X Social Network Faces Widespread Timeline and Notification Outages

On the night of May 8, users of X, the social network owned by Elon Musk, began experiencing significant issues with their timelines and notifications. Many reported that their timelines stopped updating, and notifications ceased to alert them about new posts from followed accounts. This problem affected both the mobile apps and web versions of X.

Attempts to resolve the issue by switching devices, browsers, or subscribing to X Premium proved ineffective, indicating the problem is server-side. Downdetector, a real-time outage monitoring service, showed a spike in outage reports for X during this period. Additionally, users took to Reddit and other forums to share their experiences and frustrations.

This outage follows previous disruptions, including a major outage in March 2025 that affected global access to feeds, messaging, and content engagement. Elon Musk attributed that incident to a cyberattack, though no evidence was provided. Earlier connectivity issues were also recorded in December 2022 and July 2023.

Since Musk’s acquisition of X (formerly Twitter) in 2022 for $44 billion, the company has undergone drastic workforce reductions, cutting about 80% of its staff. By January 2023, only 550 full-time engineers remained, and further layoffs in November 2024 primarily impacted the engineering department. These staffing changes likely contribute to the platform’s ongoing stability challenges.

The recurring outages highlight the critical importance of robust engineering teams and infrastructure resilience for social networks serving millions worldwide. As users demand uninterrupted access and real-time updates, platforms like X must prioritize scalable solutions and proactive incident management to maintain trust and engagement.