WhatsApp and Instagram have been restored after Meta outages

Instagram and WhatsApp are back online after a global outage affected several Meta-owned apps on Wednesday.

Facebook has not yet confirmed if all issues have been fully resolved.

“Thanks for bearing with us! We’re 99% of the way there – just doing some last checks. We apologize to those who’ve been affected by the outage,” Meta said on X.

Over 22,000 users reported issues with Facebook, and more than 18,000 had trouble using WhatsApp, according to Downdetector. Problems were reported in the UK, Europe, Asia, Australia, South America, and the US.

“We’re back, happy chatting!” WhatsApp posted on X.

“Annnd we’re back – sorry for the wait, and thanks for bearing with us,” Instagram said.

The outages began around 18:00 GMT on Wednesday, according to Downdetector, which tracks reported issues, though the actual number of affected users may vary.

After users reported problems, Meta acknowledged a “technical issue” impacting access to its apps and stated it was working to resolve the situation. Issues included users being unable to access the apps or feeds not refreshing.

“We’re aware of some issues accessing WhatsApp. We’re actively working on a solution and starting to see a return to normal for most people. We expect things to be back to normal shortly,” WhatsApp said.

Meta’s platforms, including Facebook, which has over three billion active monthly users, are among the most widely used in the world. The most significant outage in recent history occurred in 2021 when services like Facebook, Messenger, WhatsApp, and Instagram were down for nearly six hours, prompting an apology from founder Mark Zuckerberg.