Slack Experiences Widespread Connectivity Issues

On Wednesday, users of Slack, the popular workplace communication app, began facing connectivity issues, leaving many unable to access the platform. Reports of the outage started flooding Downdetector, a website that tracks service disruptions, around 7 a.m. PT. By mid-morning, the number of complaints had surged significantly, with users reporting problems with messaging, logging in, and using various features. Slack acknowledged the issue on its status page at 7:27 a.m. PT, confirming that some users were struggling to load the app or use its services. The company reassured users that it was actively investigating the problem but did not provide immediate details on the cause.

Downdetector Reports Spike in User Complaints

Downdetector, which is owned by the same parent company as CNET, Ziff Davis, showed a significant spike in reports related to Slack on Wednesday. The majority of complaints, around 60%, were related to the app itself, while 17% of users reported issues with the website. This disparity suggests that the outage affected users differently depending on how they accessed Slack. While some people found the desktop and mobile apps functioning normally, others couldn’t even load the platform on their browsers. The varied experiences highlight the complexity of the issue, which seemed to impact different aspects of Slack’s functionality.

Range of Issues Reported by Users

The connectivity problems were far-reaching, affecting multiple features of Slack. Users reported difficulties with messaging, logins, workflows, and integrations with third-party apps and APIs. Some features, such as sending messages or using threads, were also disrupted. Slack’s status page provided some insight into the nature of the problem, stating that the investigation was focused on “deprecated functionality for Slack features” related to workflows, threads, messaging, and API-related features. This indicates that the issue might be tied to outdated or phased-out components of the platform that are no longer functioning as expected.

Users Share Their Experiences Amidst the Outage

While Slack’s desktop and mobile apps were working for some users, others faced significant challenges. For instance, attempting to load Slack on a browser resulted in a blank screen for some, while others couldn’t send messages or access critical workflows. The varied nature of the disruptions underscores the complexity of the problem and how different users rely on Slack in different ways. For many, Slack is an essential tool for daily communication and collaboration, making the outage particularly frustrating.

Slack Investigates and Thanks Users for Their Patience

Slack’s latest update, posted at 9:26 a.m. PT, revealed that the company was still in the process of investigating the issue. A spokesperson for Slack confirmed that teams were aware of the problem and were working to resolve it but did not provide further details. The company thanked users for their patience and promised to share more updates as soon as additional information became available. While Slack has not yet disclosed the root cause of the outage, its transparency about the ongoing investigation has helped keep users informed.

The Impact of the Outage and What’s Next

The widespread disruption to Slack’s services has left many users wondering when the platform will return to normal. While the company works to resolve the issue, users are encouraged to check Slack’s status page for real-time updates. For now, it’s a reminder of how reliant we’ve become on digital tools like Slack for communication and collaboration. As the investigation continues, users can only hope for a swift resolution to get back to their usual workflows. Until then, the wait—and the inconvenience—continues for many.