If you are currently trying to download any type of media on WhatsApp, Facebook or Instagram it’s almost a guarantee that that action will not happen.

Users around the world are reporting that the Facebook-owned platforms are currently experiencing issues. Reports started streaming in at around 00:15 (EAT) on the 2nd of April 2020.

We can confirm that we are unable to download any images, GIFs, videos, audio or files sent via WhatsApp.

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The reason for the partial outage is unknown, however, WhatsApp usage has seen a drastic spike ever since the COVID-19 pandemic hit the world. We could speculate that this unprecedented surge in usage could be the reason for the outage.

There are also unconfirmed reports that Facebook and Instagram are having similar issues with different users across the world. Users on Downdetector have also complained of similar issues on Facebook Messenger.

This is not the first time the Facebook family of apps have all experienced downtime at the same time. The last time this happened was a little over a year ago in March 2019 – seems like it’s turning into an annual ritual.

This is a developing story and we will update you on the details as we receive them.