Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp all appear to be down
Several of the most popular apps in the world are down right now.
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Updated March 19, 2021 at 2:25 pm:Facebook apps and services appear to be working once more, andWhatsApp has noted the downtime is over. We’ll continue to monitor their status and provide further updates if necessary. The original story follows below.
What you need to know
Several Facebook apps and services appear to be down right now. According toDownDetector, Facebook, Instagram, and Facebook Messenger are all down. Reports of outages started spiking around 12 PM ET.
Ironically, the outages of these popular services have pushed people to Twitter to find out more about them. At the moment, there don’t seem to be any official details about the outages at this time.
If you’re looking to stay in touch with your friends but mostly use services owned by Facebook, you may want to check out thebest WhatsApp alternatives.
Our senior editor recently wrote about howMicrosoft mishandling Skypemeans that most of the people leaving WhatsApp aren’t looking at Skype as a viable alternative. Microsoft may want people to use Teams for everyday use, but our executive editorDaniel Rubino recently wroteabout why that isn’t happening.
While we wait for more details, please enjoy some of the funniest tweets we spot about the outage.
Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp all down. Send carrier pigeon.pic.twitter.com/0CuZVGKh71Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp all down. Send carrier pigeon.pic.twitter.com/0CuZVGKh71— Maria Flannery (@mariaflan)March 19, 2021March 19, 2021
Twitter users when WhatsApp, Facebook & Instagram is down.#WhatsAppDownpic.twitter.com/GVKEW20h8NTwitter users when WhatsApp, Facebook & Instagram is down.#WhatsAppDownpic.twitter.com/GVKEW20h8N— Ahwan Prusty (@im_ahwan)March 19, 2021March 19, 2021
Is Facebook and WhatsApp down or I should just leave 😅pic.twitter.com/uHZHR4wkM9Is Facebook and WhatsApp down or I should just leave 😅pic.twitter.com/uHZHR4wkM9— Africa 2026 (@Africa2026)March 19, 2021March 19, 2021
All of my whatsapp and Instagram friends migrating to Twitter since both social media platforms are down#instagramdownpic.twitter.com/mCKW8PcAXNAll of my whatsapp and Instagram friends migrating to Twitter since both social media platforms are down#instagramdownpic.twitter.com/mCKW8PcAXN— Vicks🇾🇪 (@UTDVicks)March 19, 2021March 19, 2021
This is a developing story, and we will update it as more information becomes available.
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Sean Endicott is a tech journalist at Windows Central, specializing in Windows, Microsoft software, AI, and PCs. He’s covered major launches, from Windows 10 and 11 to the rise of AI tools like ChatGPT. Sean’s journey began with the Lumia 740, leading to strong ties with app developers. Outside writing, he coaches American football, utilizing Microsoft services to manage his team. He studied broadcast journalism at Nottingham Trent University and is active on X @SeanEndicott_ and Threads @sean_endicott_.
