Google Maps outage on mobile: what happened and fixes

TL;DR:

Google Maps failed to load on mobile on Sep 11, 2025.
The web version worked for most people during the issue.Google’s status page shows the incident ran 11:12–15:27 PDT.
Reports spiked in the U.S. and beyond, then eased as service recovered.
Try the web app, clear cache, or use alternatives like Apple Maps or HERE.

Google Maps had a rare outage on Thursday, Sep 11, 2025. The mobile app on Android and iOS could not load the base map or give directions for many users. Screens showed blank tiles, partial outlines, and failed searches. Tech outlets and user reports confirmed the problem soon after 1 p.m. Pacific Time.

Google’s own Maps Platform status page logged the incident. It began at 11:12 a.m. PDT and ended at 3:27 p.m. PDT. Google marked the issue as resolved and said a formal analysis will follow.

The desktop web version at maps.google.com kept working for most people during the outage. That gave users a simple workaround while the apps recovered.

Who was affected

Reports came in from several regions. U.S. users logged thousands of complaints on outage trackers. International coverage also noted problems across multiple countries as the story spread.

The issue hit the Maps SDK and Navigation SDK that power the mobile apps. That is why turn-by-turn directions and searches failed even when the app opened.

Timeline at a glance

The times below use both U.S. Pacific and India Standard Time for clarity.

Event	PDT (Sep 11)	IST
Incident begins	11:12 a.m.	11:42 p.m. (Sep 11)
Widespread mobile failures reported	~1:13 p.m.	~1:43 a.m. (Sep 12)
Android shows signs of recovery	~1:30 p.m.	~2:00 a.m. (Sep 12)
iOS still impacted	~1:45 p.m.	~2:15 a.m. (Sep 12)
iOS appears back	~3:00 p.m.	~3:30 a.m. (Sep 12)
Google resolves incident	3:27 p.m.	3:57 a.m. (Sep 12)

Sources for the timeline include Google’s Maps Platform status page and 9to5Google’s updates.

How big was the spike

Outage trackers saw a surge in U.S. reports during the afternoon. One local report cited more than 5,300 complaints at the peak. That aligns with what many users saw in social feeds. Counts then dropped as fixes rolled out.

What worked, what did not

Mobile apps: Android and iOS had trouble loading maps and directions. The app UI even behaved oddly for some iPhone users.
Web app: Most users could still navigate to maps.google.com in a browser and get directions.
Underlying services: Google flagged errors in Maps SDK for Android and iOS, plus the Navigation SDK.

Likely cause

Google has not yet posted a full postmortem. The status entry points to errors when starting to load map tiles and some services. Google says it will publish an analysis after its internal review.

Quick fixes you can try next time

If Maps misbehaves again, try these steps in order:

Use the web app at maps.google.com. It often works when the mobile app does not.
Toggle airplane mode for 10 seconds, then reconnect.
Force close Maps, then reopen.
Clear the app cache and data.
Update the app to the latest version.
Download offline maps in advance for key areas.
Switch to an alternative like Apple Maps, Waze, Bing Maps, or HERE WeGo until service returns.

Handy checklist

Try the desktop web app
Confirm your connection is stable
Force close and relaunch the app
Clear cache or local data
Check Google’s status page
Use offline maps if available
Switch to an alternate map app

Background you should know

Google Maps outages are uncommon, but they happen. Sometimes the issue sits with a specific SDK or API. When that breaks, mobile apps can fail even if the website works. Newsrooms and users saw that pattern here.

Outage trackers show no current problems as of this writing. That matches Google’s status, which marked the incident closed.

What happens next

Google says it will publish an incident analysis. That report will likely outline the trigger, mitigation steps, and safeguards to avoid a repeat. We will update this page when Google shares that write-up.

Why it matters

Millions rely on Maps for commutes, deliveries, and safety. A few hours without mobile directions can strand drivers, delay orders, and confuse riders. Knowing simple workarounds keeps you moving when apps stall.

Sources: