Dealing with a “Too Many Requests” (HTTP 429) error from Microsoft can be super frustrating, especially if it keeps popping up when trying to sign into Outlook or other Office services. Usually, this happens when Microsoft servers detect a bunch of login attempts from the same IP or account in a short time — kinda like them saying, “Hey, chill out, buddy.” This can happen due to network hiccups, repeated retries, or sometimes just temporary server throttling. Usually, it’s a temporary block, but it’s kind of annoying. Before diving into fixes, it’s good to check status.office.com just to see if Microsoft’s services are globally down or having issues. If yes, all you can do is wait it out. Otherwise, here’s how to get around it.
How to Fix the 429 Error on Outlook & Microsoft 365
Switch to a Different Network or Wait It Out
This error is often tied to your current IP address, so if the block isn’t lifted, switching networks might do the trick. If you’re on a regular home Wi-Fi, try jumping onto mobile data or a hotspot. This gives you a new IP, which might be free of the throttle. Sometimes, just waiting 15–30 minutes is enough for the limit to reset — weird but true.
Use Mobile Data or Hotspot
This is kinda a quick fix if your IP got flagged. Here’s the rough idea:
- Close Outlook or your browser.
- Switch to mobile data on your phone — turn off Wi-Fi if needed.
- If you’re on a PC, enable hotspot on your phone: Settings > Network & Internet > Mobile Hotspot.
- Connect your PC to that hotspot and try signing in again. It’s hit or miss, but often it works because it’s a new IP.
Try a VPN (If Allowed)
Another way to get around this is using a VPN. The idea here is routing your traffic through another server, so Microsoft sees a different IP. But, fair warning: on some work or managed devices, VPNs might be blocked, so check with IT before enabling one.
- Pick a trusted VPN service like Proton VPN or similar.
- Install and open the VPN client or browser extension.
- Connect to a different server location.
- Then, try signing in again on Outlook or Edge.
Use a Private or Incognito Window
If your browser session is corrupted or caught in some redirect loop, it might cause this error. Opening a private/incognito window can clear out cookies or stuck sessions.
- Open Incognito (Ctrl + Shift + N in Chrome, New Private Window in Edge/Firefox).
- Head over to Outlook.com
- Attempt to sign in again. Sometimes, this simple step resets things enough to work.
Clear Outlook App Cache (On Android)
If you’re using the Outlook app on Android and keep hitting the limit, clearing cache might help. It forces the app to start fresh, wiping out any corrupted login data.
- Go to Settings > Apps & Notifications > Outlook.
- Tap on Storage & Cache, then hit Clear Cache.
- Open Outlook again and sign in.
Disable Browser Extensions Temporarily
Sometimes, extensions like ad blockers or script blockers interfere with login flows, causing errors. Turning them off temporarily might clear out conflicts.
- In your browser, click the three dots or menu icon.
- Go to Extensions > Manage Extensions.
- Disable all extensions or at least those related to security or content blocking.
- Try signing in again and see if it works.
What if Nothing Works? Reach Out to Support
If all these steps fail, then the block might be directly tied to your Microsoft account or some broader account issue. You’ll want to head over to the Microsoft Sign-in Support page and explain what’s happening. They can help investigate if your account got flagged or if there’s a different problem.
Honestly, this whole thing is kinda weird — Microsoft’s ways of throttling are inconsistent sometimes, and on one setup, it might unblock after a quick wait, on another, you need to hop networks or change IPs. Not sure why it works, but it does. Good luck handling it!