Microsoft Outlook issues Global Outage; Users in UK, Australia, and Canada Report Access Issues
Date: July 10, 2025
Microsoft Outlook, one of the world’s most widely used email platforms, experienced a significant service outage Thursday morning, affecting users across several countries, including the United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada. Reports began surfacing early in the day that users were unable to log in to their accounts, send or receive emails, or access key Outlook features.
According to DownDetector, a website that tracks real-time outages across digital services, complaints about Outlook’s functionality began to rise steadily around 5 a.m. ET. Although the exact number of users affected remains unknown, the scale appears substantial, considering that Outlook boasts more than 400 million users worldwide.
Microsoft has not yet issued an official statement regarding the cause of the outage. USA TODAY reached out to the tech giant for comment, but there has been no immediate response as of Thursday afternoon.
Users Vent Frustrations on Social Media
As the outage persisted, thousands of users took to X (formerly Twitter) to express their frustrations. Hashtags such as #OutlookDown, #MicrosoftOutage, and #OutlookCrashed began trending globally, with many sharing screenshots, error messages, and memes about the disruption. Businesses that rely heavily on Outlook for communication and scheduling have been particularly impacted.
Recent History of Microsoft Service Disruptions
This latest incident is part of a series of high-profile technical issues that have affected Microsoft’s services in recent months:
- November 2024: Microsoft investigated widespread issues that prevented users from accessing services like Outlook and Microsoft Teams. The company reported difficulties with Exchange Online and Teams calendar functionalities.
- September 2024: Another outage disrupted Microsoft 365 services, locking users out of their email and key business applications across various devices.
- July 2024: A defective software update from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike caused catastrophic system crashes on Microsoft Windows platforms globally. That incident crippled essential infrastructure, from banks and emergency services to airports and hospitals. CrowdStrike later confirmed the issue stemmed from a faulty update—not a cyberattack.
What’s Next?
With no clear resolution time announced, Outlook users are advised to monitor Microsoft’s official service status page and social media accounts for updates. In the meantime, businesses and individuals are encouraged to use alternative communication channels if possible.
This outage highlights the increasing dependency on cloud-based communication platforms and the broader implications of system failures in a digitally connected world.
