WhatsApp has outage after Facebook buyout

The WhatsApp instant messaging app has suffered an outage just days after it was snapped up by Facebook for $19bn (£11.4bn).

WhatsApp, which has more than 450 million monthly users, said it was having 'server issues' on Saturday night.

The firm tweeted at 8.16pm UK time: 'We hope to be back up and recovered shortly.'

Users reacted angrily, saying their chat conversations were only showing a loading asterisk and the alert 'Connecting…'

Taylor ITWT16 said on Twitter: 'As Soon As Facebook Buys Whatsapp, Whatsapp Starts Malfunctioning.'

Jazzy Marwaha tweeted: 'Its been like 4 hours, you would have thought they could sort whatsapp out by now.'

By 10.30pm the service appeared to be working again.

Facebook announced last Thursday that it would pay $4bn (£2.4bn) in cash and $15bn (£9bn) in Facebook shares as part of the deal to buy the real-time messaging service.

The app's founders and employees will get $3bn (£1.8bn) of the shares as restricted stock that will vest over four years after the deal closes.

The purchase marks the largest single acquisition in Facebook's 10-year history.

WhatsApp will 'continue to operate independently and retain its brand' despite the acquisition, Facebook said.

Founded by a Ukrainian immigrant who dropped out of college, Jan Koum, and a Stanford alumnus, Brian Acton, WhatsApp is a Silicon Valley startup fairytale.

The acquisition will also see Mr Koum - a former Yahoo! engineer - join Facebook's board of directors.

Facebook is known to make bold moves to thwart competitors - it famously bought Instagram for $1bn after a weekend of negotiations.