Outlook is not working since 12 November 2026

Check Microsoft’s Service Health Status page first, because widespread Outlook and Microsoft 365 failures affecting sign-in and mail flow were reported beginning November 12, 2026.^1^

1. Determine whether the outage is continuing

1. Open the Microsoft Service Health Status site.
2. Check the status of Outlook.com and related Microsoft account services.
3. If the status is not green, wait for Microsoft to restore the service and then try signing in again. Microsoft specifically recommends waiting until the status returns to normal.^2^
4. Also review Microsoft’s Outlook.com known-issues page for any published workaround or resolution.^3^

An outage cannot be repaired by changing settings, reinstalling Outlook, or repeatedly resetting the password.

2. If service health is green

Test the account through Outlook.com in a web browser rather than an installed mail application:

1. Go to Outlook.com and select Sign in.
2. If sign-in fails, use the Microsoft account sign-in helper. This checks account-access problems separately from Outlook mail flow.^4^
3. If Microsoft says the account is temporarily blocked, complete the displayed identity-verification process. Unusual sign-in activity can trigger a temporary block.^2^
4. If the password was changed recently, use the new password in Outlook and any other mail apps connected to the account.^4^

3. If sign-in works but mail still does not

Check Microsoft cloud and mailbox storage. When cloud storage is full, Outlook.com cannot send or receive messages; incoming messages rejected while storage is full are bounced to their senders and cannot subsequently be recovered.^4^

Use Microsoft’s storage page to review usage. If it is full:

1. Delete unneeded messages, especially those with large attachments.
2. Empty Deleted Items.
3. Sign out and sign back in after the storage value updates.
4. Ask senders to resend messages that were rejected while the account was full.

4. Identify an app-only problem

If Outlook.com works in the browser but the phone or desktop app does not, the account and mailbox are functioning and the remaining problem is client-specific. On mobile, Microsoft recommends checking server status first; if email works on a computer and no outage exists, troubleshoot or re-add the account in the mail app.^5^

5. Escalate if all services are green

If sign-in still fails after using the sign-in helper, use Microsoft’s account-support link available from the Outlook.com troubleshooting page. If sign-in succeeds, select Help in Outlook.com, enter the issue, scroll to Still need help?, and select Yes.^4^

Include:

• The exact error message or code.
• The date and time of the latest failure.
• Whether Outlook.com fails in more than one browser or device.
• Whether Microsoft account sign-in works outside Outlook.
• Whether Service Health shows all services as normal.

References

1. Microsoft Outlook down? Thousands report problems accessing email and other 365 apps
2. How to sign in to Hotmail | Microsoft Support
3. Fixes or workarounds for recent issues on Outlook.com | Microsoft Support
4. Can't send or receive email in Outlook.com | Microsoft Support
5. Troubleshoot Outlook mobile issues | Microsoft Support