McDonald’s app disruptions hit during global cloud outage: what customers are seeing today and how to order

A widespread cloud-service outage on Monday, October 20, 2025, has caused intermittent McDonald’s app and digital ordering issues in multiple regions. While restaurants remain open and core kitchen operations continue, customers have reported problems signing in, placing mobile orders, redeeming deals, or tracking delivery within the app. Recent updates indicate recovery is rolling out in waves; details may evolve as affected platforms stabilize.

McDonald’s: what’s affected right now

Early-morning user reports point to a few recurring pain points that align with broader internet service instability:

• Sign-in failures and timeouts in the McDonald’s app.

• Deal/coupon screens not loading, or redemptions failing at checkout.

• Order status stuck or delayed updates for delivery and pickup.

• Kiosk or in-store QR scans occasionally failing to validate app offers.

These symptoms are consistent with a third-party cloud disruption rather than an in-restaurant equipment failure. In many locations, in-person ordering and card payments continue normally at the counter and drive-thru even when app flows are sluggish.

Is McDonald’s down or is it the internet?

Today’s pattern looks broader than any single brand. When a major cloud provider has trouble, multiple unrelated apps falter at once. That’s why you may see McDonald’s, a banking app, and a social platform all misbehaving in the same window. As infrastructure teams reroute traffic and clear request backlogs, services typically return in stages—some customers regain full functionality before others.

How to get your McDonald’s order through during the outage

If you’re hitting errors in the app, try these practical workarounds—start with the least disruptive steps and stop as soon as something works:

1. Force-close and retry on cellular, then Wi-Fi. If one path works, stick with it; avoid rapid-fire retries that can lock up your session.

2. Skip the app and order at the counter or drive-thru. Most restaurants can manually honor posted deals or offer an in-store alternative while systems recover (availability varies).

3. Use card or contactless at the register. Card rails are often unaffected even when app backends are slow.

4. If you must use the app, place a simple order. Fewer customizations reduce the chance of timeouts while systems are under load.

5. For delivery, check both the McDonald’s app and third-party services. One may recover faster than the other in your area.

6. Don’t uninstall or reset your account. Outage-related errors aren’t fixed by creating a new login and you risk losing saved preferences.

McDonald’s deals and rewards during downtime

Customers often worry about losing points, rewards, or daily deals when an outage hits. These are account-level records that sync once services are stable. If a redemption fails:

• Save the receipt and take a timestamped screenshot of the failed attempt if possible.

• Ask staff about local accommodation. Many restaurants can apply a like-for-like discount at the register when digital validation fails.

• Try again after services recover. Points and offers usually reconcile automatically once your account can sync.

What McDonald’s franchisees and crews are doing on the ground

Franchise operators typically shift to fallback playbooks during internet incidents:

• Manual order entry at POS when integrations are slow.

• Clear signage noting temporary app issues and alternate ways to redeem offers.

• Queue management to keep drive-thru moving when mobile pickup slows.

• Local payment resilience, including backup processing paths if a primary gateway lags.

These measures aim to keep kitchens humming and wait times reasonable until normal digital flows return.

Why outages like this hit quick-service apps so hard

Modern restaurant experiences stitch together multiple services: login/authentication, menus, pricing, payments, loyalty, delivery tracking, and store-level availability. A single upstream glitch can ripple across that chain, turning a simple lunch order into a cascade of error messages. The good news: once the root cloud issue is fixed, recovery is fast, and your app shouldn’t require any permanent changes on your device.

What to watch over the next few hours

• Wave-based recovery: Don’t be surprised if your friend’s app works before yours; different regions and services flip back at different times.

• Backlog clearing: Order histories and points totals may update slowly as systems process queued events.

• Store-by-store variation: One location may be fully normal while another nearby still sees QR or kiosk hiccups.

 If the McDonald’s app isn’t cooperating today, it’s likely tied to a larger internet outage rather than a brand-specific meltdown. Your fastest path to food is the counter or drive-thru, with card or contactless payment. Keep receipts for any failed redemptions, and expect app features to snap back as the broader cloud disruption clears.