Last week a significant outage hit Meta, the parent company of WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram, leaving thousands of users unable to access these platforms. The outage, which began around 15:00 GMT, led to widespread reports of issues accessing the sites. Despite Meta’s indication on their status site that most problems had been resolved, the company has not yet provided an official comment on the matter.
According to Downdetector, around 82,000 issues with WhatsApp were reported at 15:25 GMT, with a significant decrease in reports an hour later. Similarly, Instagram users experienced around 3,700 outages, while Facebook users reported 1,840 outages around the same time. The outage was not limited to the UK, as about 5,000 Instagram users in the United States and around 24,000 WhatsApp users worldwide faced problems.
WhatsApp acknowledged the issue on social media, stating they were working to resolve it. Additionally, users in India and Brazil also reported experiencing problems with the platform. This outage follows a similar incident in March, affecting hundreds of thousands of users globally. Meta, with approximately 3.19 billion daily active users across its platforms, including Threads, continues to face technical challenges.
Alternatives To Meta Apps
Facing an unexpected outage of Meta’s popular apps like WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram can hinder communication and productivity. Having alternative platforms at hand can help. Here are 12 apps to consider during such downtimes:
WhatsApp Alternatives
Telegram
Telegram is a messaging app that enables users to send text messages, multimedia files, and make voice and video calls. Known for its focus on privacy and security, Telegram offers end-to-end encryption for secret chats, ensuring that only the intended recipients can access the messages. Additionally, it supports large group chats, making it suitable for communities and organisations. Telegram also allows users to create channels to broadcast messages to a large audience, making it a versatile communication tool.
Viber
Viber is a messaging and calling app that allows users to communicate with friends, family, and colleagues around the world. It offers free text messaging, voice calls, and video calls over the internet, enabling users to stay connected regardless of distance. Viber also supports group chats, allowing multiple users to converse simultaneously. Additionally, the app features stickers, emoticons, and multimedia sharing options, enhancing the messaging experience. Viber distinguishes itself with its user-friendly interface and robust security measures, ensuring a seamless and safe communication platform.
Google Messages
Google Messages is an app designed for text messaging on Android devices. It allows users to send and receive SMS and MMS messages, including texts, photos, videos, and audio messages. The app offers features such as group messaging, message search, and message scheduling. Additionally, Google Messages supports RCS (Rich Communication Services), enabling enhanced messaging features like read receipts, typing indicators, and high-resolution media sharing when communicating with other RCS-enabled users. Overall, Google Messages provides a convenient and feature-rich platform for text-based communication on Android smartphones.
Meta Business Suite Alternatives
Agorapulse
Agorapulse is a social media management tool that streamlines the process of scheduling, publishing, and analysing content across various social media platforms. It allows users to manage multiple accounts from one dashboard, facilitating efficient monitoring and engagement with audiences. Agorapulse offers features such as content scheduling, social inbox management, analytics reporting, and team collaboration tools. Its user-friendly interface and comprehensive functionalities make it a valuable tool for businesses and digital marketers to effectively manage their social media presence and campaigns.
Buffer
Buffer is a social media management tool that simplifies scheduling, publishing, and analysing content across various platforms. Users can schedule posts in advance, ensuring a consistent online presence. It supports popular social media networks like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram, allowing users to manage multiple accounts from one dashboard. Buffer also provides analytics to track engagement and performance, helping users optimise their social media strategy. Overall, Buffer streamlines the process of managing social media content, saving time and improving efficiency for individuals and businesses alike.
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Hootsuite
Hootsuite is a social media management platform that allows users to schedule, manage, and analyse their social media content across multiple platforms from a single dashboard. It enables businesses and individuals to streamline their social media marketing efforts by scheduling posts in advance, engaging with their audience, and tracking the performance of their campaigns through analytics. Hootsuite supports integration with various social media networks including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube, making it a comprehensive tool for effective social media management.
Facebook Alternatives
LinkedIn is a professional networking platform that connects individuals with potential employers, colleagues, and industry experts. Users create profiles detailing their work experience, skills, and education. The platform facilitates networking by allowing users to connect with others, join industry-specific groups, and share content related to their field. LinkedIn also features job listings, enabling users to search for employment opportunities and recruiters to find suitable candidates. Additionally, it offers resources for professional development, such as courses and articles, to help users enhance their skills and knowledge.
Reddit is a social media platform where users can discover, discuss, and share content on a wide range of topics. Users, known as “Redditors,” can submit links, images, text posts, and videos to various communities called “subreddits.” These subreddits cover diverse interests, including news, hobbies, memes, and more. Users can upvote or downvote posts and comments, influencing their visibility and contributing to community engagement. Reddit fosters discussions, debates, and connections among its vast user base, making it a hub for online interaction and information sharing.
Discord
Discord is a versatile communication platform that allows users to connect with friends, communities, and colleagues through text, voice, and video channels. Initially created for gamers, Discord has expanded its user base to include various interest groups and communities. Users can join or create servers dedicated to specific topics or activities, engage in text-based chats, participate in voice calls or video conferences, and share multimedia content. With features like role-based permissions and customisable channels, Discord provides a flexible and interactive environment for communication and collaboration.
Instagram Alternatives
Snapchat
Snapchat is a multimedia messaging app that allows users to send photos, videos, and text messages, known as “snaps,” to friends. One of its distinctive features is that snaps disappear after being viewed, adding an element of privacy and spontaneity to conversations. Additionally, Snapchat offers Stories, where users can share photos and videos with their followers for 24 hours. Filters, stickers, and augmented reality lenses enhance the fun and creativity of the platform, making it popular among younger demographics for casual communication and content sharing.
Pinterest is a social media platform that allows users to discover, save, and share ideas and inspiration through images and videos. Users can create themed collections, known as “boards,” where they can pin content related to their interests, hobbies, and aspirations. With a focus on visual discovery, Pinterest serves as a virtual inspiration board for users seeking ideas for home decor, fashion, recipes, travel destinations, DIY projects, and much more. Additionally, Pinterest offers features such as shopping pins, guided searches, and personalised recommendations to enhance user experience.
Tumblr
Tumblr is a microblogging and social networking platform that allows users to post multimedia content, including text, photos, quotes, links, audio, and video. Users can follow other blogs, reblog content, and interact with posts through likes and comments. With a focus on creative expression and community engagement, Tumblr serves as a platform for users to share their interests, passions, and artistic endeavours with a global audience in an easy-to-use and visually appealing format.
