Microsoft’s Outlook and Hotmail services faced a significant outage, impacting hundreds of users in both the UK and US. Reports indicate that over 800 users in the UK and around 400 in the US encountered problems accessing their email accounts.
According to Downdetector, a staggering 64 percent of reported issues were related to email login problems. Users not only struggled to log in but also faced difficulties receiving messages, compounding the disruption.
The outage began just before 10 AM on April 27, 2026. Microsoft acknowledged the situation on its Service Health page, confirming widespread user access issues across its email platforms.
In response to the crisis, Microsoft is actively investigating the root cause of the server failures affecting Outlook. The company noted that local fixes are unlikely to resolve these issues until they address the underlying server-side problems.
“Our investigation indicates client sign-in scenarios may be contributing to the reported behaviour,” Microsoft stated. They are focused on validating interactions across service components to identify next steps.
While many users await resolution, no specific timeline has been provided for when normal service will resume. The uncertainty surrounding this outage leaves users frustrated as they grapple with ongoing email access challenges.
As Microsoft works to rectify these issues, updates will likely be forthcoming. Users are encouraged to monitor Microsoft’s official channels for real-time information regarding service restoration.
