After UPI, WhatsApp Faces Major Outage; Users Report Global Messaging and Payment Failures

Hyderabad: Popular messaging platform WhatsApp experienced a significant global outage on Saturday evening, leaving thousands of users unable to send messages or upload statuses. According to outage tracking website Downdetector, the problem peaked with 81% of users reporting issues with sending messages and 16% facing difficulties with the overall app experience.

Users Flock to Social Media to Report Outage

Frustrated users took to X (formerly Twitter) to report their issues. “Is it just me or your WhatsApp is down as well? I am trying to upload status and it’s taking forever to do so,” wrote one user. Another commented, “Hey @WhatsApp, is the app down? I’m having trouble sending messages — they’re just not going through.”

There was no official statement from Meta, the parent company of WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram. Notably, a few users also reported glitches on Facebook and Instagram, indicating a wider Meta-linked issue.

UPI Transactions Disrupted Yet Again

Earlier in the day, the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) also experienced a major technical glitch, leading to transaction failures across India. The issue began around 11:30 am, according to Downdetector.

This marks the third UPI outage in less than two weeks, with previous disruptions reported on March 26 and April 2.

NPCI Responds to Outage

The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) acknowledged the issue and said it was working on a resolution. “NPCI is currently facing intermittent technical issues, leading to partial UPI transaction declines. We are working to resolve the issue and will keep you updated. We regret the inconvenience caused,” NPCI stated on X.

UPI, which is managed by the NPCI and regulated by the RBI, is a vital part of India’s digital payment ecosystem. It allows for instant bank-to-bank money transfers without additional charges.