Starbucks confirms the mobile order feature in its app is down

• Starbucks customers reported outages on its app on Thursday morning.
• Starbucks said the outage is temporary and customers could still order by drive-thru or in-store.
• Mobile orders through Starbucks' app make up 25% of transactions. 

Certain features on Starbucks' app, which allows customers to place mobile orders as well as reload and use Starbucks cards, were down for some users on Thursday morning, the company confirmed to Insider. 

Outage tracking website Down Detector showed reports of users reporting problems with Starbucks, with 89% of reports citing the app.

"We are currently experiencing a temporary outage of the order ahead and pay feature in our app. We continue to welcome and serve customers in our drive-thrus and stores," a Starbucks spokesperson told Insider. Starbucks did not share a timeline for when the app would be back in service.

When the ordering section of the app is selected, a message pops up saying "We're sorry, a system error has occurred. Please try again later."

Starbucks customers on Twitter noted the outage and complained about changes to their morning routine. 

—noodle girl (@sillylittlefr0g) May 19, 2022

—Sophie (@Sopherz03) May 19, 2022

—Raven Jay (@_ravenjayy) May 19, 2022

Digital orders exploded during the pandemic across the restaurant industry, and they now make up a significant part of Starbucks' business. Starbucks CEO at the time Kevin Johnson credited mobile orders for the chain's strong recovery from the pandemic's initial hits to sales in 2021.

In the second quarter of 2022, mobile orders accounted for 25% of all Starbucks orders at company-owned US stores. Even more significantly, 47% of orders in the same quarter were paid for via a Starbucks card, using the app.

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