YouTube online again as other Google services recover from being down

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Is YouTube down? Here's what's going on with the December 2020 outage

YouTube down error message
(Image credit: YouTube/Google)

Is YouTube down? Users were experiencing "something went wrong" error messages across the video streaming service. However, the issue seems to have been fixed, with YouTube now loading for many users. Other Google functions and apps, such as Gmail, have also seemingly recovered following the outage.

If you try and head to YouTube now, things should be working fine. Users were experiencing a blank page and then a "something went wrong" message accompanied by a purple monkey holding a hammer – cutesy shorthand for YouTube experience some serious technical difficulties. There were also a handful of "There was a problem with the server [503]" error messages.

This all appears to be fixed for YouTube users. Gmail and Google Calander were experiencing issues as well, yet appear to be fixed. Of course, during the pandemonium of everything being down, everyone took to Twitter...

So, what went wrong? It’s not completely clear – but appeared to be a widespread problem with all of Google’s Suite services. Everything from Google Docs, to YouTube, to apps that use Google’s API to log in – such as Pokemon Go and Stadia – were all down.

Curiously, there was a workaround. Namely, the YouTube app did not go down, and those people not logged into YouTube were able to continue accessing the video streaming service. Things were fixed for YouTube users within around 30 minutes, and other Google services continued to recover soon after.

If you've discovered that, actually, there's nothing you want to watch on Youtube, then check out the best Netflix shows and the best Netflix movies to add to your watchlist. Because there's never been a better time to devour some online content.

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Bradley Russell
Bradley Russell

I'm the Senior Entertainment Writer here at 12DOVE, focusing on news, features, and interviews with some of the biggest names in film and TV. On-site, you'll find me marveling at Marvel and providing analysis and room temperature takes on the newest films, Star Wars and, of course, anime. Outside of GR, I love getting lost in a good 100-hour JRPG, Warzone, and kicking back on the (virtual) field with Football Manager. My work has also been featured in OPM, FourFourTwo, and Game Revolution.

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