Is Outlook Down? Microsoft Restores Some Servers After Nov. 12 Outage

Microsoft confirmed a widespread Outlook outage on Thursday, Nov. 12, 2026, that disrupted access to work email for some Microsoft 365 users. In a 4:01 p.m. ET update, Microsoft said some affected servers were back online and it was rolling out a fix more widely. The company gave no estimate for full recovery. Its next update on the broader Microsoft 365 incident was due by 5:30 p.m. ET. Microsoft 365 service status

What happened to Microsoft Outlook?

The disruption affected Exchange Online, the service that hosts email for many Microsoft 365 work and school accounts. Microsoft said some users in the Americas had trouble connecting to their mailboxes, including through Outlook on the web. Users reported inboxes that would not load and problems sending or receiving email. The Associated Press reported that Downdetector logged nearly 130,000 Outlook problem reports shortly after 1 p.m. ET. Associated Press · Microsoft incident notices via the University of Pennsylvania

Microsoft said some servers unexpectedly dropped out of service, putting extra load on the ones still running. A different way of checking server health helped bring some affected servers back online. Microsoft was still looking into whether recent configuration changes contributed. It also listed Teams, SharePoint Online and Microsoft 365 Copilot among the services potentially affected by the broader disruption. Microsoft 365 service status · The Guardian

When will Outlook be back up?

Microsoft’s 4:01 p.m. ET update described a partial recovery. The 5:30 p.m. ET time was the deadline for its next progress report. For the latest information, check Microsoft’s public service status page. Microsoft 365 administrators can also go to Health → Service health in the admin center and look for EX1550543 for Exchange Online or MO1550821 for the broader Microsoft 365 incident. Microsoft 365 service status · Microsoft’s guide to checking service health

If you have a deadline today, call the recipient to confirm they received your message or ask which approved channel to use. Once your mailbox is accessible again, check your Outbox and Sent Items and follow up on anything time-sensitive.

Waiting on a home closing or a wire?

If you’re waiting for a Closing Disclosure, signing link or funding confirmation, call your lender or title company using the number you already have. Ask whether the timeline has changed and where to get the documents securely. Before sending closing funds, verify the wiring instructions with your settlement agent at a previously confirmed number. CFPB guide to mortgage closing scams · our guide to the Closing Disclosure

File photo of Microsoft’s Redmond campus sign by Derrick Coetzee via Wikimedia Commons.