Two of the more popular encrypted messaging apps, Signal and Telegram, are both experiencing service issues today.
Telegram appears to be inaccessible for users in Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa, while Signal has been down for hours across Europe, the US, Asia, and Australia. “Some of our users in Europe and the MENA region are currently experiencing connection issues,” says Telegram spokesperson. “Please hang on, we have all hands on deck to bring you back soon!”
Signal doesn’t provide a status indicator for its service, and its official Twitter account looks like it’s mostly used to share product updates rather than outage information. Both Signal and Telegram have risen in popularity thanks to their focus on advanced security features and the ability to hold secret conversations with end-to-end encryption. While most rival messaging services now include end-to-end encryption, both Signal and Telegram were amongst the first to offer encryption as a feature years ago.
And now Europe is back online! Sorry to have kept you waiting. (If you’re in Iran, hang on just a little longer, back soon too.) pic.twitter.com/gTHpiBN7mi
— Telegram Messenger (@telegram)
Update, 5:30AM ET: Telegram and Signal are both starting to come back online in various regions.