Your inbox won't load, a message hangs on "Sending…" forever, or Gmail greets you with a temporary error and a number you don't understand. When email is how you run your day, that's more than an annoyance — you need a fast answer to one question: is Gmail down right now, or is the problem on my end? The good news is you can find out in seconds, and most email problems have a quick fix. Here's how to check Gmail's status and get your inbox working again.

How to check if Gmail is down right now

Don't guess or wait and hope — verify it:

  1. Run an instant status check. Our live Gmail status checker tests the service from our servers, on a completely separate network from yours. If our server reaches Gmail fine but you can't, the problem is on your side. If our server also fails, Gmail is down for everyone.
  2. Scan the outage board. Our live website status directory shows Gmail and other major Google services alongside 100 popular sites in real time. If Gmail is red there while everything else is green, that points to a real, widespread outage.
  3. Check the outage history. Reviewing Gmail's recent uptime history and past outages tells you whether this is a fresh incident or a problem that's been flickering all day.

When two of these three agree, you've got a confident answer in under a minute.

Is Gmail down for everyone or just you?

This is the most useful thing to establish, because it decides your next move. If Gmail's servers are down, no amount of restarting will help. But if the checkers say Gmail is up while you can't get in, the issue is local — and local problems are the easy ones to fix.

A quick self-test: open Gmail in a browser if the app is failing, or on your phone's mobile data if Wi-Fi is failing. If it works one way but not the other, you've found where the fault lives. Our guide on whether a site is down for everyone or just you walks through the full 60-second method.

Common signs Gmail is having problems

Gmail rarely fails all at once — usually one function breaks while the rest keeps working, which makes it tricky to diagnose. Watch for:

  • The inbox won't load or shows an endless spinner.
  • Messages stuck on "Sending" or bouncing back undelivered.
  • New emails aren't arriving even though you know they were sent.
  • A temporary error like "Oops, a server error occurred" with a numbered code.
  • The mobile app won't sync while the web version works (or vice versa).

If these hit across multiple devices at once, it's likely a server-side outage. If they're limited to one device or app, the fix is local.

How to fix Gmail email problems fast

If the checkers show Gmail is up but you're still having trouble, work through these in order:

  • Reload or hard-refresh the Gmail tab (Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + R), or force-close and reopen the mobile app.
  • Check your internet connection by opening any other website — if nothing loads, fix that first.
  • Try incognito mode or another browser. If Gmail works there, a browser extension or corrupted cache is your culprit — clear your cache and cookies.
  • Flush your DNS cache. A stale DNS record can stop your device reaching Gmail's servers cleanly. Our step-by-step DNS flush guide covers Windows, macOS, Android and iPhone.
  • Check your storage. Gmail stops sending and receiving when your Google account is full. Free up space or delete large attachments if you're near the limit.
  • Disable your VPN or proxy, which can interfere with Gmail's connection and security checks.
  • Update the app to rule out a bug fixed in a newer version.

If emails specifically won't send or receive

When the rest of Gmail works but mail won't flow, the cause is often outside an outage: a full mailbox, an oversized attachment (Gmail caps attachments at 25 MB), an incorrect filter sending mail straight to spam or trash, or — if you use Gmail in a desktop email client — wrong IMAP/SMTP settings. Check those before assuming Gmail itself is broken.

What to do if Gmail is down for everyone

If you've confirmed a genuine outage, there's nothing to fix on your device.

  • Wait it out. Most Gmail outages resolve within 30 to 60 minutes as Google's engineers push a fix.
  • Check official channels. Google usually acknowledges major outages quickly, and users report widely the moment something breaks.
  • Don't resend repeatedly. Messages stuck in your outbox during an outage will usually send automatically once service returns — hammering send can create duplicates.

Still stuck only on your device after everything above? Our checklist on fixing a site that's down for you but not everyone has more advanced steps worth trying.

The bottom line

The next time your inbox won't cooperate, don't assume the worst about your account. Ask the one question that matters — down for everyone, or just me? — and answer it in seconds with a quick Gmail status check. If it's a real outage, sit tight and wait. If it's your setup, a refresh, a cache clear, and a DNS flush will usually have your email flowing again in minutes.