ChatGPT experiences global service outage

On July 25, 2026, the artificial intelligence platform ChatGPT experienced a significant, widespread service outage that impacted users globally. The disruption, which began around midday Saturday, affected both free users and paid subscribers, leading to widespread reports of service instability.

Key issues reported by users included authentication failures, an inability to log in, the failure to load conversation history, and frequent 'Service unavailable' error messages. Many users expressed frustration on social media platforms like X, noting that they were stuck on loading screens or unable to access their previous data. Downdetector recorded a sharp spike in reports during the incident.

OpenAI acknowledged the technical failure and confirmed that their engineering team was investigating the cause. The company stated that they have implemented measures to address the errors and are actively monitoring the system's recovery. While specific details regarding the root cause remain undisclosed by OpenAI, functionality has been gradually restored following the technical intervention.