Claude AI down: Users report ‘authentication service unavailable’ error amid outage

Claude is facing a widespread outage, with users reporting authentication errors and difficulty accessing the AI chatbot.

Updated on: Aug 17, 2026, 03:50:07 IST

By Vaishnavi Vaidyanathan

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Claude is facing a widespread outage, with users reporting authentication errors and difficulty accessing the AI chatbot. Anthropic’s status page shows a service disruption affecting Claude services.

A Claude artificial intelligence (AI) logo on a smartphone. (Bloomberg)

Downdetector reports

According to outage-tracking site Downdetector, reports of problems began rising around 6 p.m. EDT on Sunday.

Users in several parts of the US reported seeing an “authentication service unavailable” error when trying to access Claude.

By 6:15 p.m., Downdetector had received over 15,000 error reports.

One user wrote, "It's been down about 15 minutes now, keep getting an authenticator error."

Another added, "All claude is down, we are in the stone age now."

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Vaishnavi Vaidyanathan
Vaishnavi Vaidyanathan leads the US Desk at Hindustan Times, where she writes, strategises coverage, and ensures quality across all beats. With eight years of experience covering US news for leading publications, she has reported extensively on politics, entertainment, and sports. Vaishnavi holds a graduate degree in English, Journalism, and Psychology, and completed her PG Diploma in Broadcast Journalism from the Manorama School of Communication, where she was awarded the prestigious Mammen Mappillai Award for Best Outgoing Student. She began her career at the International Business Times (US Edition), covering US breaking news, politics, and entertainment. She later joined Opoyi, reporting across all beats, including US sports and trending stories. Prior to Hindustan Times, she served as World Lead at Times Now News, covering comprehensive world news and events. Vaishnavi has expertise in politics, entertainment, and breaking news, and enjoys tackling stories across a wide range of topics. Beyond the newsroom, she is an avid traveller, a foodie who loves exploring new restaurants, and a pop culture enthusiast who enjoys watching latest shows and films. She also enjoys engaging in debates and discussions on Reddit.Read More

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