Is Outlook Down? Check Microsoft’s Status and Find Local Problems

Checked: November 13, 2026, 9:08 p.m. GMT (UTC+00:00). Microsoft’s official status pages are the first stop when Outlook will not load, but a status check alone may not settle the question: Microsoft separates status information for personal services such as Outlook.com from the service health details available to Microsoft 365 organisations. At the time of checking, the public status results available to this article were inconsistent, so a widespread Outlook outage could not be confirmed. Check the live Microsoft page again for the latest position.

If Outlook fails on one browser, device or connection, the cause may be local. Testing Outlook.com in a private browser window and on mobile data can quickly show whether the problem follows your account across devices or stays with one setup.

Destaques

• Check Microsoft’s public Service Health Status page for personal Outlook.com and consumer services.
• For a work or school mailbox, ask an administrator to check Microsoft 365 admin center service health.
• Compare the web version, another device and another network before changing account settings.
• Microsoft’s status results available at the time of checking did not establish whether a current Outlook outage was affecting users.

How do I check whether Outlook is down?

For a personal Outlook.com, Hotmail, Live or MSN mailbox, open Microsoft’s Service Health Status page. Review the section for Microsoft consumer products and expand the relevant product details. Microsoft says the page provides service health information for products designed for individual, family and student use. Its public status page is useful when you cannot sign in, but it may not show the same detailed incident information that an organisation’s administrator can access.

If you use a work or school account, your organisation’s Microsoft 365 administrator can check Service health in the Microsoft 365 admin center. The administrator view lists active incidents and advisories, affected services, current status and Microsoft’s updates. Microsoft notes that users with certain admin roles, including Service Support admin and Helpdesk admin, can view service health. If the admin center itself is unavailable, Microsoft points administrators to the public status page.

Read the scope and wording of an incident. A service degradation can mean slower performance or intermittent failures; a service interruption means access is significantly affected. An advisory may affect only some users or features. A green or operational indicator is helpful evidence, but it does not prove that every account, region or function is working perfectly.

Why does Outlook still fail when Microsoft reports no outage?

A mailbox problem can look like an outage even when Microsoft has not posted a matching incident. The issue may be limited to one browser extension, a stale sign-in session, an outdated app, a blocked network connection, or an account-specific sign-in check. Microsoft’s Outlook.com known issues and workarounds page distinguishes Outlook.com guidance from the separate troubleshooting information for Outlook for Windows.

Try these checks in order:

1. Compare access points. Open Outlook.com in a private or incognito window, then try another supported browser or the Outlook mobile app. If one works, focus on the failing browser or app.
2. Switch networks. If it is safe and practical, test on mobile data instead of Wi-Fi, or on a different trusted network. If Outlook works on one network only, a VPN, proxy, firewall, DNS filter or router may be involved.
3. Check extensions and cached data. Temporarily disable browser extensions that filter ads or scripts. If that changes the result, adjust the extension’s settings for Outlook. Clear site data only after considering that you may need to sign in again.
4. Separate sign-in trouble from mailbox trouble. A repeated password prompt, verification request or account error is not the same as a confirmed service incident. Use Microsoft’s Outlook.com sign-in guidance and avoid repeatedly submitting credentials if the account may be locked.
5. Check the exact product. Outlook.com in a browser, Outlook for Windows or Mac, and a work mailbox on Exchange Online can fail in different ways. Note the app, error message, time and whether sending, receiving, sign-in or just one feature is affected.

What should I do if the status page shows an incident?

Follow Microsoft’s incident updates and avoid repeatedly reinstalling or reconfiguring an app while a service issue is active. For a work account, report the symptoms to your IT administrator; they can compare your experience with the tenant’s incident scope and report an unlisted problem. For personal Outlook.com, Microsoft’s known-issues page links to current workarounds and support routes. An incident can be mitigated in stages, so one successful refresh does not necessarily mean every feature has recovered.

If the status page is operational but the failure persists across devices and networks, collect the error text and contact the relevant administrator or Microsoft support. If the issue appears only on one device or browser, update the app or browser and test extensions and site data one change at a time. The next useful signal is whether the symptom spreads to other devices or appears in Microsoft’s incident updates.

Frequently asked questions

Is Outlook down right now?

The official status results available when this article was checked did not consistently confirm a current outage. Recheck Microsoft’s live status page for the latest information.

Where can I check Outlook.com status in the UK?

Use Microsoft’s public Service Health Status page and review Microsoft consumer products. For a work or school mailbox, ask your administrator to check Microsoft 365 Service health.

Why does Outlook work on my phone but not my computer?

That pattern points toward a browser, app, device or network issue, though it does not prove the cause. Compare a private browser window and another network to narrow it down.