Meta-owned apps Instagram and WhatsApp are back online following a widespread outage on Wednesday that impacted users across the globe.
Facebook has yet to confirm full resolution of its technical problems. Meta addressed the issue on X, stating, “Thanks for bearing with us! We’re 99% of the way there—just doing some last checks. We apologize to those who’ve been affected by the outage.”
According to outage-tracking site Downdetector, over 22,000 users reported issues with Facebook, while more than 18,000 struggled to access WhatsApp. The outages affected users in regions including the UK, Europe, Asia, Australia, South America, and the US.
Instagram and WhatsApp announced their restoration with posts on X:
- WhatsApp: “And we’re back, happy chatting!”
- Instagram: “Andddd we’re back—sorry for the wait, and thanks for bearing with us.”
The problems began around 18:00 GMT, with users reporting inability to access the apps or refresh feeds. Meta acknowledged the issue soon after, explaining it was caused by a “technical issue” and assuring users that it was working swiftly to restore services.
Meta’s platforms, including Facebook, which boasts over three billion active monthly users, are among the most popular worldwide. The company’s largest outage occurred in 2021, lasting nearly six hours and prompting founder Mark Zuckerberg to issue an apology.
This recent outage highlights the dependency millions have on Meta’s services for communication and connectivity.
