Topline
Snapchat users reported widespread outages of the messaging app Wednesday morning in the most recent instance of a major social media outage, coming nine days after Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp went dark for six hours.
Snapchat is the latest social media platform to experience an outage. (Photo by DENIS CHARLET/AFP … [+]
AFP via Getty Images
Key Facts
Beginning at about 7 a.m., tens of thousands of users reported that their Snapchat was down and they were unable to send or receive messages, according to Downdetector, a website dedicated to tracking outages.
There is no reported cause for the interruption of service or timeline for restoration, and Snapchat has yet to respond to Forbes’ request for comment.
The company’s official support account tweeted Wednesday morning: “We’re aware that some Snapchatters are having issues using the app right now – hang tight, we’re looking into it!”
Key Background
Last week, Snapchat rival Facebook was the one battling a major outage, as Facebook and its Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger apps went dark for six hours, reportedly costing Facebook $65 million in lost revenue. During the Facebook outage, Snapchat usage surged 23%, according to analytics company Sensory Tower.
Big Number
293 million. That’s how many daily active users Snapchat has, according to the second-quarter earnings of Snap Inc., its parent company.
Further Reading
Gone in Minutes, Out for Hours: Outage Shakes Facebook (New York TImes)
