Microsoft apologizes for global service outage affecting 74 countries and territories

Microsoft issued a public apology via X following a major technical service outage that disrupted essential digital tools globally. The disruption impacted users in 74 countries and territories across the Americas, Europe, Asia, and Africa. The outage began late in the afternoon on Thursday, November 12, 2026, and continued through Friday, November 13, 2026.

Technical cause of the outage

The technical disruption was caused by a technical problem during a network capacity expansion following a recent network change. Microsoft confirmed the incident was not caused by a cyberattack or artificial intelligence (AI) agents. The company acknowledged the trust users place in its services and expressed deep regret for the disruption. Microsoft stated that the company takes its responsibility to its customers and partners very seriously.

The outage affected several major software platforms used for business and personal communication. Affected services included Outlook, Microsoft 365, Teams, and the AI assistant Copilot. Downdetector monitored the outage affecting 74 countries and territories during the period of service instability.

Impact on public and essential services

The disruption affected various sectors, including hospitals, airlines, schools, and government offices. In the United Kingdom, the National Health Service (NHS) experienced issues where staff could not transmit patient data during emergency calls, according to reports from the GMB union. The outage also disrupted the US House of Representatives and municipal and court operations from Los Angeles to Texas.

Government agencies and transportation sectors faced significant operational challenges. The New Zealand Immigration Department suspended all visa application processing due to the outage. In the aviation sector, Indian airlines IndiGo and Akasa Air reported email support failures. The scale of the disruption highlighted the critical nature of the infrastructure managed by Microsoft.

Scope of the global disruption

The outage caused significant disruption to public services and businesses globally. The scale of the event demonstrated how technical issues during infrastructure updates can impact diverse regions including the Americas, Europe, Asia, and Africa. Because the outage affected essential tools like Microsoft 365 and Teams, many organizations were unable to conduct standard digital operations for the duration of the event.

The incident highlighted the reliance of modern institutions on cloud-based services. From healthcare providers in the United Kingdom to immigration officials in New Zealand, the inability to access digital tools created immediate operational hurdles. Microsoft's apology addressed the widespread nature of the event and the impact on its global user base.

Glossary

• Microsoft 365 — Microsoft 365 is a service that includes various applications and services. It is used for business, work, and personal digital operations.
• Copilot — Copilot is a generative artificial intelligence chatbot developed by Microsoft AI. It utilizes the Microsoft Prometheus large language model and features a conversational interface style.
• National Health Service (NHS) — The National Health Service (NHS) is the collective term for the four separate publicly funded healthcare systems of the United Kingdom. These include the National Health Service (England), NHS Scotland, NHS Wales, and Health and Social Care (Northern Ireland).