On November 12, 2026, Microsoft experienced a significant global outage affecting several of its services, including Outlook, Teams, Copilot, and other Microsoft 365 applications. The disruption began around 1 p.m. Eastern Time, with nearly 130,000 users reporting issues accessing their email accounts and other Microsoft applications. (apnews.com)
Impacted Services:
- Outlook: Users were unable to send or receive emails or access their inboxes.
- Teams: The workplace messaging app experienced connectivity problems.
- Copilot and Microsoft 365 Suite: Other applications within the Microsoft 365 suite were also affected.
Cause and Recovery Efforts:
Microsoft identified that a number of servers failed during automated health checks, leading to the outage. The company stated that it was investigating the issue and working to restore services. By the evening of November 12, some servers had returned to service, and recovery efforts were underway. However, Microsoft noted that recovery was not progressing as expected, and the outage could persist for some time. (theguardian.com)
Geographical Impact:
The outage affected users worldwide, including regions in Asia on Friday morning. In Japan, the deputy chief cabinet secretary reported that the government’s IT infrastructure was impacted, and officials were monitoring the situation. (apnews.com)
Current Status:
As of November 13, 2026, Microsoft continues to work on restoring full service. Users are advised to monitor Microsoft’s official channels for updates and to exercise caution with any unsolicited communications during this period.
Highlights:
- Is Outlook down? Widespread outage hits Microsoft email and other apps, Published on Thursday, November 12
- Japanese arcades suffer week-long blackout following Sega server hack, Published on Sunday, November 08
Sources:
[1] Is Outlook down? Widespread outage hits Microsoft email and other apps — https://apnews.com/article/6376045281feb430c0b923e3a4b251c2?utm_source=openai
[2] Microsoft begins restoring services as global outage affects Outlook and Teams | Microsoft | The Guardian — https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/nov/13/microsoft-outage-outlook-teams-word-excel-reports?utm_source=openai
[3] Japanese arcades suffer week-long blackout following Sega server hack — https://www.tomshardware.com/video-games/japanese-arcades-suffer-week-long-blackout-following-sega-server-hack-bandai-namco-titles-resume-trial-operations-as-sega-games-remain-offline?utm_source=openai
[4] www.theguardian.com — https://www.theguardian.com/technology/live/2026/nov/13/microsoft-outage-down-today-live-update-outlook-teams-365-when-fixed-latest-status-cause-news?page=with%3Ablock-6af69ba08f0880008e7f3827&utm_source=openai
[5] www.theguardian.com — https://www.theguardian.com/technology/live/2026/nov/13/microsoft-outage-down-today-live-update-outlook-teams-365-when-fixed-latest-status-cause-news?page=with%3Ablock-6af69ecc8f0880008e7f383f&utm_source=openai
[6] www.theguardian.com — https://www.theguardian.com/technology/live/2026/nov/13/microsoft-outage-down-today-live-update-outlook-teams-365-when-fixed-latest-status-cause-news?page=with%3Ablock-6af6b0278f0880008e7f3898&utm_source=openai
[7] www.theguardian.com — https://www.theguardian.com/technology/live/2026/nov/13/microsoft-outage-down-today-live-update-outlook-teams-365-when-fixed-latest-status-cause-news?page=with%3Ablock-6af6a5198f084818e80d6daa&utm_source=openai
[8] www.theguardian.com — https://www.theguardian.com/technology/live/2026/nov/13/microsoft-outage-down-today-live-update-outlook-teams-365-when-fixed-latest-status-cause-news?page=with%3Ablock-6af6a83a8f084818e80d6dba&utm_source=openai
[9] www.business-standard.com — https://www.business-standard.com/technology/tech-news/microsoft-365-outage-continues-as-company-sees-limited-recovery-in-services-126111300464_1.html?utm_source=openai
[10] www.reporterworldnews.com — https://www.reporterworldnews.com/news/business/2026/11/13/microsoft-outage-disrupts-outlook-teams-and-ai-services-for-over-five-hours?utm_source=openai
[11] www.systemdesign.academy — https://www.systemdesign.academy/explained/microsoft-365-outage?utm_source=openai
[12] journalarta.com — https://journalarta.com/en/2026/11/13/microsoft-aggressively-pursuing-solution-outlook-teams-outage/?utm_source=openai
[13] journalarta.com — https://journalarta.com/en/2026/11/13/microsoft-begins-restoring-services-outlook-teams-outage/?utm_source=openai
[14] interaksyon.philstar.com — https://interaksyon.philstar.com/trends-spotlights/2026/11/13/321818/microsoft-outage-drags-on-for-hours-disrupting-outlook-teams-for-thousands/?utm_source=openai