Downdetector: X (formerly Twitter) Outage – What Happened and When Was Service Restored?

X (formerly Twitter) Outage: A Deep Dive into the Downdetector Reports

Updated: February 16, 2026, at 10:54 AM EST

Published: February 16, 2026, at 9:54 AM EST

Users worldwide experienced disruptions with X (formerly Twitter) on Monday afternoon, with reports flooding in to outage tracking website Downdetector. The social network, owned by Elon Musk, temporarily failed to display posts for many users across numerous countries.

Service Restoration and Timeline

Around 1530 GMT, X began functioning normally again, allowing users to post and access content. This followed a significant spike in outage reports beginning approximately two hours prior, as highlighted by Downdetector. The platform’s issues were initially described as “international outages” by connectivity monitor Netblocks, who shared updates on Mastodon.

What Caused the X Outage?

Netblocks clarified that the breakdown wasn’t linked to country-level internet disruptions or filtering, suggesting a technical issue within X’s infrastructure. This isn’t the first time X has faced such problems. Similar outages were reported on February 9th, the day after the Super Bowl in the U.S., and again on February 1st. Journalists from AFP confirmed experiencing access issues in countries like France and Thailand during Monday’s disruption.

X’s Response (or Lack Thereof)

Despite requests for comment from AFP, spokespeople for X did not provide a statement regarding the outage before service was restored. This lack of immediate communication has been a recurring criticism leveled against the platform in the past.

Recent Changes at X and its Parent Company

Since Elon Musk acquired Twitter in 2022 and rebranded it as X, the platform has undergone significant changes, including substantial layoffs. Furthermore, X has been integrated with Musk’s xAI company, the developer of the Grok chatbot. Interestingly, xAI is slated to be absorbed by SpaceX, with a potential public offering of the merged entity as early as this summer. These rapid shifts within the company may be contributing factors to the platform’s recent instability.

Staying Informed About Outages

For real-time updates on service disruptions, users can rely on websites like Downdetector and follow connectivity monitors like Netblocks on social media. These resources provide valuable insights into the status of popular online services.