Instagram is down around the world [Update: anddd it’s back]

Instagram isn’t working for users in the U.S., England and elsewhere. Both the Instagram app and website won’t load. Instagram tells me it’s looking into the problem but doesn’t have an answer yet.

Reports of the Instagram outage began around 10:35am Pacific, though by 11:04am some users in the states and U.K. were regaining access to the website. At that time, Instagram tweeted that it is aware of and working on the issue:

https://twitter.com/instagram/status/856569446395035648

[Update 11:25am Pacific: Instagram now tells me it’s completely back online after an outage and service hiccups that lasted almost an hour.]

It’s been a tough day for Facebook’s photo-sharing app, as TechCrunch just reported that a bug has prevented some users from disabling their Instagram account for the last several months.

For an international app with more than 600 million users, including 80 percent outside the United States, the downtime could hinder its further growth. Instagram is trying to box out Snapchat for visual communication across the globe. But with its move from a delayed, best-of photo feed to a real-time Stories platform, maximizing uptime is critical.