3 days ago
X outage: Here's how to get DMs, posts, and replies working again on Twitter
X outage: Here's how to Get DMs, posts, and replies working again on Twitter
X (formerly Twitter) experienced a widespread service outage on May 31, 2025 that affected thousands of users globally. With millions relying on X for real-time news, professional networking, brand promotion, and daily communication, such disruptions can significantly affect users' ability to engage online. The outage, which impacted critical features such as posts (tweets), replies, and direct messages (DMs), sparked a flurry of complaints and confusion across other platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Reddit, and Threads.
According to Downdetector, a real-time outage monitoring website, over 35,000 incident reports were filed from the United States alone within a few hours of the issue surfacing. Many users also reported problems across Europe, Asia, and South America, pointing to a potential global-scale infrastructure problem. With digital communication increasingly becoming an essential utility, understanding the impact, technical causes, and user-side troubleshooting steps is crucial.
X outage today: What went wrong
1. Scope and timeline of X outage
The outage began around 11:20 AM Eastern Time and rapidly escalated. Within the first 30 minutes:
Users across the US, Canada, UK, Germany, India, and Brazil reported problems.
Reports to Downdetector spiked from under 500 to over 35,000 in less than an hour.
Key features such as posting new content, replying to existing posts, and sending/receiving DMs were either severely delayed or entirely non-functional.
Some users also experienced trouble logging into their accounts or viewing notifications.
2. Impacted features
Based on aggregated user feedback:
Posts/tweets:
Posts were delayed by several minutes or failed to upload altogether.
Replies:
Users could not reply to threads, or replies would disappear after posting.
DMs:
Direct messages failed to send, or sent messages showed no delivery status.
Notifications:
Some users stopped receiving engagement notifications (likes, follows, mentions).
3. Possible technical causes
While X has not confirmed the source, experts suggest the following likely causes:
Server overload or maintenance glitch
: Background server updates or auto-scaling failures could have disrupted real-time API services.
Cloud infrastructure issues
: Since X operates on a mix of on-premise and third-party cloud services (rumored to include AWS and Oracle), latency or misconfiguration in cloud clusters could result in service-wide failures.
Database lock or caching failures
: A malfunction in Redis or Cassandra-based caches could temporarily prevent data from propagating through the system.
Rate limiting algorithm errors
: Over-aggressive rate limiting (a system used to prevent spam) may have mistakenly restricted normal user actions during peak usage.
User reactions across platforms on X outage
Without a functioning X to express their concerns, users turned to:
Reddit (particularly /r/Twitter and /r/TechNews)
Facebook and Instagram (with hashtags like #TwitterDown and #XNotWorking)
Threads, Meta's rival platform, saw a temporary spike in new users and activity during the outage.
Many professionals lamented disruptions to brand promotions, breaking news alerts, and customer service threads, especially in industries that rely on real-time engagement.
What users can do when X is down: Easy fixes for posts, replies and messages
If you are currently facing issues with X, here are actionable steps you can take:
1. Confirm the outage
Visit Downdetector ( to verify if the issue is affecting others.
Check X's status page if available, though it is often outdated.
Look for trending tags like #XDown or #TwitterOutage on platforms like Reddit or Threads.
2. Refresh and retry
Posts and replies
Refresh the X page or relaunch the app.
Wait a few minutes before attempting to post or reply again.
Direct Messages (DMs)
Fully close and reopen the app.
Retry sending the message; many users report intermittent functionality.
3. Clear cache and cookies
On browser:
Go to Settings > Privacy > Clear Browsing Data.
Clear cache and cookies and restart the browser.
On mobile app (Android/iOS):
Navigate to Settings > Privacy and Security > Clear Cache.
Restart the app or device afterward to reload a clean version.
4. Try a different platform or connection
Switch from app to browser or vice versa.
Try using mobile data instead of Wi-Fi, or switch to a different Wi-Fi network.
Use a VPN or proxy server if your region has inconsistent access.
5. Check rate limits
X enforces a cap of 2,400 tweets per day, with 600 DMs and 1,000 likes per day for most accounts.
If you receive a 'You are rate limited' error:
Wait 10 minutes and retry.
Avoid mass replying or tweeting in bursts.
Visit Settings > Account > Account Activity to monitor recent flags or suspicious behavior.
6. Use third-party tools to schedule or view posts
While the core X platform may be down, some API-based tools may still show timelines or allow scheduled posting if APIs are not completely affected.
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