TikTok outage disrupts feeds in US, netizens flood X with memes: ‘Now I have to pay attention to my TV’

Short-form video platform TikTok experienced a outage on 25 January 2026, leaving many users unable to access key features and prompting a flood of reactions — and memes — on X.

Users across several regions reported problems loading the app, with complaints logged on outage-tracking platforms such as Downdetector and discussion forums like Reddit. While some users said the app failed to load altogether, others reported erratic performance, including missing comments, a malfunctioning “For You” page and a lack of refreshed content recommendations.

Several users said videos would not play or the feed would not update, making it difficult to browse the app normally. The issue quickly became a trending topic, with users turning to X to confirm whether the outage was widespread or limited to their accounts.

As of now, TikTok has not issued an official statement explaining the cause of the disruption or providing a timeline for full restoration. It remains unclear whether the outage was linked to a technical glitch, server overload or an internal systems issue.

The lack of clarity fuelled speculation online, with some users joking about algorithm failures, while others shared memes about disrupted scrolling routines and sudden “offline time”. Hashtags related to TikTok being down began trending as users shared screenshots, jokes and sarcastic takes on the situation.

A user wrote, “It’s 4:13am and TikTok is down… During a winter storm. Wrong TIMING FR.”

Another user commented, “pov: everyone came to check if tiktok was down.”

“TIKTOK GOING DOWN AFTER I GO ON MY EDITING ACC AND NOT LETTING ME SWITCH BACK TO MY MAIN IM MAD ASF,” the third user wrote.

“me typing “tiktok down” into the search bar,” the fourth wrote.

“Restarted my phone and turned off my wifi… whole time TikTok is just down,” the fifth user wrote.

“me thinking I got banned but tiktok is just down 3 days after the US bought it,” the sixth user wrote on X.

“Now I actually have to pay attention to my tv with Tiktok being down,” a user wrote.

TikTok, which has millions of active users worldwide, plays a central role in shaping online trends, influencer culture and digital communities through its algorithm-driven content discovery. Even brief disruptions tend to trigger widespread online reactions, highlighting the platform’s deep integration into daily internet habits.

For now, users are monitoring updates through outage trackers and social media, as TikTok works to restore services fully. Until then, the internet appears to be doing what it does best — turning technical frustration into humour.