Microsoft services recover after 19-hour global outage affecting 500 million users

Microsoft says its services are recovering after a global outage lasting over 19 hours hit Outlook, Teams, and Microsoft 365, affecting nearly 500 million users worldwide. The company confirmed there is no evidence of malicious or cyber activity behind the disruption. The outage, which began Thursday and persisted into Friday, disrupted government agencies in Australia, Japan, and the United States, delayed trading firms, hindered earnings publications, and caused airlines to warn customers of communication lags. Microsoft reported encouraging recovery progress by Friday morning, with service availability and email delivery improving across affected infrastructure. Microsoft apologized for the impact and stated its teams are reviewing the cause to prevent similar issues. The company pledged to share more information as it becomes available, emphasizing that customers rely on these services for daily work.