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WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and Instagram are all down right now (updated)

Users are reporting errors when trying to access Instagram, WhatsApp, and Facebook this afternoon.

Josh Hawkins

March 19, 2021 11:05 AM

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Update: The services for WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and Instagram appear to be back up and running now.

Original story:

Social media has become an integral part of many of our lives, with instant messaging apps often paving a way for other ways to communicate and keep up with friends. Unfortunately, several users have reported issues with WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and Instagram, all three of which appear to be down right now.

Originally reported by the Independent, the three Facebook-related services appear to be having issues at the moment, as multiple users have started reporting that they can't access the applications. There are, unfortunately, no dedicated status pages for WhatsApp and Instagram, but the Facebook platform status doesn't currently show any known issues, instead reporting that the platform as a whole is "healthy".

Down Detector, a website used by many to report server outages saw a massive spike in user reports for WhatsApp at around 2 p.m. ET this afternoon, with over 24,000 people rushing to the site to provide details about the outages they were receiving. According to the site, roughly 68 percent of users reported an issue with connections, while 28 percent reported problems sending or receiving messages through the app. 

Instagram also saw a similar spike in reports, with over 100,000 users reporting issues connecting to the image sharing service. Another 70 percent of these users reported problems with their Instagram news feed, while 16 percent saw issues with the website as a whole. Finally, 13 percent reported problems logging into the app.

This isn't the first time that the three services have been hit with outages, though it is one of the more notable because all three are experiencing issues. We'll continue to keep an eye on updates for these issues, and report when any additional fixes are announced. For now, make sure you follow Shacknews on Twitter for the latest tech and gaming news.

Josh Hawkins

Guides Editor

Joshua holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Creative Writing and has been exploring the world of video games for as long as he can remember. He enjoys everything from large-scale RPGs to small, bite-size indie gems and everything in between.