Technical Glitches Affect Messaging and Banking Services
On this February afternoon, Facebook Messenger has joined the ranks of social media applications grappling with technical difficulties. Users are reporting significant issues, primarily related to sending messages, with Downdetector.co.uk indicating that a staggering 92% of complaints revolve around this specific problem. Additionally, five percent of users are unable to receive messages, while two percent are encountering overall app issues. The situation is evolving, with hundreds of users affected and the numbers continuing to rise.
Geographically, Glasgow appears to be the hardest hit area in Scotland, as indicated by outage maps on the reporting website. Other major cities in the UK, including London and Manchester, are also experiencing substantial disruptions, while regions such as Birmingham and Nottingham report less severe issues. Interestingly, the challenges are not confined to the UK; users across the globe are voicing their frustrations.
This incident follows closely on the heels of similar reports from WhatsApp users, who began experiencing their own set of problems around 3 PM. Social media platforms have become a refuge for many seeking information about the outages. One user on X quipped, “How many people have now come to X to see if WhatsApp is down?” while others shared humorous gifs depicting frantic searches for updates.
As of now, neither WhatsApp nor its parent company, Meta, have issued any statements regarding the ongoing issues.
Compounding the situation, several banking applications also faced outages earlier today, leaving numerous customers unable to access their accounts on what is traditionally a payday for many. Lloyds Banking Group was notably affected, with disruptions impacting its brands, including Lloyds, Halifax, Bank of Scotland, TSB, First Direct, and Nationwide.
Frustrated customers took to X to express their dissatisfaction over the inability to manage their finances. One user lamented, “Is your app down again? Not able to access my account,” while another urged TSB to rectify their app issues, stating, “I’ve got bills to pay @TSB but I cannot, please fix your app!” A third user echoed similar sentiments, reporting, “Yes, can’t get into TSB app or website since 7:30 AM.”
