Do you know when Facebook goes down? Do you get frustrated wondering “is Facebook down Twitter down? ” You are not alone.
You’ve probably heard me and others often say “that you must have a blog for your business in case your rented space on social media ever went down.
It’s like putting all your eggs in one basket. You can’t rely just on any one social network anymore for all your needs.
It’s like putting all your money in one stock or bank. If something happens you could lose it all. We have heard that recently in 2024 with the small bank failures.
Table of Contents
Are You Prepared If and When Facebook Goes Down Again?
I first wrote this blog post back in 2017 but from time to time when Facebook continues to go down for a period of time. This is especially frustrating for social media managers who schedule posts to go out at specific times.
And it is frustrating to others who rely on Facebook for so many reasons today.
Thousands are reporting that they're unable to refresh their feed or even access Facebook. Similar reports surfacing for Instagram and WhatsApp. #FacebookDown pic.twitter.com/ygPyxofiYQ
— Mike Allton (@mike_allton) September 9, 2020
Facebook is having issues since 8:52 PM BST. https://t.co/ABn03EKomu RT if it's down for you as well #Facebookdown
— DowndetectorUK (@DowndetectorUK) May 18, 2020
How To Check If A Social Media Network Goes Down
A Down Detector works by constantly monitoring user reports and technical data to determine if a website like Facebook is experiencing issues or is functioning normally. It scans for patterns of reported outages or disruptions in the site’s performance, alerting users if there seems to be a problem.
By aggregating real-time feedback from users worldwide, the Down Detector can quickly pinpoint if a service is down or up, providing users with timely updates on the status of popular websites.
This real-time monitoring system helps users stay informed and take necessary actions if a website like Facebook is experiencing downtime.
To find out if: “Are there any current problems with Facebook?” use a down detector meter to check for Facebook.
Scroll down below here to check it out here on Inspire To Thrive:
You can even check “When was the last detected outage and how long did it last?”.
The Fail Whale of Long Ago
Remember the days when the fail whale would show up often on X Twitter? I would quickly move on to other social networks.
It was a reoccurring thing for a while there on X Twitter. But I didn’t leave X Twitter for long. Many others may have done it and headed over to Facebook back then.
It has been a long time since I’ve seen the old failed whale. I was very happy that it did not happen Saturday when many Facebook users took up to see what happened to Facebook on X Twitter.
Then, I read that many signed up for an X Twitter account on that day. It will be interesting to see if those new users stay on Twitter now.
The Day Facebook Stopped Working
This time the latest outage was bigger! It happened on March 13, 2019. (and again on July 3, 2019, October of 2021 and April of 2023.) Not only did Facebook go down, but Instagram, Whatsapp, and Facebook ads manager.
Apparently, it’s not over yet either. I tried this morning to do a few Facebook page posts and they were not working. That was what are the most common issues reported by users back in 2023.
AGAIN!!!!! #facebookdown pic.twitter.com/kmMN2Uat1y
— Laura L. Scott (@lauralscott) March 14, 2019
The other day on Saturday back in 2017 Facebook and Instagram went down. I was out and about and didn’t notice as I was on before Facebook went down.
Later in the day I hopped onto X Twitter and noticed the trend: #Facebookdown. I was curious and had to see what was going on with Facebook and Instagram.
Many people get their news just from Facebook today. According to Pew Research, 45% of Americans get their news from Facebook today.
Hence, that is up 1% from 2017 when I first wrote this blog post on the topic.
The Tweets From The Day When Facebook Crashed In 2017
Facebook is down: Social media site not working as users struggle to get online – https://t.co/6Czl5rdyyA
— Mario CE (@mariocespindola) August 26, 2017
Happy Saturday, Facebook and Instagram are down https://t.co/etFQtEGVaL #Facebook #Tech #Consumer_Tech pic.twitter.com/sXqwgzg9Xa
— Gabriel Hussy 📡 (@gabriel_hussy) August 26, 2017
I then took a poll to see what people were doing instead that day when Facebook went down.
What did you do when Facebook was down Saturday? #facebookdown
— Lisa Sicard 👩💻 (@Lisapatb) August 27, 2017
Why Didn’t Facebook Let Business Users Know First?
I was curious why hadn’t Facebook let its business users know that the site had gone down. Especially since many rely on Facebook advertising today for their marketing messages.
Being in marketing for most of my life I wondered what if people were running open house ads or special sales for that day only?
You can check here about getting a refund for future events.
All those marketing messages would not be getting out with #Facebookdown. They could have sent out a post that you may experience an outage on such a date for such an amount of time.
I think that would have gone over well and Twitter would not have been buzzing all about it as such.
Why The Problems?
From what I’ve read so far Facebook went down due to coding. They were upgrading the site. Not only did Facebook go down but since they own Instagram and Messenger they too were also down.
According to one source, Facebook just said they were doing maintenance.
It will be interesting to see if Facebook comes out with a statement on this and when. Over the years, there have been numerous outages and upgrades to their platforms.
How To Be Prepared When Facebook Goes Down Again
There are over 3 billion daily active users now using Facebook. Yes, you read that right, it is over 3 billion per day!
Sure, Facebook is great to keep up with family and friends. But if you are a blogger or a small business owner you must explore other options. Don’t count on a big giant social network for all your messages and marketing.
You need your own “home” with a blog that is self-hosted. Of course, things happen with those too but you can at least know in advance most of the time and get it fixed quickly.
When you are using a rented space you never know what may happen like being censored on them.
They may increase the rent, kick you out or go out of business altogether. We never know when a company will go out of business like the social sharing site Co-Promote did a while back.
Do you remember TSU trying to compete with X Twitter? They too are now gone with Google Plus.
Try to get yourself on other social networks. You should really target 3 social networks to get really comfortable on.
Any more than 3 social networks and you may feel overwhelmed. Learn one at a time before going on to another site.
More Bad News For Facebook On That Same Day
#Facebook forecast to suffer first ever drop in users https://t.co/yxNANInilb
— Design4Net (@Design4NetUK) August 26, 2017
However, recently Facebook stats have gotten better.
According to Demand Sage, Facebook has 2.96 billion monthly active users as of 2023, which is a 2% increase year-over-year. The majority of users are from India followed by the United States in 2023.
Now in 2024 the numbers have continued to grow and are over 3.05 billion users on the Meta network.
The stats go on to say that 2.064 billion users access Facebook every day, which accounts for 68.11% of the platform’s monthly active users.
Tips To Be Prepared The Next Time It Happens
- Know all your Facebook contacts on another social network.
- Next, keep their email address or phone numbers in another place. (It’s just like having all your contacts in your phone and not written down anywhere. Technology can break too!)
- Don’t just rely on Facebook for all your promotional efforts, spread them out over other social networks too. Many social networks offer advertising and promotional ways to reach your clients.
- Get yourself familiar and comfortable with other social networks like Twitter, LinkedIn, MeWe, Pinterest, Snapchat, YouTube, Tik Tok, Tumbler, Reddit, etc. to name a few.
- Again, if you schedule Facebook posts for your Facebook page be sure to see if they went up or not. You may have to re-schedule them!!
Using a social media management tool like Agorapulse will help you schedule even when Facebook may not be working.
Conclusion: When Facebook Goes Down, What Will You Do
Never rely just on one social network for all of your needs. You will want to have your contacts on your favorite channels in a spreadsheet with email or phone numbers.
Did you have trouble anytime Facebook or Instagram went down? What did you do? I’d love to know more in the comments below if you are ready for the next time it may go down.
Facebook Downtime FAQs
Is FB down right now?
Check real-time status on websites like Downdetector or IsItDownRightNow. Social media platforms like X Twitter often have updates from users too.
Why can’t I access Facebook?
Network issues, server maintenance, or a Facebook outage could be causing problems. Double-check your internet connection and try restarting your device.
How can I find out if Meta is down?
Visit Facebook’s official Twitter account or their status page for updates. Independent status checker websites also provide real-time info.
What should I do if FB is down?
Stay calm. Wait for official updates from Facebook. You can also check other social media platforms for information from users.
Are there common issues when Facebook goes down?
Problems with logging in, posting updates, loading the news feed, and sending messages are common during outages.
Will my data be affected during a Facebook outage?
Usually, your data remains safe. Facebook’s outages typically don’t impact stored data.
Can I report an issue if FB is down?
During widespread outages, Facebook is likely already aware. However, you can report smaller bugs via their Help Center when the site is accessible.
How often does Facebook experience downtime?
While not frequent, Facebook does experience occasional outages due to server issues or maintenance.
How long does an outage usually last?
Outage durations vary. Minor issues could be resolved in minutes, while larger problems might take several hours.
Can I prevent issues when it goes down?
You can’t control Facebook’s uptime, but staying informed through other social media or news outlets helps you know when it’s back up.
Is Facebook Down? Be Prepared When Facebook Goes Down Share on X
She has 30+ years of experience in marketing/advertising with 11 years of experience in content marketing, social media, blogging, and SEO.
You can purchase her eBook about Twitter on Amazon.
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Hi Lisa
To be honest I am not that addicted to Facebook these days. I prefer Twitter and Instagram over Facebook. I think many companies are getting in trouble if Facebook make some big changes to their platform overnight. That being said I might be able to drive more attention to my blog with Facebook than I do today.
Hi Thomas, I’m with you on that though with family and friends- mine are on Facebook. But for business Twitter is my #1 – followed by Quora and Instagram. Facebook just not cutting it for me there. The only page posts that do well is when I do video and/or purchase boosts. I think we need a new social network soon 🙂 Thanks for coming by Thomas on this one and have a great day!
Thank you so much for the detailed information. Very informative article.
As a tech blogger, I loved reading it and surely recommend to others
Hi Roshan, welcome to Inspire To Thrive. You are most welcome. I’m glad you were able to find this useful. I hope you are preapared the next time Facebook goes down. Have a great rest of the week there.
Good advice Lisa for being on at least three different networks. I am all about Twitter but have Facebook and Linkedin as well. The key is to be a little bit active on each network at least, and to dial in on one where you really engage folks regularly.
Plus as you said, having your friend’s email addresses is an excellent idea. Great way to stay in touch when Facebook goes down. This is why I spend most time on blogs. We own these pieces of real estate and can be emailed really quickly through our blogs.
Hi Ryan, thank you. I would agree with that 100%. My dial in is Twitter. But email and our own blogs are a top priority today. Social networks not only control how much others see but censorship is running rampant now as well. Even posting about the pandemic in any way stops a FB boost from being approved even if it’s related to business, etc. That really makes me think our own self-hosted blogs is a top priority today more than ever before. Email is #2 now. Thanks for your input on this Ryan and I hope you have a great day ahead. I hope you are enjoying the recent good weather 🙂
Great tips. Although you didn’t expand on it, i am a firm believer in email marketing. For most SMBs, they rely on Facebook or Instagram. And that’s the only thing they do. Unfortunately, it makes them susceptible to issues you described above. Plus, they don’t control their communications with them. Posting on social, even multiple times, gives you very low reach. Unlike email, if you do it properly, you can communicate with your audience directly. Operationally, this can be implemented even by service based businesses. For example, i told one friend of mine who opened a cafe to add some sort of QR code on their menu and receipt. Then, people who go through it sees a landing page to enter their email so they can get a code for a discount on their next visit. Leads + repeat business for you; more value for money from the customer. win-win situation.
Hi Jon, welcome to Inspire to Thrive. Very good point! Email is very important for SMB as well. I have made many a purchase myself through emails that camem in with sales on stores I shop from time to time. Some of them recently have been getting carried away! SEO is another option too and is where most of my traffic generates from these days. But even there with the Google gods you never know when that can change. Been there, done that! Thanks for your input on this one Jon and have a great rest of the week !
Hi Lisa, it’s a fantastic idea that you updated this article for 2020. In fact, I just commented on a similar post on James’s blog, where he pointed out that marketers should not rely on social media. These marketing platforms belong to others, and they can shut you down without warning. So it vital to have a backup plan, which is why your post is useful material. Marketers need to know what to do in such cases and prepare for it.
Thank you for sharing!
Hi Moss, thank you. Yes, I started to update one thing and before I knew it the whole post had to be updated 🙂 I agree with James on that too. SMB’s should also use email marketing as well in their mix. Did you notice that Facebook was down 2 days ago for a while? Thanks for coming by on this one and have a great day Moss, stay well!
By this blog I’ve learned many things
Thanks Darlene, what did you learn the most here?
Hi Lisa,
Social media is a great catch when it comes to online business, rendering of services. Social media is like a borrowed land where you plant seeds. It’s been said “never put all eggs in one basket”. I wouldn’t see the good thing it has to do with doing all your business on Facebook. As a business person I’d engage with my clients on LinkedIn or even the email list and/or blog.
If Facebook goes down, I’m gonna hop into my blog, have some fun, re-edit some old posts and more.
I’d get married to my blog that day.
Hi Prince Akwarandu, how are you? Yes, very good point – they are likes seeds. Email list is key today too. You just have to be on top of it as people change their emails often too 🙂
I think if you connect with them on other social networks and have a phone number that would be the best!
Thanks for coming by and have a great week.
Hey Lisa,
Good post.
I noticed it was down but it didn’t bother me, I just went and spent time with family.
But you raise a valid point when you said “Especially since many rely on Facebook adverting today for their marketing messages” If you pay for advertising and FB went down, they you’d be screwed. Hope they reimburse people for that day.
But you’re especially right about putting eggs in one basket. I’m staring to become more active on LInkedIn and other social networks because you just can’t rely on one. And you’re right. I haven’t seen that fail whale in a long time. Twitter has been cleaning up their act.
– Andrew
Hi Andrew, Good for you! I know I have to be sure to have my kids contact info as one of them relies on FB messaging only with me. The other loves to text only. God forbid if they ever used the phone as a phone today 🙂
I love LinkedIn and have to do more with the Pulse part of it. Ravi has been rocking it over there lately. But he’s done it over time. Everything good takes time.
Thanks for coming by Andrew and have a great day ahead.
Hey Lisa,
I have noticed a couple of times but never really thought to do something about.
Maybe I just reschedule my Facebook posts or something else.
Sending an email to their support doesn’t help. It always takes the time.
Glad you could notice the exact moment.
~Ravi
Hi Ravi, Yes, you can re-schedule them but what about all your contacts? Do you have them in other places so if you need to reach someone quick you can? Thanks for coming by and have a great rest of the weekend Ravi.
I vibe with you Lisa. I need to be on 2-3 networks at least – with an active to kinda active presence – to insulate myself against site outages. No other way to do it.
I TOTALLY forgot how frequently the Fail Whale appeared. A bunch, right? Compared to current day Twitter, old skool Twitter was done regularly. Or too frequently, for a large, growing site.
As for last Saturday I did plenty of writing and simply broadcast my Facebook Live video later in the day. I also began spending even more time on Twitter this week because I am feeling the platform more than ever, with its rapid fire engagement.
Ryan
Hi Ryan, that is great that you do that Ryan. I’m working on my 3rd now. I am active on 2 most of the time but need to get more active on the 3rd.
Yes, I do remember that fail whale well. I’m so glad it’s been some time since that has happened over on Twitter. I was cheering them on last weekend to handle the overflow from Facebook 🙂
Can you schedule those Facebook live video’s Ryan? I need to work on one today.
Thanks for coming by and enjoy the rest of your weekend.
I kinda want to do them at the same time daily Lisa but I need my sleep too 😉 Maybe I will start them on the same hour eventually. We shall see 🙂
Lisa: I went to Twitter during the downtime of Facebook & Instagram! 😉 I had planned to do a Facebook live streaming session at a street food market, so I did a short Twitter live instead! 😉
https://twitter.com/Lyceum/status/901445168267755523
https://twitter.com/Lyceum/status/901454698800132096
Hi Martin, I love these, very clever indeed. Amazing not only Facebook but Instagram. Some forget that Facebook owns the little giant Instagram too. And messenger, the only way I communicate with one of my sons and granddaughter. Makes me think – need a second method 🙂 Seems those under 30 don’t ever use a phone for what a phone was intended to do – to make phone calls 🙂
Thanks for sharing here with us Martin. Have a wonderful long weekend ahead.
Hi Lisa,
I’m lucky enough to read this post. Matter of fact, I never knew about the Facebook short down issue which also affected Instagram and messenger until I read this post. Actually Facebook is not my primary social site, however, one need to have a backup plan.
Living in a rented property as you pointed out, is not the way to go, because it is not guaranteed – anything can happen at any point in time. So we need to be prepared for any unforeseen occurrence.
This article, with tips in how to prepare for when Facebook goes down again is an eye opener for everyone. I will be implementing some of the tips right away.
Thank you for sharing this insightful post.
Hi Moss, you missed it? LOL. I did too as I was out but when I checked in on Twitter I saw the trend and had to know what was going on. Everyone always gives Twitter the bad rap for stuff so I had to show Facebook has it’s issues too from time to time.
Speaking of rented space Moss, do you have your blog up yet?
What is your favorite social network if it is not Facebook Moss? Thanks for coming by and have an awesome Friday.
Hi Lisa,
Goes to show we cannot put all our eggs in one basket, especially on rented space. I do have back-ups on my Facebook videos and other things that are important. I keep them in a folder. One never knows when something will break.
As for contacts, most of the peeps are on my mailing list. But this has opened my eyes to broaden my contact list, even with phone numbers. Hmmm You have given me much food for thought.
-Donna
P.S. Love the poll you have done. I was chill’n on the beach all day so I had no idea what was going on. 🙂
Hi Donna, yes, I’ve always said that. Once we had the credit unions in our state all close down and my parents had everything in one. It wasn’t pretty. Many lost all their money for 10 years and when the fought and fought they got some back but were never made whole. That was a valuable lesson to me. I was lucky, I was building a house and just got my money out a few days prior. But I could not pay bills and lose my heat for weeks. (It was in January!)
I like how you do backups of your videos – very nice! I hadn’t thought of that one. Yes, phone numbers and addresses. I wanted to send a friend a card in Texas but I don’t have her address 🙁 It’s been bugging me all week.
Thanks for coming by Donna and wow – I just love what you’ve done on Video – especially the one on LinkedIn. We have to talk! Have a wonderful weekend!
Hey Lisa,
I was out and about Saturday morning taking care of the cable and internet business so I didn’t even notice. However, I guess I really should have checked out the trends on Twitter and Facebook. Somehow or another, I’m sure The Donald got blamed for it! 😉
Great read gf!
B
Hi Bren, LOL. I didn’t notice right away either, I was out with my dad. I was waiting for that too – blaming it on the Donald. You are too funny Bren.
Thank you for coming by and taking the time to comment. Have a great evening.
Since you highlighted me first, you know I had Facebook trouble. Once I realized it wasn’t working on both browsers, I put up a notice on Twitter and then went on to do other things. Luckily I’m not so married to Facebook that I miss it when it’s down. I don’t even have it on my phone. 🙂
Hi Mitch, LOL. That’s a clue Mitch. I like that saying “Luckily I’m not so married to Facebook”. Wow, not even on your phone? Do you have Twitter there?
Thanks for coming by and testing as well for me Mitch, I appreciate that. Have a great evening!
Of course I have Twitter there; love Twitter! 😀 I wish the program I use on the phone worked as well as Tweetdeck, but I’ll take what I can get.
Hi Mitch, wow, you love tweetdeck more? If you are interested I’d love a contributor post about it here 🙂 I have to log back into Tweetdeck, it’s been a while. Thanks for coming back on that one and have a great weekend ahead.
Hi Lisa,
Great Information you shared right here.
Putting one’s all eggs in one basket is one of the biggest mistakes that’s always made.
Sure, Facebook has helped alot of business owners with smooth running of their businesses via the help of Ads etc.. However it should not be seen as the only good network for business growth.
Just like any other Social Media Network, it could crash any time, any day.
I also witnessed this and it’s definitely not the first, not second not even third but it’s kinda becoming alarming.
All the same, I believe your tips would help alot of people get prepared should incase!
Do have a nice day Lisa
Hi Prosper, Thank you. You are right – any network could do down at any time. It would be chaos if all of the internet went down at once for a few days. I tease my husband once in a while that he doesn’t know my phone # as it’s automatic on his mobile. But once I was in a bad snowmobile accident and I had to know his. I still remember to this day.
We all need a wake up call sometimes to realize to be prepared 🙂
Thank you for coming by and taking the time to comment Prosper. Have a great day!
Hello Lisa,
Great tips over here 🙂
Sometimes these social media sites goes down, don’t know why, may be some maintenance problem or some technical issues.
This make a huge impact on our lives, as almost more than half of the day we keep on scrolling and promoting something
on social media. Mainly Facebook, it has become a life saving tool for us. Connecting with friends, promoting our stuff
blah blah.
Yeah as you said “never just be hanging our self on one social media platform” there are many and we need to know how to manage
with them too in time of need.
Its good to circulate and add our friends on other social media platforms, so that these issues do not let us fall behind.
Thanks for the share.
Have a great week ahead.
Shantanu.
Hi Shantanu, Yes, it is amazing how much we all have gotten so attached to our social media for all of our connections today. It’s good to have an old fashion address book and contacts in our phones too. Those that just rely on messenger or any other one form of social media will be out of luck when the system goes time for any length of time.
I think too now of the news – it was a huge news day in Texas that day and the media relies on Facebook too to get their news out. It was a good thing it wasn’t out 100% or for an extended length of time.
It shows how much social media has impacted our lives today and has become the norm for communication.
I appreciate your coming by Shantanu and sharing. Have a wonderful day!
Hello Lisa,
Social Media sites are now become a part of our day to day life. We use them to connect with our families, friends and it also help us to grow our business as well. I always diversify my marketing and promotion option and yes, you are right we don’t have to focus on a single medium. It will keep us paralyze if something goes wrong Just like Facebook and Instagram was down few days ago. Thanks for the helpful insights.
Have a great Day 🙂
Vishwajeet
Hi Vishwajeet, You are right, that is so true about social media being part of our daily lives today. We must be sure to have multiple ways to keep in touch with those we care about and have multiple ways to market our businesses. As in most things in life we should not put all our eggs in one basket.
Thanks for coming by and have a wonderful day Vishwajeet.