WhatsApp has experienced a major outage, leaving thousands of users across the UK unable to send messages or connect to the platform.
According to DownDetector, the disruption began around 3:10 PM, with London, Manchester, and Glasgow among the hardest-hit areas. Since the outage started, a staggering 68,000+ reports have been logged. 59% of users are struggling to send messages, while 22% face server connection problems, and 19% report app failures.
As of now, Meta, WhatsApp’s parent company, has not issued an official statement regarding the cause of the issue.
Users Flock to Social Media for Updates
Frustrated WhatsApp users immediately took to X (formerly Twitter) to check if the problem was widespread. One user humorously tweeted:
“Me running to X to see if WhatsApp is actually down or if it’s just my network,” accompanied by a GIF of people rushing down an escalator.
Another wrote:
“No need to switch flight mode on and off, WhatsApp is indeed down.”
A third user joked:
“WhatsApp is down, and now X is the new customer care center. Everyone’s here like: ‘Is it just me?’ ‘Is it my WiFi?’ ‘Did I forget to pay my internet bill?’ No mate, we’re all in this together, refreshing X like it’s a WhatsApp alternative!”
WhatsApp’s History of Outages
This outage comes four years after Meta’s infamous seven-hour global blackout, which cost the company an estimated $100 million. That incident was so severe that engineers had to physically visit data centers to restore services.
For now, WhatsApp users across the UK are left waiting for an official update from Meta while refreshing their feeds on X for real-time updates.
