ChatGPT down: Widespread outage reported across India, US; both app and browser affected

On Monday, OpenAI’s ChatGPT, a popular AI chatbot, experienced a service disruption that led to a flurry of complaints on social media. According to the online monitoring platform Downdetector, reports of issues surged at 12:54 PM, and by approximately 1:10 PM, nearly 627 users had lodged complaints, offering a detailed insight into the affected areas.

ChatGPT outage in India

In India, Downdetector reported that nearly 82 per cent of users experienced issues with ChatGPT, 12 per cent with the browser, and six per cent with the app. The tracking site identified Chandigarh, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Surat, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad, and several other cities among the affected areas.

Outage impact in the United States

In the US, over 150 complaints were logged on Downdetector by 1:10 PM IST. Of these, 81 per cent of users reported problems with ChatGPT, 12 per cent with the app, and seven per cent with the website. Major affected areas included Chicago, Los Angeles, and Atlanta, according to Downdetector.

OpenAI has yet to provide an official statement regarding the cause or expected resolution of the outage. Users were advised to monitor official channels for updates.

The disruption sparked reactions across social media platforms, with many users expressing frustration and humour. On X, several users shared memes, while others highlighted the impact on work and study routines.

Netizens react to ChatGPT outage

A user with the X handle @roubalsehgal tweeted, “Okay, chatGPT is down.. i'm not alone,” sharing a screenshot of ChatGPT showing error messages.

Another user wrote on X, “This is the worst time for chatgpt to be down.”

Meanwhile, @mohfad_dev highlighted, “ChatGPT is down but none is being shown in their status page.”

In othe news, OpenAI has recently announced an update to its GPT-5 Instant model, aimed at offering more effective assistance to people during sensitive or distressing conversations.

Last week, in a post on X, the company said that sections of dialogue considered delicate will now be directed to GPT-5 Instant. This change is designed to ensure quicker, more thoughtful responses for users who may require additional support.

The company also confirmed that ChatGPT will continue to make clear which model is active whenever a user asks. The rollout of these improvements has already begun for ChatGPT users.