On June 12, 2025, the internet faced a massive shake-up when Google Cloud, a backbone for many popular apps and websites, suddenly stopped working. This caused a ripple effect, bringing down services like Gmail, Spotify, Snapchat, Discord, and even Google’s own tools like Google Meet and Google Drive. For millions of users in India and across the world, it was a frustrating afternoon as their favorite apps refused to load, leaving them disconnected from emails, music, and social platforms. Here’s a simple breakdown of what happened, why it mattered, and what it means for Indian users.
What Went Wrong with Google Cloud?
Around 2:00 PM Eastern Time (11:30 PM IST) on June 12, 2025, Google Cloud hit a major snag. The problem was linked to something called the Identity and Access Management (IAM) system, which is like a gatekeeper that checks who’s allowed to use Google’s services. When this system failed, it locked out users from many apps and websites that depend on Google Cloud to run smoothly. In India, cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, and Chennai saw thousands of users struggling to access their accounts or use services.
The outage wasn’t just about Google’s own apps. It affected popular platforms like Spotify, where music lovers couldn’t stream their favorite songs, and Discord, where gamers and communities couldn’t chat. Even smart home devices like Google Home stopped responding for some users, leaving lights and thermostats offline. According to Downdetector, a website that tracks internet outages, over 13,000 people in the US and more than 1,000 in India reported issues with Google Cloud. At its peak, Spotify saw nearly 46,000 complaints, while Discord had around 11,000 reports.
Why Did This Outage Hit So Hard?
Google Cloud is like a giant engine that powers many parts of the internet. Think of it as the electricity that keeps your phone, TV, and fridge running. When it goes down, everything connected to it stops working. In this case, the outage hit apps that millions of Indians use daily. Students couldn’t access Google Drive to work on assignments, professionals couldn’t join Google Meet calls, and music fans were left without their playlists on Spotify. For small businesses and startups in India that rely on Google Cloud for their websites or apps, this was a big headache, as customers couldn’t access their services.
The chaos also spread to other companies like Cloudflare, a service that helps websites stay fast and secure. Cloudflare said their problems were caused by Google Cloud’s outage, showing how one failure can create a domino effect across the internet. In India, where digital services are a big part of daily life—whether it’s ordering food, working remotely, or staying connected with friends—this outage was a stark reminder of how much we depend on a few big tech companies.
How Did Google Fix It?
Google quickly jumped into action. By 2:09 PM Pacific Time (2:39 AM IST on June 13), their engineers had found the root cause—a glitch in the IAM system—and started fixing it. They posted updates on their Google Cloud Service Health page, saying they were working to get things back to normal. By 5:12 PM Pacific Time (5:42 AM IST), Google reported that most services were recovering, and by 6:18 PM Pacific Time (6:48 AM IST), all services were fully back online. Google promised to share a detailed report later to explain what went wrong and how they’ll prevent it in the future.
Other companies, like Spotify and Discord, also updated their users. Spotify didn’t say much but pointed to Google’s status page, while Discord confirmed that most of their features were back by late afternoon. Cloudflare, too, said their services were fully restored by 4:57 PM Eastern Time (2:27 AM IST).
What Did Indian Users Experience?
For Indian users, the outage hit at an inconvenient time—late evening on June 12. Many were winding down their day, trying to catch up on emails, listen to music, or chat with friends. In cities like Mumbai and Delhi, social media was buzzing with complaints. One user on X posted, “Gmail down, Spotify down, even my Google Home isn’t working! What’s happening?” Another user jokingly said, “Google Cloud crashed, and so did my plans for the evening.” These reactions show how deeply integrated these services are in daily life, from students in Bengaluru to professionals in Gurugram.
The outage also raised eyebrows among India’s growing tech community. Many developers and startups in India use Google Cloud to host their apps or store data. When the outage hit, some reported losing access to critical tools, which disrupted their work.
Why Should Indian Users Care?
This outage is a wake-up call for Indian users and businesses. India is one of the world’s fastest-growing digital markets, with millions relying on apps like Gmail, Google Drive, and Spotify every day. But when a single service like Google Cloud goes down, it can disrupt everything. This shows how much power a few tech giants have over the internet. If one piece of their system breaks, it can affect users from Mumbai to New York.
For Indian businesses, especially small startups and e-commerce platforms, this outage highlights the need for backup plans. Relying only on one cloud provider like Google Cloud can be risky. Experts suggest using multiple providers or having offline options to keep things running during such disruptions. For regular users, it’s a reminder to save important files locally or use alternative apps in case their favorites go offline.
What’s Next?
Google has promised a full report on what caused the outage, which should shed light on how to avoid such problems in the future. For now, the internet is back to normal, and Indian users can once again stream music, send emails, and control their smart homes. But this incident has sparked a bigger conversation about how much we rely on a handful of companies to keep the internet running.
In India, where the digital revolution is booming, this outage is a chance to think about building a more resilient internet. Maybe it’s time for more homegrown cloud solutions or better ways to handle such disruptions. Until then, the next time your app stops working, you’ll know it might not just be your Wi-Fi—it could be a glitch in the cloud.
Also Read :Industrialist Sunjay Kapur Dies at 53: Was It More Than a Heart Attack?
Last Updated on: Friday, June 13, 2025 4:27 pm by Naga Surya Teja Ganpisetty | Published by: Naga Surya Teja Ganpisetty on Friday, June 13, 2025 4:27 pm | News Categories: Technology
About Us: News Vent covers the latest News on Current News, Business, Sports, Tech, Entertainment, Lifestyle, Automobiles, and more, led by Editor-in-Chief Ankur Srivastava. Stay connected on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X (formerly Twitter), Google News, and Whatsapp Channel.
Disclaimer: At News Vent, we are committed to providing accurate, reliable, and thoroughly verified information, sourced from trusted media outlets. For more details, please visit our About, Disclaimer, Privacy Policy, Terms & Conditions. If you have any questions, feedback, or concerns, feel free to contact us through email.
Contact Us: m.siddarthayadav.qitech@gmail.com
About The Author
