Snapchat users around the world faced a major disruption on Sunday, as thousands were unable to access key features of the popular messaging app. The outage left many users unable to send snaps, messages, or upload content, with Pakistan emerging as one of the most affected countries.
Downdetector, a real-time platform for tracking service issues, reported a surge in complaints from users in Pakistan, the UK, and France. A majority of users—about 57%—said they were logged out of their accounts, while others experienced difficulty sharing (24%) or uploading (19%) media.
Reports began to rise early Sunday, particularly from cities like Lahore, Karachi, Rawalpindi, and Peshawar. Users in Punjab and Sindh voiced frustration online, questioning the cause of the disruption and demanding clarity from Snapchat.
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While the company has yet to release an official explanation, some tech experts believe a server-side error or a faulty app update might be behind the failure. Meanwhile, several users claimed the app worked when accessed through Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), hinting that regional server restrictions may be a factor.
A heat map published by Downdetector showed widespread global outages, indicating the issue was not isolated to a single country. The platform confirmed that user reports had risen far beyond average levels by Sunday evening.
By 6pm Pakistan time, over half of the complaints were from users who had been unexpectedly logged out. Others struggled to share or post content, sparking further speculation about a technical breakdown on Snapchat’s servers.
