Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp are DOWN: Social media apps crash for frustrated users across the world
- Facebook owned Instagram, WhatsApp, Facebook and Messenger are down
- The services stopped working at about 17:30 GMT around the world
- The outages were first reported by the website Downdetector
Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp are all down across the world after a crash that has left social media users frustrated and unable to connect.
The social tools, all owned by Facebook, including the platform’s own Messenger service, were first reported as not being available from 5:30 GMT on Friday.
Users visiting Instagram online get a simple error message saying ‘5xx Server Error’, with no other information provided.
Some Facebook users have reported being able to sign in to the app, although 63% of reports on downdetector.com suggest there is a ‘total blackout’.
![The social tools, all owned by Facebook, including the platform's own Messenger service, were first reported as not being available from 5:30 GMT on Friday](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/03/19/17/40689652-9381665-image-a-52_1616176028346.jpg)
The social tools, all owned by Facebook, including the platform’s own Messenger service, were first reported as not being available from 5:30 GMT on Friday
![Some Facebook users have reported being able to sign in to the app, although 63% of reports on downdetector.com suggest there is a 'total blackout'](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/03/19/17/40689648-9381665-image-m-56_1616176144637.jpg)
Some Facebook users have reported being able to sign in to the app, although 63% of reports on downdetector.com suggest there is a ‘total blackout’
There was a sudden spike of reports on downdetector for the Facebook owned services, with the outage affecting the entire Facebook social product line.
Users have taken to social media to express their frustration at not being able to connect to friends, family or work colleagues.
One user shared a picture of the word ‘connecting….’ and said ‘wifi on and off, phone on and down, switch to data, instagram still down, what’s app still down.’
![](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/03/19/17/40689826-9381665-image-a-57_1616176228123.jpg)
![Users have taken to social media to express their frustration at not being able to connect to friends, family or work colleagues](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/03/19/17/40689824-9381665-Users_have_taken_to_social_media_to_express_their_frustration_at-a-58_1616176238405.jpg)
Users have taken to social media to express their frustration at not being able to connect to friends, family or work colleagues
Another talked about using on form of social media to check on another, tweeting that they came to Twitter ‘to see if WhatsApp and Instagram is down.’
While Facebook is yet to comment on the outage, of those who reported issues to DownDetector with Instagram, 77 per cent said they were having problems with their news feed, 11 per cent with the website, and 10 per cent with log-in.
The last major outage of a Facebook platform, in January, saw Instagram’s desktop site and app go down for roughly two hours across the globe.
![](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/03/19/18/40689820-9381665-image-a-62_1616177290640.jpg)
![Most of the social media comments revolve around users turning to Twitter to find out what is happening with Instagram or WhatsApp](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/03/19/18/40689818-9381665-Most_of_the_social_media_comments_revolve_around_users_turning_t-a-63_1616177313894.jpg)
Most of the social media comments revolve around users turning to Twitter to find out what is happening with Instagram or WhatsApp
![The Instagram website is showing a 5xx Server Error message](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/03/19/17/40689828-9381665-image-a-59_1616176596160.jpg)
The Instagram website is showing a 5xx Server Error message
Most of the social media comments revolve around users turning to Twitter to find out what is happening with Instagram or WhatsApp.
Including someone who shared a picture of people being chased, adding the words ‘me running to twitter to check what happened to WhatsApp again’.
Last year Facebook moved to unify the back end systems of Facebook Messenger and Instagram, effectively merging the two chat platforms.
This was the first phase in a new unified messaging service for Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp.