Claude not working? Check status first, then fix the error

When Claude is not working, start with status.claude.com, then match the error message you see to the fix in Anthropic's help center guide to Claude error messages. Most problems are a usage limit, a login error, a length limit or a busy service, and each has a different fix.

As of October 28, 2026, status.claude.com showed "All Systems Operational" for claude.ai, the Claude Console, the Claude API and Claude Code, with no active incident. The most recent incident listed, elevated errors on the Gmail connector, was resolved on October 28. If you read this during a later outage, the status page is the source to trust.

Check status.claude.com first

The status page lists confirmed incidents with their scope and how the fix is going. If Claude is broken for most users, Anthropic says this is where it will show. If the page shows an incident, there is nothing to fix on your side. Wait for the resolution.

One thing the status page will not show: capacity limits. Anthropic's help center says a message such as "Due to unexpected capacity constraints, Claude is unable to respond to your message" is not an outage. The service is working and managing heavy demand. Wait a few minutes and send the message again.

Claude not working on iPhone

Work through these in order.

1. Check that your phone meets the requirements. Anthropic's iOS install page says the app needs iOS 18.0 or later, or iPadOS 18.0 or later, and a supported region and device. If you can't find the app in the App Store, an old iOS version, an unsupported region or an unsupported device is the likely cause.
2. Update the app. Per the help center's guide to updating Claude for iOS: open the App Store, tap your photo or the My Account button, scroll to the pending updates and tap Update next to Claude. If your employer installed Claude through Intune, your IT team controls when it updates.
3. Check status.claude.com for an incident.
4. Read the exact message on screen and use the matching fix below.

The help center's error article does not list updating the app as a fix for login errors, so don't expect an update to solve one.

Fix the error message you see

Usage limits

According to the help center, your plan has a five-hour session limit and a weekly limit. Some plans also have a weekly limit specific to Fable. You see "Approaching session limit" or "Approaching weekly limit" first, sometimes with the percentage used. After you reach a limit, Claude comes back when it resets, at the time the message gives.

Paid plans with usage credits enabled work differently. Requests continue on pay-as-you-go credits until you reach your monthly spend limit or your balance runs out with auto-reload off. You may see "Now using credits. Your plan limit resets..." For ways to stretch your allowance, Anthropic points to its usage limit best practices article. Our guide on how to check Claude token usage covers tracking what you spend.

Length limit errors

The message "Your message will exceed the length limit for this chat" means your input is too long. The help center lists these fixes, in order:

1. Break the content into smaller chunks and process them separately.
2. Summarize or extract the key sections before sending.
3. Ask Claude to first identify the most relevant parts of your content.
4. Start a new conversation.

On paid plans with code execution enabled, Claude summarizes earlier messages automatically, so the error is rare there. Your full chat history is kept.

Login errors

For "There was an error logging you in," Anthropic lists these fixes, in order:

1. Turn off any VPN.
2. Disable active browser extensions.
3. Clear your browser's cache and cookies.
4. If it continues, check status.claude.com.

Network and connection errors

An API connection error usually comes from your own environment, says the help center's API connection error page. Check for firewall rules or network restrictions that block connections to the Claude API endpoint, change the network or firewall settings to allow it, and make sure you aren't on a VPN when you send the request. This page is written for API users. If you use Claude through a work network, ask your IT team about the same rules.

If nothing works

The help center's error article doesn't cover contacting support. The API connection page says you can reach Support through the message icon at the bottom right of the Help Center, or by clicking your initials in the lower left of the Claude Console and choosing Get help. Include the exact error text and, on iPhone, your iOS version.

For Claude Code problems in the terminal, the Claude Code troubleshooting docs are the place to start. Anthropic also publishes a separate help center article on Claude Code installation and login.