Microsoft’s Outlook service is facing a sign-in disruption that has left some users unable to access their accounts normally. The issue has been acknowledged by Microsoft, and users on iPhone and iPad who open Outlook or Hotmail through the built-in Mail app are being told to enter their password again.
The problem is not being described as a full outage, but as repeated authentication failures that interrupt access at different stages. Some users encounter the “too many requests” error, while others are logged out without warning, making the experience inconsistent and difficult to predict.
What users are seeing
The disruption appears to affect the login process rather than taking the entire service offline. That means Outlook may still look available on the surface, but the account session can fail before the inbox fully loads or stay unstable after sign-in.
For some users, the issue shows up as an endless login loop. For others, the account opens briefly before being signed out again, which also disrupts notifications and email synchronization.
Microsoft confirms authentication issues
Microsoft has said the trouble is tied to account authentication. In its own wording, the company described the situation as “intermittent sign-in failures,” along with “too many requests” errors and unexpected sign-outs.
That explanation matters because it places the fault in the access process itself. The service may remain technically active, but the sign-in mechanism is not behaving normally for all users.
Microsoft also said it is working on a fix. As an initial step, the company rolled back a recently introduced change to see whether it helps reduce the impact of the disruption.
Why iPhone and iPad users need an extra step
A specific instruction has been issued for iOS users who connect Outlook or Hotmail through Apple’s default Mail app. Microsoft says those users need to re-enter their password so the email account can return to normal operation.
This additional step is important because waiting for a server-side fix does not always restore access immediately. If the account remains unstable inside the built-in Mail app, manual re-authentication is needed to resume syncing properly.
The guidance has been mentioned specifically for iPhone and iPad users on the native Mail app. No comparable extra instruction has been stated for other platforms in the available reference material.
Reports point to a broad-scale issue
The disruption is not limited to isolated cases. Downdetector has recorded more than 1,200 user reports, which suggests the problem is affecting a large number of people across different usage scenarios.
That volume of complaints supports Microsoft’s acknowledgement that the issue is widespread. It also helps explain why some users can log in while others are blocked, since the failure appears intermittent rather than total.
Daily use can be affected quickly
Email access problems can have immediate consequences for both personal and work communication. When sign-in fails, important messages, alerts, and account updates may be delayed.
The “too many requests” message can stop the login flow before it finishes. Unexpected sign-outs create a separate problem by removing access suddenly, even after the account seems to have opened successfully.
That combination often causes confusion, because the app may still appear connected while core functions are unstable. In practice, the device or connection may seem at fault, even though Microsoft has already confirmed a service-related issue.
Microsoft continues monitoring the situation
In its latest status update, Microsoft said its teams are continuing to analyze customer reports. The company is also closely monitoring service telemetry to decide on next steps and additional mitigation if needed.
The root technical cause has not been detailed in the available reference, but the investigation is still active. For users who are still unable to sign in, Microsoft’s confirmation at least makes clear that the issue is being addressed.
For iPhone and iPad users relying on the default Mail app, re-entering the password remains the key action to try while the wider Outlook sign-in problem is being resolved.