Microsoft 365 outage: how to check it and what to do now
Outlook, Teams or OneDrive not working? Here is how to tell whether it is Microsoft or you, what you can do in the meantime, and when to call us.
Outage today (13 November 2026)
Microsoft reports an outage in Microsoft 365 that began on Thursday 12 November and was still winding down on Friday 13 November, with gradual recovery. Affected services include Outlook, Teams, SharePoint Online, OneDrive and Copilot (Microsoft advisory MO1550821). Microsoft points to high load across multiple regions; there is no confirmed cause at this time.
Official status at Microsoft · Updated at 15:55 UTC
Is it Microsoft or you?
- Check the official Microsoft status page first (status.cloud.microsoft). If you are an admin, also look in the Microsoft 365 admin center under Status.
- If the web version of Outlook or Teams also fails and others report the same, it is Microsoft and you can only wait.
- If only your device fails while colleagues can keep working, check your internet connection, restart the app, and confirm you are signed in to the right account.
- Outage sites show reports, not confirmation: a spike in reports is a signal, not proof.
What you can do now
- Try the web version or the mobile app; sometimes one works while the other stalls.
- Keep working offline on files you already downloaded; changes sync later on their own.
- Do not reinstall Office or the apps. It does not fix an outage at Microsoft and can disturb your own settings.
- Do not reset your password. A sign-in error during an outage is almost never a password problem.
- Be patient. Microsoft is working on recovery; forcing it does not help.
What this teaches you
What you manage yourself you can restore yourself during an outage; with a cloud service, waiting is all you can do. That is why we manage part of our own systems ourselves. It is no guarantee against outages and it means doing your own maintenance, backup and monitoring. The lesson is not to leave the cloud, but to spread your dependency and have an emergency plan for your email and files.
When to call us
Are you a Vectel client? We track the outage and report it in the portal, so you do not have to dig into it yourself. If an outage drags on and blocks your work, call us.
Frequently asked questions
- How do I know whether it is Microsoft or me?
- Check status.cloud.microsoft first. If the web version of Outlook or Teams also fails and others report the same, it is Microsoft. If only your device fails, check your internet connection and whether you are signed in to the right account.
- What can I do during an outage?
- Try the web version or the mobile app, keep working offline on files you already downloaded, and wait for recovery. Do not reinstall anything and do not reset your password.
- Should I reset my password if sign-in fails?
- No. During an outage a sign-in error is almost never a password problem. A reset fixes nothing and costs you time later.
- Does a backup help against an outage?
- A backup helps with data loss, not with an outage. During an outage your data is still there, you just cannot reach it for a while.
Need help?
Ask for help, or log in to the portal if you are already a client. During an outage we keep our Managed IT clients posted through the portal.