Microsoft currently reports a service degradation affecting Microsoft 365 and consumer services, including Outlook.com, so monitor the public service-health page and wait for Microsoft to restore mailbox connectivity.^1^
Current status
- The outage is consistent with being unable to open Outlook.com today, November 13, 2026.
- The latest available incident information said Microsoft was monitoring changes already applied and scheduled its next update for 3:00 AM UTC on November 13. That time has passed, so check the public status page for the newest update rather than relying on that estimate.
- Microsoft’s Outlook.com guidance also directs users with access problems to the Service Health Status site.^2^
Is there another way to reach the mailbox?
There is no documented, guaranteed workaround for this outage. If the service cannot provide mailbox connections, Outlook.com, Outlook mobile, and Outlook desktop may all fail. Switching browsers, networks, or clients can identify a separate local problem, but it is unlikely to bypass a service-side outage.
If a client was already open and had synchronized messages before the outage, locally cached messages might remain readable. Sending replies or retrieving newer messages will still require the service connection.
For urgent responses, contact the sender through another available channel and explain that Outlook is temporarily unavailable.
After Microsoft reports recovery
- Open Outlook.com in a private or InPrivate browser window.
- If it works, sign in again through the usual browser session.
- Then reopen the Outlook mobile or desktop client and allow it to synchronize.
- If every connection method still fails after the status page shows recovery, use Outlook support rather than repeatedly changing the password or removing the account.
References
- Microsoft service health status
- Fixes or workarounds for recent issues on Outlook.com | Microsoft Support