Introduction
If you tried to open ChatGPT recently and wondered, “Is ChatGPT down right now?”, you’re not alone. Millions of users around the world experienced the same frustration on June 10, 2025, when ChatGPT, one of the most popular AI chatbots, suddenly stopped working. From casual users to businesses relying on the API, the sudden crash led to confusion, delays, and quite a bit of panic.
Here’s a simple breakdown of what caused the ChatGPT outage, how it affected people globally, and what steps OpenAI took to fix it.
Table of Contents
The Timeline: How the ChatGPT Outage Unfolded
Key Moments from the Outage
| Time (ET) | Event |
|---|---|
| 3:00 AM | First user reports of ChatGPT not working |
| 6:44 AM | 705 confirmed global cases across 14 countries |
| 10:30 AM | OpenAI confirms “elevated error rates” and identifies root cause |
| 3:00 PM | Over 1,100 reports flood Downdetector, mostly from India |
| 9:30 PM | OpenAI announces full recovery of services |
The outage lasted over 12 hours, making it the longest downtime since ChatGPT launched in 2022.
Why Was ChatGPT Not Working?
1. High Traffic at a Time
OpenAI reported that an uncertain spike in traffic overloaded their systems. At peak, the request rate was 400% higher than usual, which caused ChatGPT to crash for many users.
2. Error in Message Stream
Users saw the error message: “error in message stream ChatGPT”. This message appeared when the system failed to fetch responses from overloaded servers.
3. Video Tool Sora Caused Secondary Issues
OpenAI’s video AI tool, Sora, also faced issues at the same time. Its heavy demand contributed to bottlenecks across shared systems.
4. Hotspots: U.S. and India Took the Hit
With 41% of users from the U.S. and 32% from India, these regions experienced the worst of it. Servers there were overwhelmed, adding to the slowdown.
How This Affected Users Globally
For Students and Exam Takers
UK student Alice, preparing for her Spanish A-levels, shared: “I rely on ChatGPT to write practice essays. I didn’t know what to do when it went offline!”
For Businesses
Over 18,000 companies using OpenAI’s API for customer service bots and internal tools reported delays. E-commerce brands had longer wait times and missed sales opportunities — estimated losses crossed $2.3 million for mid-size retailers.
For Personal Use
From managing medication schedules to anxiety relief, many individuals rely on ChatGPT for daily support. A user in Missouri said, “Without ChatGPT, I felt completely lost. I use it to track health routines for my family.”
OpenAI’s Fix: How They Got ChatGPT Back Online
1. Triage Phase (0-2 Hours)
OpenAI turned off non-essential features like chat history to reduce server load.
2. Traffic Management (2-6 Hours)
The company rerouted 60% of European traffic to backup servers and limited video features from Sora.
3. Scaling Up (6-12 Hours)
They quickly increased capacity using Microsoft Azure emergency resources, scaling the system by 300%.
By 9:30 PM ET, ChatGPT was back online and stable.
Best Alternatives When ChatGPT is Down
While many waited for ChatGPT to come back, some users tried out other AI chatbots. Here’s a quick comparison:
| Chatbot | Response Time | Special Feature | Free Tier |
| Perplexity | 1.2s | Real-time web search + citations | Yes |
| Gemini AI | 2.8s | Google Workspace integration | Limited |
| Grok | 3.1s | Sarcasm mode | No |
These tools are great fallbacks if ChatGPT is not working or shows the dreaded “chatbot down” error.
Personal Experience During the Outage
As someone who uses ChatGPT daily for writing blogs, generating ideas, and handling emails, the outage was a big disruption. When I saw the “ChatGPT error in message stream”, I thought my browser was acting up. After multiple refreshes and switching devices, I turned to Perplexity AI — and while it did the job, it wasn’t the same. ChatGPT’s tone and flow are hard to match.
It also reminded me how much I depend on a tool I once thought was just for fun.
Conclusion:
The ChatGPT outage on June 10, 2025, proved how deeply AI tools are now embedded in our daily routines. Whether it’s studying, running a business, or managing life, users felt the gap when ChatGPT was offline.
But it also showed OpenAI’s ability to respond quickly, and the importance of having backup tools like Perplexity or Gemini AI. For now, ChatGPT is back and running — but if you’re reading this, it’s always smart to stay prepared for next time.
FAQs: What You Need to Know
Is ChatGPT down today?
Not anymore. Services were restored fully by June 10, 9:30 PM ET.
Why was ChatGPT down?
Due to too many concurrent requests, secondary issues with Sora, and heavy traffic from key regions.
Will OpenAI compensate users?
Yes, ChatGPT Plus users were given 3 free days of service (June 11–13).
What to do if ChatGPT is not working?
Try refreshing the page, switch to mobile/desktop version, or check ChatGPT’s status page. You can also try Perplexity, Gemini AI, or Grok temporarily.
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