YouTube is down for thousands of users across the globe, prompting over 320,000 outage reports in the US at its peak on 18 February 2026. The problem has caused the platform's homepage to appear blank and recommendations to fail, although some users can still access individual videos via search.
Downdetector has tracked a sharp surge in complaints, with similar issues affecting YouTube TV, Music and Kids. YouTube has officially confirmed the outage, assuring users that teams are investigating. Such events, while rare, highlight the platform's pivotal role in daily viewing habits.
The problems began shortly after 1am GMT on 18 February –around 8pm ETthe previous day in the US – with reports surging on Downdetector. The outage started to gain traction at 5pm PT and quickly spiked to338,308 reportsby 5:10pm.
By 2am GMT, more than 300,000 US users had reported issues with both the website and the app. Globally, the peak reached around340,000 reports. Commoncomplaints includethe app not loading (56%), website problems (17%), and login difficulties (16%). Users in the UK are also affected, with reports mirroring those in the US.
In India, over17,000 complaintswere registered at the height of the disruption. The outage extended to YouTube TV, drawing over 8,000 reports. By 6:30pm PT, reports had dropped to under50,000, suggesting early signs of recovery.
YouTube quickly acknowledged the outageon X, posting, 'Thanks for the report. We can confirm that we're aware of the issue & our team is currently working on a fix. We appreciate your patience while we get this sorted'
Thanks for the report. We can confirm that we're aware of the issue & our team is currently working on a fix. We appreciate your patience while we get this sorted
Later, they revealed the cause was an issue with the recommendations system, which prevented videos from appearing on the homepage, app, Music, and Kids.
'The homepage is back, but we're still working on a full fix – more coming soon!' the company added in a follow-up statement. Google, YouTube's parent company, echoed this in a status update, pinpointing the recommendations system fault. No estimated time for full resolution has been shared, but the partial restoration indicates progress.
The recommendations system, central to personalising content based on viewing history and preferences, can make the platform seem empty when it malfunctions. Past outages have typically been resolved within hours, offering some reassurance.
Source: International Business Times UK
