Xbox Live outage should be resolved, users are able to sign in again

Xbox Series S
Xbox Series S (Image credit: Microsoft)

Update, February 25, 2021 (9:00 pm CT): A short time ago, Microsoft reported that the ongoing Xbox Live outage should be resolved, and users should be able to sign in again.

Update, February 25, 2021 (8:10 pm CT): Nearly six hours later, Microsoft still hasn't fully resolved the sign-in issues with Xbox Live. Some users are reporting the problem fixed.

Update, February 25, 2021 (3:55 pm CT): The initial account sign in issues have spread to affect most online portions of Xbox Live, including online multiplayer, cloud gaming, and game purchases.

What you need to know

  • Xbox Live is currently experiencing some intermittent outages.
  • The issue is affecting users trying to sign in to their Xbox Account or profile.
  • The Xbox Live team is currently investigating the issue and looking for a resolution.

Xbox Live is reportedly facing outages for a number of players, according to Xbox Support. The issue is labelled as a "Major outage," and is affecting sign-in for users on Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, Windows, and pretty much anywhere users can sign in to their Xbox Account or profile.

This could potentially affect more than just your Xbox, as an Xbox Account can be connected to Android, iOS, cloud and web services, and more.

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If you're afflicted by the outage, you may be unable to sign in, be disconnected, or be unable to access any online services connected to your Xbox Account or profile. Xbox was made aware of the issue a while ago, and is actively working on resolving the problem. While there's no resolution right now, hopefully this outage won't last too long.

If you want to keep track of when Xbox Live is down or may be coming back up, we keep track of when Xbox Live is down for our readers. We also have a full Xbox Series X|S networking guide that goes over everything you could possibly need to know about using your Xbox online.

Xbox Live outages are typically pretty uncommon, but they're not unheard of. The last major outage we experienced was around the launch of the Xbox Series X|S, when a wave of new players flooded Microsoft's services and caused a myriad of intermittent issues for a while. Outages usually don't drag on too long.

Update, February 25, 2021 (3:55 pm CT) - Xbox Live's account sign-in issues affect most online services

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Microsoft has updated their official Xbox Support page to indicate that the ongoing outages, which initially started with issues signing in to Xbox Accounts and profiles, is now affecting most Xbox Live online services. Players may experience problems purchasing games, playing online, and utilizing Xbox's cloud gaming services. Microsoft is still investigating the issues.

Update, February 25, 2021 (8:10 pm CT) - Xbox Live is back for some users, still not entirely fixed

After nearly six hours, Xbox Live is still being reported as down for many users, and there's been no further update from Microsoft. However, some users are reporting that Xbox Live is up and working for them again, especially after a restart of their console. Hopefully the Xbox Live outage is at the tail end, and will be resolved shortly.

Update, February 25, 2021 (9:00 pm CT) - The Xbox Live outage should be resolved, and users can sign in

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Microsoft has now reported that the ongoing Xbox Live outage should be resolved and everything is up and running like normal. Users should be able to sign in, access online content, purchase games, and utilize cloud services. If you're still experiencing issues, restarting your Xbox console may fix the problem.

Zachary Boddy
Staff Writer

Zachary Boddy (They / Them) is a Staff Writer for Windows Central, primarily focused on covering the latest news in tech and gaming, the best Xbox and PC games, and the most interesting Windows and Xbox hardware. They have been gaming and writing for most of their life starting with the original Xbox, and started out as a freelancer for Windows Central and its sister sites in 2019. Now a full-fledged Staff Writer, Zachary has expanded from only writing about all things Minecraft to covering practically everything on which Windows Central is an expert, especially when it comes to Microsoft. You can find Zachary on Twitter @BoddyZachary.