Emerging
Jun 23, 2026 Major2
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Instagram and Facebook Suffer Major Global Outage
Instagram and Facebook suffered a major global outage on Tuesday, beginning around 5 p.m. Eastern Time, affecting thousands of users who reported issues loading pictures and profiles. Downdetector recorded over 18,000 reports by late evening, with most problems tied to the mobile app and website. Instagram had not commented on the outage as of Tuesday evening.


Quick Facts
Who
Instagram
What
major outage
When
Tuesday
Where
worldwide
- major outage
- difficulty loading new pictures
- profile loading errors
- error messages
- surge in reports
Instagram and Facebook experienced a significant outage on Tuesday, affecting thousands of users worldwide. The problems began around 5 p.m. Eastern Time (10 p.m. UK time), according to tracking website Downdetector, which reported a sudden surge in error reports at that time.
Users reported difficulties loading new pictures, viewing profiles, and accessing various features of the apps. While some parts of the platforms continued to function temporarily, they often displayed error messages before failing entirely. The outage was not limited to a single region, with reports coming in from across the globe.
Downdetector, which monitors outages by collecting status reports from multiple sources, saw a sharp increase in complaints shortly after 2:30 p.m. PDT. Initially, more than 10,000 users reported issues with Instagram, but that number quickly climbed to over 18,000 by late evening as the outage persisted. The majority of reports cited problems with the mobile application and website.
As of Tuesday evening, Instagram had not publicly responded to requests for comment regarding the cause or expected duration of the outage. Users turned to other social media platforms and forums to express frustration and share updates, while many were left unable to access their feeds or communicate through the services.
Topics
Why This Matters
This outage underscores the fragility of centralized social media platforms in global communications. For users dependent on Instagram and Facebook for business, news, or personal connection, even a few hours of downtime can disrupt marketing campaigns, customer reach, and daily routines, highlighting the need for diversified communication channels.
Timeline & Sources
Jun 23, 2026
WireOutage begins, users report loading issues on Instagram and Facebook.
Jun 23, 2026
WireOver 10,000 reports of Instagram issues on Downdetector.
Jun 23, 2026
WireReports exceed 12,000 on Downdetector.
Jun 23, 2026
WireReports exceed 18,000 on Downdetector; no response from Instagram.
Jun 23, 2026
WireThe Independent publishes report on the outage.