As the well-known AI chatbot experienced a major outage, users in the US and other countries complained that ChatGPT was not functioning. Thousands of complaints were submitted on outage reporting websites like Downdetector as a result of consumers being unable to access the chatbot on the web or mobile.
Through its status tracker, OpenAI acknowledged the outage and indicated that it has identified problems and taken action to address them while keeping an eye on the recovery process. The recovery procedure had started later in the day, despite the service disruptions.
What Happened During the Outage
Timing and Scale
Around 3:00 PM Eastern Time, users began reporting problems, and shortly after, the number of complaints of faults and service interruptions surged. More than 13,000 users have reported issues on Downdetector at the height of the outage.
All of ChatGPT’s features, including discussion threads, search capabilities, picture creation, and recently added services like Codex, were affected by the outage. Users were either unable to access the chatbot or got various error messages.
Official Response from OpenAI
In a statement, OpenAI acknowledged the outage and said that the problem’s root cause had been found and the required fixes had been put in place. OpenAI acknowledged that the required workarounds had been put in place and that regular operations were being resumed, despite the fact that the company did not provide any technical details at this time.
Based on the updates provided by OpenAI, the outage was characterised by high error rates that affected login and chat functionality. The problem began to be fixed after the workarounds were put in place, and there were noticeably fewer outage complaints.
User Experience During the Outage
During the outage, users reported several common problems:
- Inability to log into ChatGPT accounts
- Chats are failing to load or respond.
- Error messages and stalled interactions
- Inconsistent responses between devices
Many users resorted to social media platforms such as X and Reddit to post about problems and share screenshots of errors, which showed frustration and confusion about when the service would be restored.
Some users even claimed temporary solutions during the outage’s peak, like using ChatGPT without signing in, which only offered a limited amount of functionality.
Why These Outages Matter
Millions of users worldwide now incorporate ChatGPT into their daily routines. For writing support, homework assistance, coding, brainstorming, customer service, and more, users rely on it. Even a brief outage can impact productivity and cause users to look for alternative solutions.
Even while OpenAI is known for having a high uptime, incidents like this highlight how challenging it is to service so many people globally, especially as the user base keeps expanding.
Context: Past and Recurring Outages
ChatGPT has had major service interruption before. In the past few years, there have been service disruption for users worldwide, including another significant service disruption in December 2025 and a significant service disruption in June 2025. These earlier service disruptions were reported by thousands of users, which forced OpenAI to move quickly to resolve the issues.
These outages have revealed a trend wherein OpenAI’s backend services have become unreliable due to a combination of heavy traffic, infrastructure, and system changes.
What Users Can Do When ChatGPT Is Down
If you encounter periods when ChatGPT is not working, here are a few practical tips:
1. Check Official Status
Real-time information about outages and recovery efforts can be found on OpenAI’s status page.
2. Try Alternative Connections
Switching networks or using a different device can sometimes help if the outage is partial or regional.
3. Wait and Retry
Outage usually resolve within a few hours. Repeated attempts after some time often restore access.
4. Use Backup Tools
Consider temporary alternatives like AI chatbots from other providers if you rely on these services for urgent tasks.
ChatGPT Outage
A stable service is crucial for a product that is used by millions of people worldwide, as demonstrated by the recent global outage that stopped many users from using ChatGPT. Even though outages can be inconvenient, OpenAI’s quick response to the issue helped to fix it and avoid any more issues down the road.
