Cannot Connect to Outlook.com? Here’s How you can Fix it

  

Mark Regan
Published: April 25th, 2025 • 6 Min Read

Outlook Web App or OWA is a web version of Microsoft Outlook that you can use for free. Because it is available online, users can easily access their account from any device, even from their smartphone. Those who do not install Outlook desktop can use Outlook features by creating a free account on Outlook.com. Therefore, it is popular among the users.

However, it is also not immune from every issue. Many of you have faced the problem of “cannot connect to Outlook.com” or “Outlook Web is down”. What is this problem and how can you solve it? All will be explained in the upcoming sections of the article.

Understanding Outlook Web not Responding Issue

This type of problem is very common among the user base, and it is very frustrating to everyone as you are unable to access your crucial data. Therefore, to resolve the problem we have to first understand the reasons why Outlook Web is not working.

• The main reason for this issue is because of the outages of the Microsoft server.
• There may be issues related to your web browser like outdated browser version, corrupt cache or cookies, disabled JavaScript, or denied site permissions.
• If you have enabled browser extensions or ad blockers, then some of them may block requests to send or receive emails.
• Firewalls and third-party antivirus software also block connections that look suspicious.
• There is a problem with your account authentication. That’s why you have trouble accessing your data.

So, there are several factors that cause the Outlook web access issue. To resolve that there are several solutions you can use, some common ones are mentioned in this flowchart.

Method 1: Check Microsoft Server Status

When you log in to your Outlook web account, but couldn’t do so. First check whether Outlook.com is down. For this, go to the Microsoft service status page and look for Outlook.com and see if the icon is red or yellow. If it is then you have to wait till they resolve the issue. But, if it is green and the issue is not resolved. then follow other solutions to fix Outlook web not working.

Method 2: Enable JavaScript

Sometimes Outlook web is not responding because of the JavaScript that is disabled. If that is your case, then enable it in your browser, by following the steps below.

1. Follow this path: chrome://settings/content/javascript.
2. Then, clicking on Sites can use the JavaScript option from the Default behavior.
   
3. For your Microsoft browser, go to the edge://settings/content/javascript. Then, switch on the Allowed button.
   

Method 3: Reset Outlook.com Site Permissions

Your browsers can automatically disable some of Outlook web features which can lead to this issue. So, to enable the permissions, follow the steps below.

1. First, open the Outlook Web App.
2. Click on the lock icon before the URL.
3. Select Site settings, then hit the Reset Permissions button.
   

Method 4: Disable Ad Blockers

If you have enabled Ad blocker extensions in the browser, then temporarily disable it to resolve Outlook web not working. Here are the steps you can use to disable them.

1. In your web browser, search chrome://extensions. Press the Enter button.
2. Search the ad blocker extensions then, turn off the extensions.
   
3. You can also disable the ad blocker, by going to the Details button.
4. Then, Site access and choose On specific sites which is Outlook.com.
5. Same with Microsoft, go to edge://extensions.
6. Find your ad blocker extensions then disable them.

These are the common solutions to resolve the problem of the Outlook web app not responding. If the problem still persists. Then try the below solutions.

Additional Ways to Resolve Outlook Web Problem

1. Clear Browser Cache and Cookies: unwanted cache and cookies can prevent you from accessing your account. Follow the steps below.
   • In your browser, click on the three buttons at the top-right corner.
   • Select the Delete Browsing Data option.
   • Click on the Cookies and Cached images and file.
2. Update Web browser: If the browser you are using is outdated, then update it as soon as possible.
   • Go to the settings page of the browser.
   • Click on the About Chrome or help section.
   • Then, update the browser.
3. Use a different Browser: If there is a problem with Outlook Web access in the current browser. Then, choose a different web browser or use Incognito mode.

Here are the different ways to resolve the problem of Outlook Web not working. These methods not only work in this but other issues related to Outlook.com, such as.

Common Issues of Outlook Web

• We can’t sign you in right now. Please try again later
• Your session has expired. Please sign in again
• Error 500: Something went wrong
• This site can’t be reached or ERR_CONNECTION_TIMED_OUT
• We couldn’t save your changes. Please try again

You can use the above methods for these problems. As they are connected to the problem of can’t connect Outlook.com. These solutions will easily resolve the problem. But what if it happens again and you want to access your data urgently? If that is the case, many experts advise you to backup your important emails. Below we share you a way to save your Outlook web data securely.

Final Words

In this article, we have explained why Outlook web not working. Then, provide basic and additional methods to resolve the issue. If you properly follow the steps you have no problem in fixing the issue. Moreover, there are chances where this problem occurs. So, it is great to use the backup tool to store your crucial Outlook.com emails.