WhatsApp suffers outage in India, users unable to send messages

On Saturday, WhatsApp — the popular Meta-owned messaging app — experienced a major service outage in India. Thousands of users reported being unable to send messages or upload statuses on the platform.

Users Report Issues via Down Detector

According to real-time outage tracking service Down Detector, nearly 81% of users faced issues with sending messages, while 16% experienced problems with the overall app functionality.

“Is it just me or is your WhatsApp down as well? I am trying to upload a status and it’s taking forever to do so,” posted one user on X (formerly Twitter).

No Official Statement from WhatsApp

As of now, WhatsApp has not released any official statement regarding the cause of the outage. However, users also reported similar issues on Meta-owned platforms Facebook and Instagram, indicating a broader technical problem across Meta’s services.

Similar Incident in February

This is not the first time WhatsApp has faced such a disruption. In late February, the app went down globally, leaving users unable to connect, send messages, or make calls through WhatsApp Web or mobile app. Down Detector logged over 9,000 complaints during that incident.

UPI Services Also Affected Earlier Today

Interestingly, earlier in the day, UPI (Unified Payments Interface) services also suffered a nationwide outage. Millions of users faced issues with digital payments across multiple platforms, affecting shopping, bill payments, and business operations.

NPCI Acknowledges UPI Disruption

The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), which runs the UPI network, acknowledged the issue on X:

“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.”