On Wednesday, WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook experienced widespread outages, impacting millions of users globally and disrupting communication and social media activities. The disruptions began around 10:55 pm, with users reporting issues across the three platforms.
Facebook Outages
According to the outage tracking website Down Detector, over 100,000 Facebook users reported significant issues. Many users faced problems with logging into their accounts, uploading new posts, and updating existing content. Reports indicated that both desktop and mobile versions of the platform were affected, with some users experiencing complete inaccessibility. Existing posts failed to load or refresh, leaving users unable to interact or stay updated.
Instagram Problems
Instagram, a subsidiary of Facebook’s parent company Meta, encountered similar disruptions. More than 100,000 users reported being unable to access posts, update content, or use the app effectively. Frequent crashes further compounded the frustration, making it impossible for many to utilize the platform. The issues persisted for hours, affecting Instagram’s functionality on both mobile and web applications.
WhatsApp Disruptions
WhatsApp users also faced significant challenges, with widespread complaints about the inability to send or receive messages. The disruptions hampered real-time communication, particularly for users relying on the platform for personal and professional purposes. Down Detector’s data highlighted a surge in complaints as users struggled to maintain conversations or access older chats.
Global Impact
The outages collectively impacted millions, with access to messages, posts, and updates either slow or entirely unavailable. The disruptions were not localized, affecting users across multiple regions and time zones. Many users took to other social media platforms, such as Twitter, to express their frustration and seek updates about the situation.
The parent company Meta has not issued an official statement regarding the outages as of now.