Microsoft’s Outlook, Teams, and Copilot face technical issues, leaving thousands of users stranded

November 13, 2026

Washington: Several Microsoft platforms were affected by technical issues on Thursday and early Friday morning. Thousands of users experienced problems using services like Outlook, Teams, Copilot, and Microsoft 365.

According to the outage tracking website Downdetector, shortly after 1 p.m. Thursday, approximately 1.3 lakh users reported problems accessing Outlook. Problems were also reported with Microsoft’s messaging platform Teams, AI assistant Copilot, and other Microsoft 365 services.

At the time of writing, Outlook services had not fully returned to normal. Microsoft acknowledged the technical glitch and said it was aware of users experiencing problems accessing their Exchange Online mailboxes through various connection methods in the US region.

The company posted on the social media platform X that it was investigating the issue. According to Microsoft, the impact of this glitch may not be limited to a single region, but may also impact connectivity to Microsoft 365 services in other parts of the world.

The company advised users to check the update number EX1550543 in the Microsoft 365 Admin Center for more information.

Previously, Microsoft had reported successfully fixing issues related to Microsoft Teams in North America. However, some users continued to report connectivity issues.

We’re beginning to observe restoration as our automated recovery actions take effect. We’re monitoring to ensure full recovery, and in parallel, we’re continuing to investigate the initial cause of impact. For more information, see TM1526111 in the admin center.

— Microsoft 365 Status (@MSFT365Status) October 26, 2026

We’re investigating reports of users experiencing issues accessing Exchange Online mailboxes through multiple connection methods in the Americas. More details can be found in the Microsoft 365 admin center under EX1550543.

— Microsoft 365 Status (@MSFT365Status) November 12, 2026

Microsoft Replacing ChatGPT and Cloud with Its Own AI Models to Reduce Costs

Microsoft is shifting its strategy in the field of artificial intelligence (AI). The company is now focusing on developing and using its own AI models, reducing its reliance on models from OpenAI and Anthropic.

According to a Bloomberg report, Microsoft has begun implementing its MAI models behind the scenes. These models are processing thousands of AI requests every week in tools like Excel and Outlook.

The primary reason behind this shift is to maintain control over costs and technology. Running advanced AI models requires significant computing power, which significantly increases costs. As people increasingly use AI features in Office apps, the company’s costs also increase.

Microsoft has to pay tokens for each response it receives from its AI. Given the company’s millions of customers, this cost is expected to continue to rise.

Although Microsoft has a strong partnership with OpenAI, the company does not want its costs to continue to rise as its AI technology expands or become completely dependent on external companies.

Microsoft’s AI chief, Mustafa Suleyman, has previously stated that paying for external AI services impacts the company’s profits.

For this reason, Microsoft is emphasizing the development of its AI systems in-house. The aim is not only to reduce costs but also to gain greater control over its technology and tailor it to the company’s needs.