Microsoft is currently addressing a connectivity issue affecting Outlook.com accounts, leading to connection problems with Outlook 2013, Outlook 2016, Outlook for Microsoft 365, Thunderbird, and mobile email apps. Users have reported issues with POP, IMAP, and Exchange connections since January 23, 2024. Despite some users finding temporary success by signing in with an App Password, the problem persists, with affected individuals facing repeated sign-in requests even after entering correct credentials. Microsoft’s community platforms and social networks have been flooded with user reports of the issue.
The ongoing problem prompts pop-up messages requiring users to enter their passwords, accompanied by a “Remember my credentials” option. Despite entering the correct password, the dialog continues to reappear as the application attempts to connect to the account. Microsoft’s Outlook Team is actively working on a fix for this issue and assures users that more information will be shared as soon as a solution is available. In the meantime, affected customers are advised to use Outlook.com on the web as an alternative means of accessing their accounts until the connectivity glitch is resolved.
This recent Outlook connectivity issue is not the first technical challenge Microsoft has faced. In December, the company addressed an Outlook Desktop client crash problem when sending emails from Outlook.com accounts. Users who disabled auto-updates were instructed to manually click “Update Now” to mitigate the issue. Additionally, Microsoft’s Outlook team has previously resolved bugs and disruptions, such as a configuration issue triggering 401 exception errors in email searches for Outlook.com users in July. Earlier in June, DDoS attacks, attributed to the Anonymous Sudan threat actor with alleged Russian ties, disrupted services including Outlook.com, OneDrive, and the Azure Portal.
