Internet services gradually recover as Amazon Web Services restores operations

…Reddit, Ring, Chime still face delays

Internet connectivity is gradually returning to normal after a major Amazon Web Services (AWS) outage disrupted hundreds of websites and apps across the globe early today.

The disruption, which began around 12:11 a.m. PDT (8:11 a.m. BST), affected several popular online platforms including Reddit, Snapchat, Venmo, Ring, Pokémon GO and Amazon’s own Alexa and mobile app.

AWS, which powers a significant portion of the world’s cloud infrastructure, confirmed that the issue originated from its DynamoDB endpoint, a core database service that underpins many internet operations.

According to the company, engineers deployed a fix around 2:22 a.m. PDT (10:22 a.m. BST), and since then, services have been coming back online gradually. “We have deployed a fix to the identified issue and are seeing steady recovery across affected services. Some systems, including Ring and Chime, may still experience intermittent issues as we work through the backlog,” AWS said in a status update on its Service Health Dashboard.

Reddit still affected

While many major services have since restored partial functionality, Reddit remains among the most affected, with users still reporting difficulties accessing the platform, as at press time.

Read also: AWS down, affects ChatGPT, Snapchat, Amazon, others

AWS acknowledged the lingering disruptions, explaining that it is processing a backlog of technical issues caused by the downtime.

Outage Timeline

At 12:11 a.m. PDT (8:11 a.m. BST), AWS systems began experiencing outages; by 1:26 a.m. PDT, the problem was traced to the DynamoDB endpoint, a key database link. At 2:01 a.m. PDT, engineers identified the root cause and began implementing a fix, which was deployed at 2:22 a.m. PDT, marking the start of recovery. By 4:48 a.m. PDT, AWS reported partial restoration but noted that it was still monitoring affected services.

At its peak, outage tracking site Downdetector recorded over 50,000 incident reports, with users across the U.S., U.K., and other regions unable to access critical apps and platforms.

The latest update from AWS indicates that service restoration is ongoing, with most functions returning but some systems still operating below full capacity.

Industry analysts say the incident highlights how deeply interconnected the internet has become, with a single cloud provider outage capable of rippling across multiple sectors.

“When AWS sneezes, the internet catches a cold,” Jide Awe, IT expert remarked, noting the dependency many tech platforms have on Amazon’s cloud infrastructure.

As of press time, AWS engineers continue to monitor recovery progress, assuring users that stability is improving hour by hour.