Meta meltdown: WhatsApp, Instagram, Threads, and Facebook hit by global outage

Users of Meta’s popular platforms—WhatsApp, Instagram, Threads, and Facebook—are currently facing significant disruptions, with reports of outages spanning across the United States, India, and Israel. Many individuals are finding themselves unable to access messages or are experiencing frustratingly long wait times. Observations indicate that both desktop and mobile versions of these applications are affected, although the root cause of the outage remains unclear.

Widespread User Reports

Downdetector, a platform that tracks internet outages, recorded a notable surge in reports around 1:00 PM, with nearly 70,000 users indicating issues with Instagram alone. Similar spikes were noted for Facebook and Messenger, with 57% of users reporting difficulties. Social media platforms such as Bluesky, X, and Reddit have seen users sharing screenshots of error messages encountered while attempting to access their accounts. On Facebook, a standard message reads, “We’re working on getting this fixed as soon as we can.”

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According to reports, users of the applications may not be able to access their messages or experience extremely long wait times.
(Getty Images)

Users have taken to X to express their concerns, with many fearing that their accounts may have been hacked. One user remarked, “Having to come to X to see if Facebook was down or if my account was,” while another added, “What is happening to Facebook?! Am I the only one? Am I hacked or something?” This incident marks the second significant outage for Meta this year.

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Downdectector, a helpful site that allows people to track internet outages, showed a massive spike in reports for Instagram around 1:00 pm with almost 70,000 people reporting the problem.
(AFP via Getty Images)

Earlier this year, Meta faced similar challenges, with users reporting issues primarily through the mobile app. Comments on Downdetector indicated that Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger were all experiencing problems, with users noting difficulties in accessing features such as the Instagram search feed and Messenger’s active status indicators.

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Many comments on X expressed their fears that their accounts were being hacked.
(AFP via Getty Images)

Most reports of the outage have originated from major cities, including New York, Chicago, Detroit, Phoenix, Los Angeles, and Dallas. Although the number of affected users has decreased over time, many continue to experience issues with the platforms. One frustrated user commented, “I thought I was the only one; Messenger won’t show who’s active, and my friends’ profiles won’t load either.”

In response to the situation, Meta’s Communications Director, Andy Stone, acknowledged the difficulties users are facing. He stated on X, “We’re aware people are having trouble accessing our services. We are working on this now.” He later provided an update, explaining that a technical issue had caused the disruptions and assured users that the problem was being addressed promptly. Meta expressed gratitude for users’ patience during this challenging time.

AppWizard
Meta meltdown: WhatsApp, Instagram, Threads, and Facebook hit by global outage