On Saturday afternoon, March 1, 2025, Microsoft Outlook experienced a significant outage that affected users’ ability to read and send emails. By the evening, Microsoft announced that service had been restored after identifying the cause of the issues.
- Microsoft Outlook experienced significant outage on Saturday.
- Over 32,000 outage reports received by Downdetector.
- Microsoft 365, Word, and Excel also affected.
- Service restored after code change reversion.
- Users turned to social media to vent frustrations.
- USA TODAY journalists regained email access by 4:30 p.m. ET.
Reports of the outage began around 3:30 p.m. ET, with over 32,000 users reporting problems by 4 p.m. ET. The outage also impacted other Microsoft programs, including Microsoft 365, which saw about 25,000 additional reports.
The outage on March 1, 2025, disrupted email services for numerous users across the globe. Microsoft identified the issue shortly after it began and worked to resolve it quickly. Users took to social media to express their frustrations, with many noting that they were not alone in experiencing the problems.
Key statistics from the outage include:
- Over 32,000 reports of issues with Outlook by 4 p.m. ET.
- Approximately 25,000 additional reports related to Microsoft 365 services.
- Smaller numbers of reports concerning the Microsoft Store and Microsoft Azure.
Microsoft’s 365 Status account confirmed that the service was restored around 7 p.m. ET after reverting a problematic code change. Users began receiving emails again shortly after 4:30 p.m. ET, indicating that the issue was being resolved. The swift response from Microsoft helped alleviate concerns among users who were anxious about the disruption.
The outage on March 1 highlighted the reliance on digital communication tools like Outlook and the impact of service disruptions on users. Microsoft acted quickly to restore functionality, ensuring that users could resume their email communications without prolonged interruption.
