Elon Musk's X Platform Down for Tens of Thousands of Users Globally, Downdetector Shows

Elon Musk's X platform experienced a significant outage on January 16, 2026, with tens of thousands of users reporting issues globally. The outage was first reported around 10 a.m. ET, with over 68,000 users reporting problems within an 11-minute period. The majority of these problems involved difficulties accessing the X app and website.

According to Downdetector.com, more than 62,000 users reported issues as of 10:22 a.m. ET. The most affected regions were the United States, the United Kingdom, and India, with the UK reporting around 11,000 incidents and India reporting over 3,000 according to reports.

X did not immediately respond to requests for comment, though its developer platform status page indicated "all systems are operational."

Why Did This Happen?

The cause of the outage remains unclear. X's official status page reported no system issues. The problems included access issues with the app (56%), the website (33%), and server connectivity issues (10%) . As Downdetector data shows, the outage affected major regions globally.

This is the second major outage for X this week, with over 5,155 reports of issues reported in the evening of January 16, increasing to 31,000 by 9 p.m.

How Are Users Reacting?

Users reported blank timelines, failed searches, and repeated "something went wrong" error messages according to reports. The outages disrupted user engagement and content sharing, with many expressing frustration on alternative social media platforms and forums as reported.

Verizon and other companies have previously addressed similar outages by providing credits to affected customers. However, no such action was announced by X in response to this outage.

What Are Analysts Watching Next?

Analysts are closely monitoring whether X will address the issue publicly and what steps it will take to prevent future outages. The platform's recent announcement to make its algorithm public adds to concerns about potential instability. According to analysts, the platform faces significant operational challenges.

The incident also highlights broader challenges in maintaining reliable social media infrastructure as platforms scale. Recent outages at other major tech companies, such as Verizon and CrowdStrike, have drawn regulatory attention.

Investors are watching for any potential impact on user trust and engagement metrics, particularly as X continues to implement significant changes, including the recent public release of its recommendation algorithm as reported.