Why does MSFS say 'You are currently offline', and how do I fix it?
Microsoft Flight Simulator shows “You are currently offline” when it cannot authenticate your Microsoft/Xbox session or reach its online data services. First check for a service outage, fully quit and restart the simulator, confirm the correct account is signed in, then enable Online Functionality and remove any VPN, firewall or data-limit block.
What does “You are currently offline” mean?
The warning means the simulator cannot establish or maintain its connection to Microsoft's account or data services; it does not necessarily mean your whole internet connection is down. A browser may work normally while authentication, streamed scenery, live weather, multiplayer and the Marketplace remain unavailable.
The usual causes are a service outage, an expired sign-in session, resuming the simulator without reconnecting, disabled online data, a reached bandwidth limit, network filtering or an incomplete platform update. The same diagnosis applies to Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 and 2024 on PC and Xbox. On PlayStation 5, it applies only to MSFS 2024 because MSFS 2020 was never released for PlayStation.
How do I fix Microsoft Flight Simulator offline mode?
Work through these checks in order; the first four solve most genuine offline messages without touching installed aircraft or scenery.
- Check the scope and service status. Look for missing Marketplace panels, live weather, multiplayer and streamed scenery. Check your platform's network and service-status panel as well. If account or game services are reporting an outage, wait for recovery rather than reinstalling the simulator.
- Quit the simulator completely. On Xbox, select the game and use
Quitinstead of returning through Quick Resume. On PC, close the simulator and its launcher, then restart Windows if the account session remains stale. On PS5, close the game rather than leaving it suspended. Reopen it only after the platform account shows as connected. - Verify the signed-in account. Confirm that the platform sees your licence or subscription and that the intended Microsoft/Xbox profile is loaded in the simulator. Account mismatches are especially common after password changes, launcher updates or switching profiles.
- Enable online data. Search the simulator's settings for
Online Functionalityand turn it on. If it is already enabled, switch it off, apply the change, then enable it again. Also check for a configured data limitation or bandwidth cap; reaching that limit can disable streaming while the account itself stays signed in. Menu placement differs between MSFS 2020, MSFS 2024 and console versions. - Isolate the network. Disable any VPN, proxy or filtered DNS service, set the device's date and time automatically, and restart the router. On PC, ensure the simulator, Xbox app and Gaming Services are not blocked by security software. A brief mobile-hotspot test from the main menu is useful: if MSFS reconnects there, the fault is in the normal router, DNS or firewall configuration. Avoid starting a flight during that test because streamed data can consume a substantial mobile allowance.
- Finish updates before repairing files. Install pending simulator, launcher and system updates. PC users should also update or repair the Xbox app and Gaming Services where applicable. Use the launcher's file verification only after account and network checks; deleting packages or reinstalling the full simulator is rarely the right first response to an authentication error.
Platform-specific account checks
Each release uses a slightly different ownership chain, so verify the account that matters for your installation.
| Platform | What to verify | Common trap |
|---|---|---|
| PC through Microsoft Store or Xbox app | The Store recognises the entitlement and the Xbox app has the intended Xbox profile | Different Microsoft accounts are active in the two apps |
| PC through Steam | Steam is online and the Microsoft/Xbox profile inside MSFS can authenticate | Creating or selecting a different Microsoft account after an update |
| Xbox Series X|S | The entitled profile is signed in and the console network test succeeds | Quick Resume restores an expired online session |
| PlayStation 5 and PS5 Pro | The PSN session and the Microsoft account linked to MSFS 2024 remain valid | Unlinking accounts as a first troubleshooting step, which can create an additional account problem |
Community add-ons and the rolling cache do not normally cause a global offline warning. If the simulator also freezes or crashes, treat that as a separate fault and use our crash, cache and add-on diagnostic rather than deleting content at random.
Why is only live weather, multiplayer or the Marketplace missing?
If only one online feature is missing, MSFS is usually connected and that feature has its own setting, permission or service problem.
| Missing feature | Most likely checks |
|---|---|
| Live weather | Confirm Online Functionality, select a live weather preset and check whether weather services are available. Use our live-weather-specific connection checks if other online features work. |
| Bing scenery or photogrammetry | Enable the corresponding world-data options and check the bandwidth limit. A slow connection may make MSFS fall back to generic offline scenery. |
| Multiplayer | Check the Multiplayer switch, account privacy controls, console online-play permissions and NAT status. A strict NAT can affect multiplayer without making the whole simulator offline. |
| Marketplace | Check the signed-in account, platform commerce permissions and Marketplace service availability. Reinstalling scenery will not correct an account restriction. |
If several of these disappear together, return to the service, account and network checks above because that pattern points to a general online-session failure.
Can Microsoft Flight Simulator still work offline?
MSFS 2020 can provide a restricted offline experience when the platform licence, offline permissions and required local content were prepared before the connection was lost. Bing scenery, photogrammetry, live weather, live traffic, multiplayer and the Marketplace will not work offline.
MSFS 2024 depends much more heavily on cloud-streamed content and should be treated as online-dependent for normal use. The aircraft, scenery and activities available during a connection failure depend on what the platform and simulator have stored locally, so offline mode is not a complete substitute for restoring authentication and data services.