Netflix Down: Widespread Outage Hits Over 11,000 Users in US and Canada

Thousands of Netflix users experienced a widespread outage on Tuesday evening, August 26, 2025. The streaming service encountered significant disruptions, which sparked frustration among users across various regions, particularly the United States and Canada. Reports of the outage began around 6:15 p.m. ET, with users flocking to DownDetector to log their complaints. By early evening, more than 11,000 issues had been reported, with the majority citing difficulties with video streaming, server connections, and app functionality.

The disruption left subscribers unable to access content on numerous devices, such as smart TVs, smartphones, tablets, and web browsers. Users encountered black screens, frozen menus, and error messages stating, "We're having trouble accessing these titles for you right now." Despite some temporary fixes, full service restoration proved elusive for many, leading to ongoing frustrations.

Netflix, a platform boasting over 300 million paid subscriptions worldwide, did not issue any official comments or updates on its social media channels during the initial stages of the outage. This lack of communication fueled users' discontent, with many taking to social platforms like X to express their concerns and share troubleshooting tips. Advice ranged from rebooting devices to reinstalling the app, although such measures offered limited relief when the root issue seemed linked to Netflix's infrastructure.

As night fell, some users reported partial service resumption, but full functionality remained out of reach. The outage's geographical impact extended beyond the US and Canada, affecting users in Mexico and South America, further underscoring the disruption's extensive reach.

This incident follows a similar outage in May 2025, which saw tens of thousands of users impacted across the United States. At that time, customers faced comparable issues, highlighting Netflix's occasional struggles to maintain its extensive streaming network during periods of high demand. As of 9:30 p.m. ET on the day of the latest outage, Netflix had yet to provide an estimated timeline for full service restoration, leaving users to rely on the platform's help center, which suggested using alternative devices or trying again later.

While Netflix works to address the problems, users continue to search for real-time updates, eager for their entertainment options to return to normal. As the streaming giant navigates these challenges, the ongoing outage serves as a reminder of the complexities involved in managing a global digital content delivery network, where hiccups can quickly become headline news.