Account integrity. Sign-in never stops loading/buffering

Check the Microsoft account Recent activity page first; it shows the last 30 days of significant sign-ins and lets you report activity that was not yours.^1^

1. Check whether the account was accessed

1. Open the Recent activity page directly rather than following a link in an email.
2. Expand each unfamiliar entry and review:
   • Date and time
   • Device or operating system
   • Browser or app
   • Approximate location and IP address
3. A location alone is not conclusive—mobile providers can route connections through other areas. Compare the device, browser, and access method as well.
4. Under Unusual activity, select:
   • This was me for activity you recognize.
   • This wasn’t me if it was not yours or you are uncertain.
5. Also look for changes you did not make, such as an alias, security method, app permission, profile change, or password change.^1^

If you find unauthorized activity:

1. Open Security settings from the Recent activity page.
2. Change the password to a new, unique password not used on another service.
3. Update the recovery email address, phone number, and other security information.
4. Remove unrecognized trusted devices.
5. Enable two-step verification. This adds a security code requirement when someone signs in from an untrusted device.^2^

A continuously loading page does not, by itself, establish that the account was hacked.

2. Isolate the web loading problem

Use a current version of Microsoft Edge, Chrome, Firefox, or—on macOS—Safari 16 or later. Outlook.com can fail to load when an unsupported browser or an ad-blocking extension such as AdBlock or uBlock interferes.^3^

Try these in order:

1. Open a private or incognito window and sign in to Outlook.com.
2. If that works, disable ad blockers and privacy extensions in the normal browser window.
3. If it still loads indefinitely, try another supported browser or device.
4. Check Microsoft service health status for a current Outlook incident.^4^

If the account works in a private window or another browser, the problem is local to the original browser session rather than proof of account compromise.

3. Check why mail is not arriving

Once Outlook.com opens, check the account-level settings that could hide or redirect incoming messages:

1. Select Settings (gear icon) → Mail → Rules.
   • Remove only rules you did not create, particularly rules that delete, move, or redirect messages.
2. Go to Settings → Mail → Forwarding.
   • Turn off any forwarding you did not configure.
3. Check Junk Email, the Other tab, and any active message filters.
4. Select Filter → Sort → Date to restore chronological order.
5. Check mailbox/cloud storage. If Microsoft cloud storage is full, Outlook.com cannot send or receive mail; messages sent while it was full are bounced and cannot be recovered.^5^

Because the phone and browser are both affected, review these server-side settings before reinstalling the phone app. After web access and mail delivery work, refresh the phone’s synchronization.

4. Escalate if access still hangs

If no suspicious activity or mailbox setting explains the issue:

• Use the Microsoft account sign-in helper linked from Microsoft’s Outlook.com sign-in guidance.^6^
• If Outlook.com becomes accessible, select Help on its menu bar, enter the issue, then choose Still need help? → Yes.
• Microsoft Support cannot directly access or change account details or send password-reset links; account ownership must be verified through the recovery and security process.^1^

References

1. What is the Recent activity page? | Microsoft Support
2. Help protect your Outlook.com email account | Microsoft Support
3. Supported browsers for Outlook on the web and Outlook.com | Microsoft Support
4. Microsoft service health status
5. Can't send or receive email in Outlook.com | Microsoft Support
6. How to sign in to Outlook.com | Microsoft Support