Microsoft is within the technique of deploying a repair for a service degradation difficulty affecting Microsoft Groups customers globally, which presents a “couldn’t connect with this app” error upon launching the desktop and net purposes.
The issue, tracked below Microsoft reference TM1131505, stems from a current replace supposed to boost the platform’s person interface.
Customers started reporting the difficulty on August 8, 2025. Upon beginning Groups, they’re met with an error message that forestalls the appliance from loading accurately. Whereas disruptive, Microsoft has confirmed a easy workaround that enables for continued use of the service.
Affected customers can bypass the error display by clicking on the “Exercise” or “Chat” icons positioned within the left-hand navigation sidebar. This motion efficiently hundreds the appliance, restoring entry to all functionalities.
Microsoft’s investigation into the incident recognized the foundation trigger as a current change deployed to enhance the left sidebar in Groups. In keeping with the corporate’s service well being notification, this replace inadvertently “enabled an unoptimized code movement.”
This insufficient code is the direct explanation for the connection error that seems in the course of the utility’s startup sequence, impacting a broad scope of customers throughout organizations that depend on the collaboration platform.
As of the most recent replace on August 19, 2025, Microsoft introduced that the deployment of the corrective patch is effectively underway. Roughly 25% of the worldwide infrastructure has acquired the repair. The corporate is assured that the deployment shall be accomplished and the difficulty absolutely remediated by its subsequent scheduled communication.
The affect is assessed as a service degradation, that means the core service stays operational, albeit with a disruptive bug. This isn’t a security-related incident, and person information stays safe. The problem is confined to the preliminary loading sequence of the Groups desktop and net purchasers.
Microsoft has assured prospects that it’s working to resolve the issue as rapidly as potential. The following formal replace on the standing of the repair is anticipated by Thursday, August 21, 2025, at 6:30 PM UTC. Within the meantime, customers experiencing the “couldn’t join” error are suggested to make use of the sidebar-click workaround to entry their Groups surroundings.
Microsoft disclosed a major distant code execution (RCE) vulnerability in its Groups collaboration software program as a part of its August 2025 Patch Tuesday updates.
The vital flaw, recognized as CVE-2025-53783, might enable an unauthorized attacker to learn, write, and even delete person messages and information by executing code over a community.
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