Instagram DMs Down For Many Users In Widespread Outage
Instagram DMs Down For Many Users In Widespread Outage...
Instagram users across the U.S. are reporting widespread issues with direct messages (DMs) on Thursday morning, with many unable to send or receive messages. The outage began around 9:30 AM ET and has persisted for over two hours, according to Downdetector, which tracks service disruptions.
Downdetector's outage map shows concentrated reports in major U.S. cities including New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago. Over 15,000 outage reports were logged by 11:00 AM ET, with 72% related to messaging problems. Some users also report issues with notifications and story viewing.
Meta, Instagram's parent company, has not yet issued an official statement about the outage. The company's status page currently shows "all systems operational" despite widespread user complaints. This discrepancy has frustrated many business owners and creators who rely on DMs for client communication.
Small businesses are particularly impacted, as many use Instagram as their primary customer service channel. "All my client consultations happen through DMs," said Brooklyn-based photographer Jamie Rivera. "This is costing me real money right now."
The outage comes just two days after Instagram rolled out new DM features including read receipts and typing indicators. Some users speculate the update may be related to today's issues, though Meta has not confirmed any connection.
This marks Instagram's third significant service disruption in 2026, following outages in January and February. The platform has faced increasing scrutiny over reliability as more users depend on it for professional communication.
Workarounds being shared on Twitter include switching to mobile data instead of WiFi, force-closing the app, or using Instagram's web version. However, many report these solutions aren't resolving the core messaging problems.
As of 11:30 AM ET, there's no estimated resolution time from Meta. The outage is currently trending #1 on Twitter in the U.S. as frustrated users seek answers and alternative ways to communicate.
