Is the Starbucks app down? Mobile controls see a system error
Chaos ensued in the early hours of Thursday when many tired and already disgruntled customers soon discovered that when checking their Starbucks Card on the coffee chain’s mobile app, it didn’t seem to be working, which which has left many wondering: Is Starbucks’ app down?
Bloomberg | Getty Images
The answer: yes, and it was bad.
The Starbucks mobile app, which allows users to pre-order, pay in person through their Starbucks digital card, and earn stars for Starbucks Rewards, was down nationwide for unknown reasons.
Related: Starbucks CEO To Retire, Acting CEO To Accept $1 Salary
Users received a pop-up notification blaming an “internal error” and urging customers to return to the app later.
But for caffeine addicts and Starbucks fanatics, later wasn’t going to be enough.
Many have taken to the internet to lament their woes and admitted to first-world problems, facing the untold horrors of having to communicate with people in real life and cursing the app for its inconvenience.
PSA: The Starbucks app is down this morning. Thoughts and prayers to those affected.
— Adeline Kelley (@adelinekelley) May 19, 2022
I’m glad to see that all of Twitter is collapsing due to the Starbucks app crashing this morning and not just me pic.twitter.com/UO69qMMZ6M
— Jennie O’Hara (@jenohara_) May 19, 2022
everyone* is about to be 15 minutes late for work because the @Starbucks the app is down so they can’t order in advance.
*it’s me, I’m everyone— c (@karlimarxx) May 19, 2022
I don’t refresh the Starbucks app 43 times and even update it, just to enter Twitter and see everyone is down
— Sydney (@SydneyKaytlin) May 19, 2022
Starbucks app is down and now I have to talk to a human about first world issues
— Laura (@lalaohsogood) May 19, 2022
starbucks mobile ordering app being down this morning ruined my whole life
– courtney. (@courtneythibs) May 19, 2022
I’m unreasonably annoyed that the Starbucks app is down. I feel like that’s a sign of how the rest of my day will go.
— Ally Leflar (@darkallyways) May 19, 2022
Starbucks app crashing today literally rocked me. I’ve been in a meeting for TWO HOURS, it’s barely 9:30, and I’ve already had 4 meetings today. let me die
— 金嘉怡 | tam (@xotamsox) May 19, 2022
Starbucks app is down right now so I really need to talk and place my order? Disgusting. I am going to throw up.
– V.SEMEEAH2 (@vsemeeah2) May 19, 2022
Starbucks app, you picked the worst time not to work
— Alex (@alxx13_) May 19, 2022
starbucks app not working and im going to die
– someone’s daughter (@darknessappalls) May 19, 2022
According to Down Detector, the first reported incidents of the Starbucks mobile app not working occurred just before 8:00 a.m. ET, peaking around 10:10 a.m. with more than 1,000 reports logged.
As of 3 p.m. Thursday, there were still more than 100 users unable to use their Starbucks Card on their mobile app.
In a statement to Business Internthe coffee chain confirmed that there was a “temporary outage” affecting the pre-order and payment functionality in the Starbucks mobile app, but that the company would “continue to welcome and serve customers in… drive-throughs and stores”.
However, at around 4:30 p.m., Starbucks confirmed that it had Entrepreneur that the application had been restored with all its functionality.
“Earlier today, some customers were briefly unable to access the pre-order and checkout feature in the Starbucks app,” a spokesperson for the coffee chain said. Entrepreneur. “All functionality has been restored and customers can continue to use functionality within the app.”
All eyes have been on the coffee chain lately, as many have observed Starbucks’ organizing efforts affecting workers at different coffee shops and locations across the country.
The first-ever union representing Starbucks workers was voted on last December in Buffalo, New York, where workers at three separate Starbucks coffee shops in the Buffalo area will now be represented by a union.
Many other locations have followed suit, with Greenville becoming the first union-represented Starbucks location in the state of South Carolina just two days ago.
Starbucks was down about 35.5% year-over-year on Thursday afternoon, likely due to management shake-ups and other investor union concerns.