A Skype outage has left European users of the app-based version of the online messaging service unable to make calls for several hours today.
The service is understood to have run into technical difficulties around 9am GMT, with the administrator of the Microsoft-owned messaging tool confirming that it is working on a fix.
The problems have left some users unable to log in to the app, update their status or see if their other contacts are online, while others have hit issues trying to send or receive calls.
In a blog post, the Skype tech team said users should still be able to exchange instant messages with their friends, before confirming that the browser-based version of the software seems to be unaffected by the fault.
“We have detected an issue with the status settings of Skype,” the blog post stated. “We’re working on a fix for this issue and hope to have an update for you soon. Please accept our apologies for any inconvenience causes while we get this resolved.”
According to Down Detector’s worldwide map – which plots the location of users experiencing service issues – Europe and parts of Asia seem to be major sources of the downtime reports, while a smattering originated in the US.
The timing of the unexpected outage has been a major source of consternation for UK-based users, as the free app is popular among businesses for aiding communication and collaboration between teams, and the downtime started when many of them would be starting work.
Issues continuing into the afternoon GMT – when the US comes online – are likely to prompt a fresh wave of complaints on social media from disgruntled business users.
