Facebook desktop version back online after global outage
Global outage resolved within three hours; users could access Facebook desktop version again
Updated 11.59am
The desktop version of Facebook is back online after it experienced a sudden global outage on Sunday morning amid a “site issue”.
Worldwide users, including those in Malta, trying to access the site on their computers were faced with a message saying the “account is currently unavailable due to a site issue”.
Facebook said they expected the issue to be resolved “shortly”.
The desktop version was back online just before Noon on Sunday after approximately three hours.
The DownDetector website showed a spike in searches for “Facebook down” just before 9am on Sunday.
Users reported the mobile app version was still working.
International media reported users experienced difficulties accessing their accounts and using core features, with some also unable to upload photos and videos or send messages through Facebook's linked Messenger service.
The issue seemingly was not limited to just Facebook. Instagram users also reported they were unable to see or share posts on both social media sites, receiving the following error message: “Sorry, something went wrong. We're working on getting this fixed as soon as we can”.
Meta has not issued a statement at the time of publication.
It is estimated that Facebook has over 3 billion monthly active users globally. However, only about 1.5% to 2% of this user base accesses the platform exclusively via desktop, while roughly 14.3% use both desktop and mobile. The vast majority (over 81%) access the site exclusively on mobile devices.
More to follow.