ed, what caused the reported problems or whether the issues were limited to certain apps, regions or devices.

Big picture view:

Outage reports do not always confirm a full platformwide outage, but they can show when a large number of users are experiencing similar problems at the same time.

Because Instagram, Facebook, Messenger, Threads and WhatsApp are all owned by Meta, problems with multiple services can raise questions about whether a broader Meta issue is affecting users.

A user on Instagram social network in L'Aquila, Italy, on October 3, 2020. Today Facebook's program Instagram turns ten years from his launch. (Photo Illustration by Lorenzo Di Cola/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

What you can do:

Users having trouble with Instagram can try checking the app on another device, switching between Wi-Fi and cellular data, refreshing the website or restarting the app.

If the issue continues, users may need to wait for service to return or monitor Instagram and Meta status pages for updates.