On Saturday, June 21, 2025, at approximately 12:39 SAST (around 3:39 PM PKT), users globally began reporting significant issues with Canva, triggering a wave of complaints that indicated widespread accessibility challenges. Monitoring platform DownDetector flagged that around 75% of these reports were linked to problems accessing the website, while the remaining 25% involved difficulties with the mobile app.
By 6:03 PM PKT, however, Canva’s services were fully restored, bringing relief to countless users who rely on the platform for their creative needs.
The initial wave of complaints started promptly after 12:39 SAST. Users encountered frustrating messages like “Server not reachable,” along with error messages that led to timeouts and failed login attempts. The sharp spike in reports on DownDetector suggested this wasn’t a minor glitch but a significant disruption that impacted users across various regions.
For many professionals—marketers, educators, and entrepreneurs—this interruption was less of an inconvenience and more of a crisis. Canva is a staple tool for crafting everything from engaging marketing materials to eye-catching social media content. During the outage, users tried standard quick fixes—clearing their browser cache, switching devices, or even changing their internet connection. Unfortunately, these efforts were in vain since the problem stemmed from server-side issues, completely out of their control.
Looking back at the background leading up to this incident, it’s worth noting that earlier in the week, Canva had been grappling with difficulties related to its AI-driven features, particularly with video generation tools under its MagicMedia brand. A previous hiccup on June 11 saw a spike in error rates for these AI design functions. While there’s no definitive evidence linking these earlier problems to the outage on June 21, the timing raises questions about the challenges of integrating new, resource-heavy features across a platform serving millions.
This situation serves as a stark reminder of the vital role effective communication plays during service interruptions. For a platform like Canva, whose usability is pivotal to countless workflows and creative projects, transparent and timely updates during outages can help users feel informed and supported, even when technology falters. Everyone hates being left in the dark, especially when they’re mid-project, and knowing the team is working on the issue can go a long way in maintaining user trust.
In the fast-paced world of digital tools, where creation waits for no one, these incidents accentuate the need for platforms to not only provide robust solutions but also to handle communications with sensitivity and urgency. Users should feel confident that the tools they rely on are in capable hands, even when things don’t go as planned.
