Global WhatsApp outage also affecting Netherlands users
Update 12:12 p.m. - Article updated to state that the problems were largely resolved before noon.
Users of messaging app WhatsApp have been hampered by an outage affecting the platform's services on Tuesday. The issue was reported by users around the globe since before 7:30 a.m., and people in the Netherlands have been affected by the problem at least since 9:15 a.m., according to Allestoringen. The problems were largely resolved before noon.
Many people trying to open the app said that WhatsApp displays a loading wheel and the message “Connecting…” in the status bar, which never seems to progress. Others have been able to connect, but messages appear to be undelivered. The issue also affected the use of the browser-based web app.
“We’re aware that some people are currently having trouble sending messages, and we’re working to restore WhatsApp for everyone as quickly as possible,” a spokesperson for WhatsApp’s parent company, Meta, told Reuters. Other Meta services seemed to be unaffected, including both the websites and apps for Facebook and Instagram.
WhatsApp is by far the most widely used social media platform in the Netherlands. Some 12.5 million people use the service, according to Newcom’s annual study on social media trends. Out of that group, 9.7 million are estimated to use the service daily.
Facebook is in second with 10.3 million users, though daily use has fallen sharply to below 7 million. YouTube (9.3 million), Instagram (6.6 million), and LinkedIn (5.0 million) follow for the platforms with the most users in the Netherlands, while Instagram, YouTube, and Snapchat rank third through fifth more daily use.
TikTok, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, and Pinterest are the five fastest-growing platforms.
