Is Amazon Down... Or Is It Just You?

How to tell if Amazon's online shopping is experiencing issues

By
Molly McLaughlin
Molly McLaughlin
Molly McLaughlin
Senior Editor & Content Strategist
    Molly K. McLaughlin has been a technology editor and writer for over a dozen years. She runs product reviews for Lifewire, overseeing the process from hands-on testing to publishing.
    lifewire's editorial guidelines
    Updated on April 18, 2024
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    If the Amazon app is not working or you can't access the website in a browser, it could mean the site is down, or there could be a problem with your computer, smartphone, or browser. Additionally, it could be an issue with your Amazon account. Here's how to figure out if Amazon is down just for you or if the Amazon problems are affecting everyone.

    Amazon status page on Down For Everyone Or Just Me website.

    Instructions in this article apply to any devices capable of connecting to Amazon.

    How to Tell If Amazon Is Down

    If you can't get through on the Amazon site, the first thing you'll want to do is determine if others are experiencing issues, too.

    1. Check for an Amazon Outage using a service like Down For Everyone Or Just Me, Downdetector, Is It Down Right Now?, or Outage.Report.

    2. Check Amazon's X (formerly Twitter) account. The company would likely tweet about any widespread issues. The hashtag #amazondown might also yield some clues about what is going on.

    What to Do If Can't Access Amazon

    If the above methods come up empty, then the problem is likely on your end. There are a few things you can try, however, to get Amazon working again.

    1. Make sure you're visiting the official Amazon website. If you're on a mobile device, verify that you have the correct app. There are cases in which someone buys a URL that's close to a well-known company or develops an app with a very similar name.

      Download for:

    2. Verify that you're online. Try visiting other websites. If those don’t work either, check the Wi-Fi signal on your computer, or that the Ethernet cable is connected. Make sure wireless is turned on. If there's no wireless connection, you can try resetting your router.

    3. If you're on an Android or iPhone, make sure you have mobile data enabled or Wi-Fi turned on (and a good signal), and that airplane mode is off. On iPhone, you can turn off airplane mode via the Control Center. On Android, you can turn off this mode via Quick Settings.

    4. Clear your cache. You can clear the cache on all major web browsers on desktop and mobile. Doing so can solve performance issues as it removes saved data from websites you've visited. You can also clear the cache on Android and clear your iPhone or iPad's cache.

    5. Delete your browser's cookies. If clearing the cache doesn't work, clear cookies, which are small files containing information about you, such as advertising preferences or personalization settings.

    6. Scan your computer for malware. Many types of malware can affect your web browsing experience. You might also have a virus on your Android smartphone, and while rare, iPhones can be vulnerable to security risks.

    7. Restart your computer or mobile device. If nothing else works, a restart could do the trick.

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