Sci-tech

WhatsApp down: App starts working again for some after global outage

'User reports indicate Whatsapp is having problems since 1:34 PM EDT,' says Down Detector

Web Desk
March 19, 2021
WhatsApp down: App starts working again for some after global outage
People pose with smartphones in front of displayed WhatsApp logo, September 14, 2017. REUTERS/Illustration/Dado Ruvic/Files

KARACHI: Facebook-owned instant messaging service WhatsApp crashed for thousands of users around the world late Friday, according to Down Detector, a website that monitorsapp outages in real-time.

"There are a number of issues currently affecting Facebook products, including gaming streams,” Facebook’s gaming unit said in a tweet.

"Multiple teams are working on it, and we'll update you when we can."

Read more: WhatsApp outage sparks flurry of memes on Twitter

WhatsApp announced a few minutes before midnight that it was "back", thanking users for their patience.

However, several Whatsapp users said on social media that they were able to again send messages on the app shortly after 11pm.

Also read: Signal registrations increased as WhatsApp stops working

Earlier, as reports started flooding in,Down Detector wrote on Twitter that "Whatsapp is having problems since 1:34 PM EDT".

"Yes, WhatsApp is experiencing outages,"WABetaInfo, a website that independently tracks and announces news about WhatsApp for iOS, Android, and Windows, also confirmed.

Several users took to Twitter to complain about the outage, with #whatsappoutage and #whatsappdown trending in many countries, including Pakistan and India.

Instagram outage reports, however, shot up from 34 at 10:12pm to a whopping 106,729, as of 10:42pm, as perDown Detector.

The real-time monitoring service indicated that while 788 WhatsApp users had sent crash reports, as of 10:15pm, the number had crossed 24,100 in 15 minutes.

Similarly, reports about Facebook's Messenger rose from 818, as of 10:17pm, to more than 5,600 in less than 15 minutes.

Related:

Video and voice calls now available for WhatsApp Web users

After WhatsApp controversy, are Signal’s chats not safe anymore?

WhatsApp working on three playback speeds for voice message feature


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