(Photo by Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Can’t send any messages on WhatsApp? You aren’t alone. The Meta-owned app appears to be going through a major outage.
The problem is preventing users from sending or receiving messages on WhatsApp. According to Downdetector.com, users began reporting the outage around 10:59 am PST.
Users noticed something was up when a clock icon appeared on messages instead of a confirmation that the message went through, indicating that something had stalled.
The scale of the outage is unclear. But internet traffic watchdog NetBlocks says it appears to be occurring internationally and “particularly impacting image/media uploads.” WhatsApp has over 2 billion users, meaning the impact could affect much of the world’s population.
Meta didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. But the company’s status page for the WhatsApp Business API notes: “We are currently experiencing an outage impacting service on Cloud API. This issue started at 04-03-2024 11:18 AM PST. Our engineering teams are investigating the issue. We will provide another update within 4 hours or sooner if additional information is available.”
It looks like the company is having some success in resolving the problem, as the number of complaints are dying down. "WhatsApp is back to work in Bolivia, messages are now arriving and can also be sent from the mobile application,” wrote one user on Downdetector.
Others report only a minor delay in sending messages. “Looks like its up in New York City but there is a delay of roughly a minute from when you send a message and it actually gets sent,” wrote another user on Downdetector.
UPDATE: The official WhatsApp account has since tweeted: "We know some people are experiencing issues right now, we're working on getting things back to 100% for everyone as quickly as possible."
(Disclosure: Downdetector owner Ookla is owned by PCMag parent company Ziff Davis.)