Uber Eats outages are usually temporary, but what you can do depends on whether you're a customer, driver, or restaurant

When Uber Eats goes down, the app either won't load, won't let you place an order, or shows an error message. Most outages last between 30 minutes and a few hours. If you're a customer, you can check whether the problem is on Uber's end or yours, and know what recourse exists if you've already paid. If you're a driver or restaurant, the outage affects your income or orders, and you may be owed compensation depending on how long the service was unavailable.

This guide explains what happens during an outage, how to confirm one is actually occurring, what to do if you've already paid for food, and what options exist for drivers and restaurants when the platform goes down.

Key Takeaways

  • Check Uber's status page or third-party outage trackers like Downdetector to confirm the problem is Uber Eats' fault, not your internet or phone.
  • If you paid for an order that never arrived because of an outage, contact Uber support through the app or website to request a refund or credit.
  • Drivers and restaurants do not automatically receive compensation for lost earnings during outages, but you can document the time and contact support to request it.
  • Switching to a different delivery app (DoorDash, Grubhub, Instacart) is the fastest way to get food delivered if Uber Eats is down and you need it urgently.
  • Uber publishes incident reports after major outages, which you can review to understand what went wrong and how long it affected service.

How to confirm Uber Eats is actually down

Before you assume Uber Eats is broken, rule out problems on your end. Restart your phone, close and reopen the app, and check that you have an active internet connection. If the app still won't load or shows a spinning wheel, move to the next step.

Visit Downdetector.com and search for "Uber Eats". The site shows real-time reports from users worldwide, a graph of outage activity over the past 24 hours, and comments from people describing what they're experiencing. If hundreds or thousands of reports appeared in the last few minutes, Uber Eats is down. If you see only a handful of reports spread across hours, the problem is likely on your end.

You can also check Uber's official status page at status.uber.com, though Uber sometimes takes 15 to 30 minutes to post an outage notice after users start reporting problems. The status page will show which services are affected (Uber Eats, Uber rides, Uber Freight) and whether the issue is ongoing or resolved.

What to do if you already paid for an order

If you placed an order and paid before the outage, or if the outage happened while your order was being prepared or delivered, contact Uber support immediately. Open the Uber Eats app, go to your active order, and tap "Help". Select "Order issue" and describe what happened — that the app went down, the order never arrived, or the driver couldn't complete delivery because the platform was unavailable.

Uber's support team will review the order and the outage timeline. If the outage caused the order to fail, you will receive a refund to your original payment method or an Uber Eats credit, usually within 3 to 5 business days. If the order was already delivered before the outage, you will not receive a refund unless there was a separate problem with the food itself.

Keep screenshots of the error message you saw, the time it occurred, and any communication with the driver. These help support process your request faster. If support denies your refund and you believe it was unjust, you can dispute the charge with your credit card company or bank, though this takes longer and may result in your account being flagged.

What drivers should know about outages

During an outage, drivers cannot see new orders, cannot contact customers through the app, and cannot mark deliveries as complete. If you were mid-delivery when the outage started, you may not be able to confirm the drop-off, which can delay your payment. If you were waiting for orders, you earn nothing during the downtime.

Uber does not automatically pay drivers for time lost during outages. However, you can contact Uber support and request compensation by documenting the time you were unable to work. Include screenshots of the error messages, the time the outage began and ended, and an estimate of how many orders you would normally complete in that window. Support will review your request, but approval is not may provide — Uber treats outage compensation as a case-by-case decision.

If you were in the middle of a delivery when the app crashed, contact the customer directly if you have their phone number (from a previous conversation or the order details you saw before the crash). Let them know you're still coming and that the app is down. Once service is restored, complete the delivery in the app so you receive your payment.

What restaurants should know about outages

When Uber Eats goes down, restaurants cannot receive new orders through the platform. If you rely on Uber Eats for a significant portion of your business, an outage lasting several hours can mean lost revenue. Unlike drivers, restaurants have no direct way to receive orders during an outage — customers simply cannot place them.

After an outage ends, check your Uber Eats dashboard to see if any orders were placed but not yet assigned to a driver. These orders may have been placed right before or after the outage and will need to be fulfilled. If customers called your restaurant directly during the outage, you can manually enter those orders into Uber Eats once the platform is back online, though this is not standard practice and may not be possible depending on your restaurant's setup.

Restaurants do not receive compensation from Uber for lost orders during outages. If the outage lasted several hours and you believe it caused significant financial harm, you can contact your Uber Eats account manager (if you have one) to document the incident, but compensation is rare.

How long outages typically last and what causes them

Most Uber Eats outages last between 30 minutes and 2 hours. Longer outages — 4 hours or more — are less common but do happen. The duration depends on the cause. Server issues or database problems usually resolve within an hour. Major infrastructure failures, cyberattacks, or issues affecting multiple Uber services (Uber rides, Uber Eats, Uber Freight) can take several hours to fix.

Common causes include database outages, server overload during peak hours, deployment errors (when Uber pushes new code to production), internet routing problems, or issues with third-party services Uber depends on (payment processors, mapping services). Uber publishes a detailed incident report after major outages, which you can find on their status page or by searching "Uber Eats incident report [date]".

Alternatives while Uber Eats is down

If you need food delivered immediately and Uber Eats is down, switch to another delivery platform. DoorDash, Grubhub, and Instacart operate independently and are unlikely to be down at the same time as Uber Eats. Most restaurants that use Uber Eats also use at least one of these platforms, so you will likely find the same restaurants and similar menus.

If you have a credit with Uber Eats from a previous refund or promotion, you cannot use it on another platform. Save it for when Uber Eats is back online. If you have a subscription like Uber One, your benefits do not transfer to other apps, though some competitors offer their own subscription programs (DoorDash DashPass, Grubhub+).

Frequently Asked Questions

Will Uber Eats refund my order if it was cancelled because of an outage?

Yes, if the outage prevented your order from being completed. Contact support through the app, describe the outage, and request a refund or credit. Refunds typically process within 3 to 5 business days. If support denies your request, you can dispute the charge with your payment method.

Can I get paid for waiting time if I'm a driver and Uber Eats goes down?

Uber does not automatically compensate drivers for outage time. You can contact support and request compensation by documenting the outage duration and your usual earnings rate, but approval is not may provide and depends on Uber's review of your claim.

How do I know if the problem is my phone or Uber Eats?

Restart your phone, check your internet connection, and close and reopen the app. Then visit Downdetector.com and search for Uber Eats. If hundreds of reports appeared in the last few minutes, the outage is on Uber's end. If you see only a few reports, the problem is likely your device or connection.

What should I do if my driver couldn't complete delivery because of the outage?

Contact the driver directly if you have their number, or message them through the app once service is restored. Let them know you're still waiting. Once the app is back online, the driver can complete the delivery and receive payment. If the food was damaged or the driver never showed up, contact support to report the issue.

Are there outages that last more than a few hours?

Yes, though they are rare. Major infrastructure failures or cyberattacks can cause outages lasting 4 to 8 hours or longer. Uber publishes incident reports after major outages, which explain what went wrong and how long the service was unavailable. You can find these on their status page.