Glitch For Gmail Users

A short-term software problem experienced by Gmail affected several users who saw errors and safety warnings over the weekend.

10:04 07 April 2015

Google has confirmed that it forgot to update a key part of the messaging software which resulted to errors and safety warnings sent to users over the weekend. While users were able to access their email, they saw “unexpected behaviour” because of the problem, which appeared to have started on 4 April. Users received error messages when they tried sending emails and using the firm’s messaging apps. 

 

Meanwhile, Google confirmed that the problem was due the firm’s failure to renew a security certificate for Gmail and its app services, which establishes a secure connection to a destination so messages can be sent with little fear that they will be spied upon. 

 

Google has posted details of the problem to status pages, which the firms maintain. It says that the problem was “affecting a majority of users” and that the glitch is expected to cause programs to act in “unexpected ways.”

 

The problem was resolved about two hours after Google acknowledged the problem.