Skip to main content

Instagram and Snapchat are down again. Here’s the latest updates on the outage

It’s not just you: Instagram and Snapchat both went down for about an hour on Monday afternoon.

Users started to experience problems loading Instagram’s app and website just after 2 p.m. PT on Monday, according to Down Detector. At least 4,500 people reported issues accessing Instagram on the site. It seemed like the issue was affecting users worldwide, particularly in the United States and Europe.

Related Videos

Snapchat users also had issues sending snaps starting at around the same time, according to Down Detector. At least 16,000 users around the globe reported errors with the photo messaging service.

Both services appeared to be back online and (mostly) working by about 3 p.m. PT, though we’ll continue to monitor the platforms for issues. Some users were still having problems on both Instagram and Snapchat, according to Down Detector and Twitter.

It’s not clear what caused the issue or whether the outages on both sites were linked.

“We’re aware that some people are having trouble accessing Instagram,” a Facebook spokesperson told Digital Trends. “We’re working to get things back to normal as quickly as possible.”

“We’re aware some Snapchatters are having trouble sending Chats,” Snapchat’s support account tweeted. “We’re looking into it.”

We're aware some Snapchatters are having trouble sending Chats. We are looking into it ????

— Snapchat Support (@snapchatsupport) September 9, 2019

By about 3:30 p.m., the issue with Snapchat had been fixed, the company said.

The issue has been resolved ???? If you're still having trouble, please let us know!

— Snapchat Support (@snapchatsupport) September 9, 2019

Some users trying to access Instagram could only see a blank white screen with the Instagram logo, while others ran into a Facebook error page.

It looks like Facebook, Instagram’s older, less cool brother, was still online and working properly. Facebook has been moving to merge many of the functions of Instagram (and WhatsApp) into one Facebook-led platform. The company even plans to add its name to Instagram: soon the app will formally be called “Instagram from Facebook.”

As per usual, Instagram and Snapchat users flocked to Twitter to complain that the social networks were down — and crack a few jokes while they were at it.

everyone running from snapchat to twitter to see if it’s down #snapchatdown #snapchat pic.twitter.com/lB6NhlQlt8

— Nicola Hewitson???? (@HeyNicky_) September 9, 2019

Me when i press the “tap to retry” button and it still doesn’t send after the 50th time #snapchatdown #snapchat pic.twitter.com/Y2B2f1pyfP

— lukeharle (@lukeharle1) September 9, 2019

Instagram went down multiple times over the summer, including an hours-long outage in July that caused the app to either crash or not load. Earlier in July, Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram all went down or had problems for a period lasting about 12 hours.

Editors' Recommendations

It’s not just you – Twitter is down for users around the world
A stylized composite of the Twitter logo.

[Update: Twitter appears to be functioning normally again after an outage that lasted around two hours.]

Twitter has gone down for users around the world, according to internet tracking company Downdetector.

Read more
New Windows 11 update adds ChatGPT-powered Bing AI to the taskbar
Microsoft has released a new Windows 11 feature that makes the OS photos app compatible with Apple's iClould.

Microsoft has just unveiled the latest update to Windows 11 which has already started rolling out. There are plenty of changes on the horizon, including those involving the ChatGPT-based Bing AI search.

The new update lets Windows 11 users communicate with the AI-powered version of Bing right in their taskbar. The AI model itself also seems to have received an update that might make conversing with it less bizarre.

Read more
Meta unveils paid verification service for Instagram and Facebook users
Mark Zuckurburg introduces Facebook's new name, Meta.

Meta is introducing a paid verification service for folks on Facebook and Instagram.

Mark Zuckerberg, Meta’s CEO, unveiled the new service in an online message on Saturday. Meta Verified will launch first in Australia and New Zealand before being rolled out more widely.

Read more