What to Do When a Big Service Is Down: Checks and Safe Steps

When a big service is down, confirm that it is the service and not your connection, then wait and check its official status page every 10 to 15 minutes. Do not repeat payments, reinstall the app, reset your password or call a phone number from a search result. None of those fixes an outage on the company’s side, and some can cause harm.

How do I confirm it is an outage?

1. Open the company’s official status page. An active incident answers the question.
2. Check a live status page. Ours list the services we track, for example live PayPal status, live Chase status and live Cash App status.
3. Test another network and device. Switch from Wi-Fi to mobile data, or use a second device.
4. Read the error. A 5xx code or “service unavailable” points to the service; see HTTP error codes explained.

The full process is in is it down or just me. If the service works elsewhere, the problem is local.

What should I do while the service is down?

Do the following, in this order of priority:

1. Stop and wait. Repeated reloads add load and rarely speed up anything.
2. Save your work locally. If you are in a document or form, copy the text somewhere safe before you reload or sign out.
3. Use another official channel. A bank has a website, a mobile app and ATMs. A video call can be switched to a phone dial-in. Use the channel the company itself publishes.
4. Subscribe to the status page. Many pages offer email or text alerts, so you hear about “Resolved” without refreshing. See how to read a status page.
5. Plan a fallback for deadlines. For a class or work deadline, tell the teacher or manager now, with the time and a screenshot of the error.

What should I not do during an outage?

Do not	Why
Send a payment again and again	The first attempt may have gone through; you could pay twice. Check your balance or receipt first
Reinstall the app or reset the phone	The fault is on the company’s side; you may lose offline data or stay signed out
Change your password “to fix it”	It does not fix an outage and can lock you out while sign-in is unstable
Enter codes or passwords into “outage checker” sites	A status check never needs your login or a one-time code
Call the first support number from a search result	Scammers buy ads and post fake numbers that appear during outages
Download “fix” tools or apps from outside official stores	These are a common way to spread malware
Turn off security features to see if it helps	It adds risk and will not bring a service back

What about money apps and banks?

If a payment app or bank is down, do not retry a transfer more than once. Check your account history or the company’s help page for the payment’s status, and wait for the service to confirm it. Only contact the company through the app, the official website you typed yourself, or the number printed on your card. Never share a one-time code with someone who calls you, even if they say they are from the bank. For step-by-step help, see payment apps down and bank app not working.

Why do many unrelated apps fail at once?

Many apps run on shared infrastructure, such as cloud hosting and content delivery networks. A fault at one provider can show up as errors on apps and sites that otherwise have nothing in common. Our guide to what happens when AWS goes down explains how regions and availability zones work. If lots of services misbehave together, check the infrastructure providers’ status pages as well as the app’s.

How do I know it is back?

1. The status page says Resolved. The companies that use Atlassian’s Statuspage describe “Resolved” as the cause eliminated and systems back to full performance.
2. It works on your device. Sign out and in again only if the app asks you to.
3. Check your data. After a payment or order, confirm that nothing was duplicated or lost.
4. Restart the app once. Cached error pages can linger. If it still fails while the status page says everything is fine, test another network.

Delayed messages, notifications and posts often catch up on their own after service returns.

Can I claim a refund or credit for an outage?

It depends on the company and your plan, and policies change. Read the current terms on the company’s official help page, and treat any amount you see quoted elsewhere as unconfirmed. For phone and internet service, ask your provider through its official app or website. Keep a note of the date, time and symptoms in case you need to describe the problem.

Bottom line

Confirm the cause, wait, and use the company’s own channels. Avoid repeat payments, reinstalls, password resets and phone numbers from ads. Once the status page says Resolved, restart the app once and check that nothing was duplicated.

FAQ

Should I restart my phone during an outage?

Only once, to rule out a local fault. If the service is down for everyone, a restart changes nothing.

How long do outages last?

There is no standard length. Look at the company’s incident updates for its own estimate, and treat it as a guess.

Is it safe to keep trying to log in?

A few attempts are fine. Many logins in a row can trigger a lock or a rate limit, so pause between tries.

Should I tell the company about the outage?

Check the status page first. If it already lists the incident, there is no need. If it does not, report through the official app or help page.