X (formerly Twitter) suffered a major global outage for the second time in three days, leaving users unable to log in, view feeds, or post, with tens of thousands reporting issues across the US, UK, India, and other countries.
New Delhi: For the second time in just three days, Elon Musk’s X platform, earlier called Twitter, went down because of a major technical problem. The outage affected users across the world and left many people unable to use the app or website. The problem started around 9:49 a.m. ET (about 7:19 p.m. IST on January 15 and continued into early January 16 in India). Users from the U.S., UK, India, and many other countries reported that they could not see their feeds, post updates, or even log in. What is usually a quick scroll turned into a frustrating experience.
The situation became worst around 10:19 a.m. ET, when Downdetector recorded nearly 74,600 reports worldwide. In the U.S. alone, reports ranged between 62,000 and 78,000. The UK saw around 11,000 complaints, while India reported between 3,000 and 6,200 issues, especially in cities like Delhi, Mumbai, and Kolkata. Things improved a bit by evening, but new waves of problems later pushed the total past 31,000 in some areas. This outage came just days after a January 13 crash that affected more than 28,300 users, mostly in the U.S.
This kind of problem is not new for X. The platform has faced similar outages before, including issues linked to Cloudflare in November and December 2025, another one in October, and several spikes between 15,000 and 58,000 reports during July and August last year.
How Widespread the Outage Was?
The outage was global, with many reports coming from:
• United States: The most affected country, especially cities like Los Angeles.
• United Kingdom: About 11,000 complaints, mainly from London.
• India: Between 3,000 and 6,200 reports, with a strong spike in Delhi.
• Other areas: Jakarta in Indonesia, New Delhi, and other scattered locations worldwide.
What Users Faced
Users reported similar and very frustrating problems, including:
• Apps and websites not loading and showing blank screens.
• Error messages like “Something went wrong. Try reloading” appearing again and again.
• Timelines not updating, with no access to posts, images, or videos.
• Login failures or sudden logouts without warning.
• Endless loading icons and weak server connections.
About 50–59% of complaints came from the mobile app, 33–39% from the web version, and 10–11% were about feed problems. Even xAI’s Grok tool was affected, with AI features not working properly on both the app and website.
Likely Reasons Behind the Outage
X has not provided an official explanation for the outage’s reason. Early indicators point to backend issues with X’s systems. When attempting to connect to X’s servers, Cloudflare, a crucial partner that aids in content delivery, displayed connection failures. “This website is protected by Cloudflare,” the messages stated. However, while attempting to reach it, something went wrong. If the issue doesn’t get fixed quickly, the web server is probably the culprit. A botched update, an excessive server load, or configuration errors are all potential causes. There are currently no indications of a cyberattack. Additionally, the redirect from the previous Twitter.com domain to X.com was no longer functional.
There were no reports of mass account suspensions or region-wide shutdowns.
How the Outage Affected People?
Tens of thousands of people are thought to be impacted, and at its height, that figure may have approached 200,000. Many were shut off from chats, work-related duties, and real-time news. Users’ responses on Downdetector and other platforms ranged from angry remarks like “This is happening too often” and “I’m losing my mind” to desperate pleas like “Come back, it’s not working for me.” The absurdity of the situation was demonstrated by a few users who were able to post about the outage itself during brief intervals when the service was restored.
For users who rely on X for breaking news or professional networking, the timing was especially bad.
Response from X and Musk
X has not released an official statement explaining the problem or saying when full service will return. Its developer status page still claims that “all systems are operational,” even though many users say otherwise. Elon Musk has not commented on the outage. In the past, updates usually come through posts on X itself, which is not helpful during an outage. This time, there were also no updates on other platforms like Bluesky or TikTok.
The Ongoing Story Under Musk
These outages are not isolated incidents. Since Musk bought the company and rebranded it in October 2022, X has faced repeated technical issues. This latest problem follows the January 13 outage and several Cloudflare-related incidents in 2025. It also comes at a time when there are growing concerns about Grok’s role in creating harmful deepfakes, including sexualized content involving minors. Reports suggest such content appears about once per minute, with 2% involving children. Authorities in the UK, EU, France, Brazil, and Poland have asked for reviews. xAI has called some of this reporting “Legacy Media Lies,” while X has said it penalizes rule-breakers but has shared little about preventive measures.
Based on earlier outages, the issue will likely be fixed through server changes or restarts, usually within a few hours. Users are advised to keep checking the app or follow Downdetector for live updates. If the problem continues, it could mean deeper system issues that need bigger fixes. Until then, users may turn to alternatives like Reddit or direct messaging to stay connected. More updates are expected as new information becomes available.
Also Read on jabalpur today: Mumbai BMC Election Results 2026 LIVE: Early Leads Show Mahayuti Slightly Ahead, Thackeray Front Fighting Hard in Key Wards
Young, daring, and always chasing the story.
Hi! I’m Mansi Sharma, 22, a fearless journalist who turns lifestyle, health, and political trends into bold, unforgettable narratives. I don’t just report — I make every story sizzle, spark, and stick.