WhatsApp and Instagram experienced a significant outage on Tuesday, with millions of users unable to send messages, reload feeds, or log in. The outage, which started in the afternoon, covered users in India, the US, and parts of Europe, drawing global outrage and a meme explosion on X (formerly Twitter).
According to the outage-tracking website Downdetector, both services saw a record number of reports in a matter of hours. Users were complaining about delivery failures in messages, lost chats, and feed-related issues, with reports peaking at 3:48 PM IST.
For WhatsApp users, the effect was notable. According to data from Downdetector, nearly 78% of users experienced problems with the application itself, 14% had trouble sending or receiving messages, and 8% had server connection issues.
Many people reported that the app would open but that messages would not go through; thus, they were unsure whether the problem was with the network or a general issue. Surprisingly, some users reported normal performance, leading to the conclusion that the issue could be local or related to a particular server.
Instagram, too, experienced disruptions, with users unable to refresh their feeds, send DMs, and post stories. Many also reported login issues and empty profile pages. More than 500 Indian and 800 US users reported the issue on Downdetector, indicating a global scale impact.
The outage affected business accounts and creators alike, many of whom use the platform for promotions and brand interaction.
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Although Meta has not released any official statement yet, the platform’s users filled X with memes and jokes using hashtags #WhatsAppDown, #InstagramDown, and #MetaOutage. There was also trolling of Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, and others just shared screenshots of error messages and ‘waiting for connection’ pop-ups.
Currently, the cause of the disruption is unknown, though most suspect a server-side bug. Meta’s services have had such issues before, usually attributed to infrastructure maintenance or DNS problems.
Until the outage issue is resolved, users will have to sit and wait, refreshing timelines and apps, and hoping their lifeline in cyberspace is restored soon.