Outlook issues
Widespread outage hits Microsoft apps
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CHICAGO (AP) -- A widespread outage hit Microsoft platforms including Outlook on Thursday, with many users encountering trouble using their email accounts and other errors across the tech giant's suite of apps.
Nearly 130,000 users on outage tracker Downdetector reported problems accessing Outlook just after 1 p.m. ET. Reports have since fallen some, but many said they couldn't send and receive emails, or have had trouble loading their inboxes altogether. Thousands also reported issues with Microsoft's workplace messaging app Teams, as well as its AI assistant Copilot and wider Microsoft 365 services.
Microsoft said it was investigating customer reports related to email and Teams.
In updates posted on social media, Redmond, Washington-based Microsoft said it was aware of users "experiencing issues accessing Exchange Online mailboxes through multiple connection methods in the Americas."
Microsoft later added that a portion of its infrastructure was "experiencing elevated load" — which it said was "likely contributing to the connectivity errors." The company said it would begin redistributing traffic to help balance the load.
"We're aggressively pursuing all pathways to reduce impact," the Microsoft 365 Status account wrote on X.
Microsoft did not immediately provide further information. Earlier in the day, the company said it had "successfully restored" problems related to Microsoft Teams in North America, although some users continued to report connectivity issues.