage that affected millions of users across 74 countries. Key platforms including Outlook, Exchange Online, Microsoft Teams, Copilot, and OneDrive became largely inaccessible, with Downdetector recording peak reports of approximately 140,000 issues regarding Outlook alone. The disruption, which persisted into Friday, November 13, caused operational chaos for government agencies, financial institutions, and airlines, with some organizations forced to revert to manual systems like fax machines.
Microsoft attributed the failure to an unexpected server outage that resulted in infrastructure overload rather than a surge in user traffic. Although technical teams implemented several adjustments to restore connectivity, the company initially reported only marginal success, as some restored servers failed again upon receiving traffic. Microsoft confirmed that there were no indications of malicious activity or cyberattacks. As of the latest updates, the company continues to analyze diagnostic data and apply server adjustments to stabilize its cloud infrastructure while working toward full restoration of all impacted services.