WhatsApp is OFF: Mass outage affects users around the world unable to send or receive messages

WhatsApp has been hit by a global outage affecting its app and website, leaving millions unable to communicate with friends and loved ones.

DownDetector, a site that monitors online problems, shows that the problems started around 4 p.m. ET.

DailyMail.com tried to access the app and was unable to send or receive messages or photos – and it won’t connect to the internet.

The cause of the outage is unknown, but Meta has not acknowledged the outage.

WhatsApp is part of Meta’s entourage of platforms, including Facebook, Instagram and the newcomer Threads.

However, WhatsApp is designed solely for communication – and many users are now in the dark.

There are more than 24,000 problem reports in the US alone.

About 55 percent say they have problems sending messages, 42 percent have problems with the app, and three percent say the website isn’t working.

However, the UK side of DownDetector shows more than 157,000 problem reports.

Of these reports, 63 percent say they have problems sending messages, 22 percent have problems with the app, and 15 percent can’t receive messages.

WhatsApp’s Twitter page makes no mention of the massive outage, and neither does Meta’s account.