WhatsApp, the popular messaging platform, is grappling with a global outage as users across the United States, India, Brazil, and several other countries report issues accessing the service. On Wednesday morning, April 3, over 10,000 incidents were logged on DownDetector, indicating the scale of the disruption.
As thousands face ongoing problems, internet users resorted to X, previously known as Twitter, resulting in hashtags #WhatsApp and #WhatsAppDown trending on the platform. Concerned users sought updates and shared their experiences amidst the service interruption.
In response to the escalating situation, WhatsApp’s official X account tweeted at around 3 pm, stating, “We know some people are experiencing issues right now, we’re working on getting things back to 100% for everyone as quickly as possible.” The assurance aimed to alleviate concerns and reassure users of ongoing efforts to restore normalcy.
More than 20 Thousand users in India, approximately 46,000 in the UK, and over 42,000 in Brazil reported problems with the platform. Additionally, around 4,800 people faced issues with Instagram in the US, compounding the disruption across Meta-owned platforms.
The outage extended beyond WhatsApp, with reports of issues on other Meta-owned social media services like Facebook and Instagram. Netblocks, a group advocating for internet freedom, tweeted that Meta-owned platforms such as Instagram and WhatsApp are currently facing worldwide outages, particularly affecting the uploading of images and media. The incident is unrelated to internet disruptions or filtering at the country level.
As the outage persists, users are advised to stay informed through official updates and remain patient as WhatsApp works to resolve the issue. The incident underscores the reliance of millions on digital communication platforms and the significant impact of service disruptions on daily life and connectivity.
