WhatsApp and Messenger, popular messaging apps owned by Meta, are facing significant outages affecting users around the globe. Reports indicate more than 68,000 incidents of individuals unable to use these services, particularly from users who reported problems sending messages and connecting to the app. This disruption began on February 28, 2025, around 3:11 PM, with the majority of complaints associated with sending messages (56%) and server connection issues (32%).
The situation has prompted many frustrated users to take to social media platforms, particularly X (formerly Twitter), to express their concerns. One user humorously tweeted, "Me running to Twitter after rebooting my phone to see if WhatsApp is down." Another simply asked, "Is WhatsApp down?" Many responses flooded social media as users shared their frustrations, with comments such as, "WhatsApp is down and all the world is checking the WiFi."
Downdetector, which tracks service outages, has seen these reports consistently rise, marking WhatsApp and Messenger as two of the most affected services currently. According to Downdetector’s methodology, services get flagged when the volume of complaints significantly exceeds normal levels at any specific time of day. The uptick began sharply just after midday, indicating widespread issues.
Users from various regions, especially across the UK, reported facing problems connecting to WhatsApp. Many expressed their disbelief and concern on X, attempting to determine whether the issue was global or isolated to their personal networks. One user encapsulated this feeling by tweeting, "How many people have now come to X to see if WhatsApp is down?" Other social media posts urged, "No need to switch flight mode on and off, stop refreshing your WhatsApp. It’s not your network, WhatsApp is down!" Such reactions reflect the high dependency many users have on these messaging apps for daily communication.
Interestingly, alongside WhatsApp, some users also reported minor disruptions with Facebook Messenger; nevertheless, it yielded far fewer complaints with only about 799 reports on Downdetector compared to WhatsApp's overwhelming numbers. This indicates the linchpin role WhatsApp plays within Meta’s user ecosystem, especially with its nearly three billion users worldwide.
The widespread impact of this outage is reminiscent of previous disruptions Meta has encountered. Notably, the last significant global outage occurred back in December 2021, when WhatsApp and Instagram suffered extensive service interruptions affecting millions. During Meta's last major service failure, founder Mark Zuckerberg mentioned efforts to improve their platform's infrastructure to prevent such occurrences, indicating the company's long-standing challenges with managing its massive global user base.
When outages occur, it deeply frustrates users and disrupts their daily communications, prompting many to seek alternative methods to connect with friends and loved ones. Users reported feelings of isolation as their primary means of communication was interrupted. Some even humorously referred to Twitter as the new customer care center, hoping to gather information about outages from others facing similar issues.
Despite the overwhelming number of reports showing users unable to send messages or connect, as the incident unfolded, some users began regaining access to their accounts and observed improvements as reports decreased. This led to some confidence among remaining users still facing issue alerts, as they looked for similar recovery signs.
The frustration surrounding this outage serves as a broader observation of today's communication dependency wherein applications like WhatsApp have become integral to daily life. Aware of this, many have taken to social media to vent their aggravated feelings and experience during the downtime; some joking it has turned X, now their hub of information, almost one big communal support group for all affected. The continuous spikes reflected on Downdetector have been closely monitored by tech observers who were previously unsure of how long this halting would persist.
Some users noted the irony of needing to verify the status through other platforms when their primary communication line ceased functionalities altogether. While Meta has not provided any standout comments yet about this specific outage, one can only anticipate their forthcoming response as the scale of the outage takes shape through various global reports and experiences shared.
At this moment, it appears many users are still hopeful for immediate solutions and improvements. While some have begun regaining functionality, the full restoration of WhatsApp services remains uncertain as users from various geographical locations report inconsistent status changes and functionality re-establishment. The dynamic nature of the situation continues serving as both concern and anticipation for WhatsApp users who hope this disruption is resolved without unforeseen long-term issues.