Several Google services were unavailable on Monday afternoon due to a major outage. According to Google the error was due to lack of storage space in authentication tools causing system to crash.
YouTube, Google Drive, Gmail, Meet, Voice Assistant, Google News, Chromecast, Maps: Google services were unavailable worldwide. At around 1pm (CET) almost all Google services were down. Only the search engine could still be consulted. Nothing is known yet about a cause, although it seemed like there were problems logging in. YouTube, for example, was accessible in an incognito window for non-logged-in users. Google is still investigating the issue.
With the failure, it became clear in a short time how many users use the services of one provider for different purposes. Especially during the corona pandemic, companies are increasingly using Google services, for example for video conferencing for domestic workers. In addition, companies also use Google to keep track of calendars and document storage, among other things.
DownDetector, a website where users can report or experience problems with a website, received more than 100,000 reports in a short time. The crash did not only affect purely digital Google services. People who use Google Assistant to operate their thermostat, for example, or the speakers in their home, also reported problems.
After 30 minutes, all of Google's services came online one by one. After an hour, the company itself reported that the problems for almost all users were over.
