Is YouTube Down Right Now? Over 100,000 Users Reporting Outages – What's Going On?

YouTube is down for thousands of users across the globe, prompting over 320,000 outage reports in the US at its peak on 18 February 2026. The problem has caused the platform's homepage to appear blank and recommendations to fail, although some users can still access individual videos via search.

Downdetector has tracked a sharp surge in complaints, with similar issues affecting YouTube TV, Music and Kids. YouTube has officially confirmed the outage, assuring users that teams are investigating. Such events, while rare, highlight the platform's pivotal role in daily viewing habits.

The Scale of the Outage

The problems began shortly after 1am GMT on 18 February – around 8pm ET the previous day in the US – with reports surging on Downdetector. The outage started to gain traction at 5pm PT and quickly spiked to 338,308 reports by 5:10pm.

By 2am GMT, more than 300,000 US users had reported issues with both the website and the app. Globally, the peak reached around 340,000 reports. Common complaints include the app not loading (56%), website problems (17%), and login difficulties (16%). Users in the UK are also affected, with reports mirroring those in the US.

In India, over 17,000 complaints were registered at the height of the disruption. The outage extended to YouTube TV, drawing over 8,000 reports. By 6:30pm PT, reports had dropped to under 50,000, suggesting early signs of recovery.

Official Response and What's Behind It

YouTube quickly acknowledged the outage on X, posting, 'Thanks for the report. We can confirm that we're aware of the issue & our team is currently working on a fix. We appreciate your patience while we get this sorted'

Later, they revealed the cause was an issue with the recommendations system, which prevented videos from appearing on the homepage, app, Music, and Kids.

'The homepage is back, but we're still working on a full fix – more coming soon!' the company added in a follow-up statement. Google, YouTube's parent company, echoed this in a status update, pinpointing the recommendations system fault. No estimated time for full resolution has been shared, but the partial restoration indicates progress.

The recommendations system, central to personalising content based on viewing history and preferences, can make the platform seem empty when it malfunctions. Past outages have typically been resolved within hours, offering some reassurance.

YouTube Down: User Reactions and Global Impact

On social media, users vented frustration, with one X account stating, 'YouTube is experiencing widespread outages across multiple countries. Users are also reporting issues with Google, AWS, and Cloudflare, per DownDetector.'

Others suggested switching to Netflix or scrolling on X during the downtime.

The timing proved particularly inconvenient, coinciding with evening hours in the US and morning in other regions. Additional reports mentioned upload difficulties and inconsistent search results, though these appeared less common.

In Australia and elsewhere, similar spikes occurred, underscoring the global nature. This incident has sparked light-hearted jokes about reverting to traditional TV, but it also underlines society's heavy reliance on streaming for news, education, and leisure.

As of mid-morning GMT on 18 February, YouTube appears partially back online, with the homepage restored for many users. However, lingering issues may persist until the full fix rolls out. The number of reports has fallen sharply from the peak. For those still affected, clearing cache or trying another device might offer temporary relief. Users should monitor official channels for the latest on this YouTube down event.