Widespread Outages Hit WhatsApp, Facebook, and Messenger on Friday Morning
Thousands of users across North America experienced disruptions to WhatsApp, Facebook, and Messenger on Friday morning, marking yet another incident in a series of outages affecting Meta’s platforms. According to data from DownDetector, a platform that tracks service disruptions, the issues began surfacing around 11 a.m. Eastern Time. WhatsApp was the hardest-hit, with over 10,000 users in the U.S. and nearly 3,500 in Canada reporting problems. Facebook and Messenger were also affected, though to a lesser extent, with hundreds of users in both countries unable to access the services.
WhatsApp Bears the Brunt of the Outage
WhatsApp, one of the most widely used messaging apps globally, saw a significant spike in outage reports. By 11 a.m. Eastern, more than 10,000 U.S. users and nearly 3,500 Canadian users had flagged issues with the platform. The disruptions appeared to be widespread, affecting users across both countries. While the exact cause of the outage was not immediately clear, it left many unable to send messages or make calls, disrupting communication for both personal and professional purposes.
Facebook and Messenger Also Experience Disruptions
While WhatsApp was the most impacted, Facebook and Messenger were not entirely unaffected. In the U.S., over 150 users reported issues with Facebook, while more than 630 experienced problems with Messenger. In Canada, Messenger saw over 200 reports of disruptions, though Facebook itself appeared less affected, with only slightly more than 50 users reporting issues. By 11:30 a.m. Eastern, the number of reports for Facebook in Canada had dropped to just three, suggesting the platform was largely restored in the region.
Second Outage for Facebook This Week
This latest incident marks the second outage for Facebook within a single week. Earlier, on Wednesday, thousands of U.S. users reported being unable to log in, with many encountering error messages. While the cause of the earlier outage was not disclosed, it highlights ongoing challenges for Meta in maintaining the reliability of its services. Friday’s outages, affecting multiple platforms, further underscore the complexity of managing large-scale digital infrastructure.
Meta Remains Silent on the Disruptions
As of 11:30 a.m. Eastern, Meta had not released an official statement addressing the outages. The company’s social media channels were quiet, leaving users in the dark about the cause of the disruptions or when they might be resolved. Global News reached out to Meta for comment, but no response had been received by the time this report was published. The lack of communication has left many users frustrated and concerned about the reliability of the platforms they rely on daily.
A Growing Concern for Users and Tech Giants Alike
The frequency and scale of these outages raise important questions about the stability of Meta’s services. For users, the interruptions are more than just an inconvenience—they can disrupt work, communication, and access to critical information. For Meta, these incidents highlight the challenges of maintaining seamless service across billions of users. As the company works to resolve these issues, the incident serves as a reminder of the fragility of digital infrastructure and the need for greater transparency in addressing such disruptions.
