Yahoo services, including Yahoo Mail, Yahoo Finance and AOL, were hit by a massive global outage on Wednesday, January 21, leaving tens of thousands of users unable to access key platforms.
According to outage tracking website Downdetector, user complaints surged rapidly as people across regions reported encountering “Edge: Too Many Requests” and “403 Forbidden” errors while trying to log in or refresh Yahoo services.
Over 41,000 Complaints Logged
As of 8:45 PM IST, combined reports across Downdetector climbed towards a staggering 41,000 complaints, pointing to a major infrastructure issue affecting Yahoo and its sister service AOL.
The breakdown of reported issues showed the scale of disruption:
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Yahoo (Main Site): Nearly 19,000 reports, with users unable to access the homepage or news feeds
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Yahoo Mail: Around 15,000 complaints, mostly related to “403 Forbidden” errors
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AOL: About 7,488 reports, with users facing identical “Too Many Requests” messages
The outage impacted both web and app users, causing widespread frustration among those relying on Yahoo Mail for daily communication and Yahoo Finance for market tracking.
Yahoo Confirms Issue, Teams Investigating
In a brief official update, Yahoo acknowledged the problem, stating:
“We are aware that some users may be experiencing issues accessing Yahoo services and websites. Our teams are actively investigating, and updates will be provided as more information becomes available.”
AOL (America Online) services were also observed to be down simultaneously, suggesting a shared backend or infrastructure disruption.
What Is the ‘Too Many Requests’ Error?
The “Too Many Requests” error usually occurs when servers are overwhelmed by traffic or are undergoing technical difficulties. It indicates that Yahoo’s systems are struggling to handle the volume of requests being sent by users during the outage.
How to Fix ‘Too Many Requests’ Error on Yahoo, Edge, Mail and Finance
While the issue is largely server-side and must be resolved by Yahoo, users can try the following steps to regain access or reduce errors:
1. Refresh the page
Use Ctrl + R (Windows) or Cmd + R (Mac). Sometimes a reload works once servers temporarily recover.
2. Clear your browser cache
Old cached data can conflict with busy servers.
On Edge:
Go to Settings → Privacy, search, and services → Clear browsing data → Choose what to clear
Select Cached images and files and click Clear now
3. Switch networks
Toggle between Wi-Fi and mobile data or try a different network entirely.
4. Try a different browser or device
Use Chrome, Firefox or Safari, or try accessing Yahoo through your phone.
5. Use alternative access
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Try the Yahoo mobile app instead of the web
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Access Yahoo Finance through finance aggregator apps
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Check Yahoo Mail via linked apps like Gmail or Outlook
6. Wait for full restoration
Large-scale outages usually resolve once servers stabilize. The error suggests Yahoo’s systems need time to recover.
7. Check outage maps
Track real-time updates on Downdetector to confirm if users in your region are still affected.
When Will Yahoo Be Back?
As of now, Yahoo has not provided a specific timeline for complete restoration. However, such outages typically get resolved within hours once technical teams isolate and fix the issue.
Users are advised to remain patient and follow official updates from Yahoo.
Sofia Babu Chacko is a journalist with over five years of experience covering Indian politics, crime, human rights, gender issues, and stories about marginalized communities. She believes that every voice matters, and journalism has a vital role to play in amplifying those voices. Sofia is committed to creating impact and shedding light on stories that truly matter. Beyond her work in the newsroom, she is also a music enthusiast who enjoys singing.
