Thousands of users across the UK and several other countries reported problems accessing X on Monday morning, 16 February. From shortly after 08:30 GMT, timelines failed to load, posts could not be published and replies appeared blank, while error prompts urged users to reload the service, reports the The WP Times editorial team.

What initially appeared to be a localised technical issue quickly escalated into a wider disruption. Real-time monitoring data showed near-simultaneous spikes in outage reports from the United States, the UK, Canada, Germany, France and Australia, indicating a system-wide failure rather than a regional network problem. The incident is the latest in a series of service disruptions affecting the platform since its rebrand under Elon Musk, adding to ongoing questions about reliability and operational resilience.

How many users were affected — and where

Data from Downdetector, which tracks user-reported service issues, illustrates the scale of the outage. At its peak, more than 40,000 users in the United States logged problems within minutes. In the UK, reports rose above 11,000, with pronounced spikes in London, Manchester, Birmingham and Glasgow. Users described a common set of failures:

  • timelines not refreshing
  • posts loading as blank
  • inability to publish posts or replies
  • login problems on both mobile and desktop

In many cases the app opened normally, but core functions failed — creating uncertainty over whether the issue was device-specific or platform-wide.

What the data shows

Downdetector’s graph showed a sharp spike between 08:30 and 08:45 GMT rather than a gradual rise — a classic sign of an infrastructure or backend fault. Reports then declined steadily. By mid-morning, volumes had fallen by more than half, and by late morning they were close to normal levels, though some users continued to experience intermittent issues. In a moment not lost on frustrated users, Downdetector itself posted on X to say problems were being reported — a message many could neither reply to nor reshare.

Was X completely down

The outage was uneven rather than absolute. Some users could read posts but not interact; others were locked out entirely. That pattern typically points to failures in specific systems — such as authentication, content delivery or internal APIs — rather than a total shutdown. Partial outages often feel more disruptive because there is no clear signal that a service is officially down.

Did the company explain what happened

By early afternoon in the UK, no formal explanation had been issued. There was no immediate statement from official support channels, and press enquiries were reportedly unanswered. The absence of communication has become a recurring criticism after previous outages, with analysts noting reduced transparency following significant staff reductions over recent years. Similar disruptions last month affected tens of thousands of users, while earlier incidents in 2025 were linked to third-party infrastructure failures.

Is “Twitter down” the same as “X down”

In practice, yes. Despite the rebrand, search terms such as twitter down, is twitter down right now and twitter not workingstill dominate during outages. During Monday’s disruption, search interest spiked for:

  • is X down
  • is Twitter down
  • X not working
  • Twitter down right now
  • X outage

The persistence of the old name underlines how deeply “Twitter” remains embedded in public usage.

How long did the outage last

For most users, the disruption persisted for between 30 and 90 minutes. While core services began to recover later in the morning, reports of intermittent problems continued, particularly on mobile applications. Monitoring data showed a gradual return to normal activity rather than an immediate restoration, suggesting a phased stabilisation of backend systems.

Although short-lived, outages on X carry disproportionate consequences. The platform continues to function as a real-time channel for news dissemination, emergency communication and public discussion. Journalists, emergency services, businesses and public officials rely on its immediacy, meaning even brief periods of disruption can interrupt information flows at critical moments. Repeated technical failures also raise broader questions about reliability. When disruptions occur without advance warning or timely explanation, confidence in the platform’s operational resilience is further weakened, particularly as alternative social networks compete for users and institutional trust.

By late morning on 16 February, most core functions appeared to have been restored, with outage reports returning close to baseline levels. Some users, however, continued to experience isolated issues. Standard guidance included refreshing applications, signing out and back in, or allowing additional time for full system stabilisation.

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