Gmail, Chrome and Other Google Services Go Down

Dec. 10, 2012 — -- Did you see that message? "The server encountered a temporary error and could not complete your request." That's what many people saw, for at least a while, as they tried to use a number of Google services today, including Gmail, Google Drive and others.

At around 12:00 p.m. ET many began reporting that they could not access Gmail, Google's email service, as well as Google Calendar and Documents. Hundreds of people on Twitter said they could not access Gmail, and many reported Chrome browser crashes. ABC News itself had repeated Google Chrome browser crashes when signed in with Google accounts.

At 12:30 p.m. ET Google updated its Service Details page with the following message: "We're investigating reports of an issue with Google Mail. We will provide more information shortly."

A few minutes later it sent a statement to ABC News confirming it was "experiencing an issue with some Google services. For everyone who is affected, we apologize for any inconvenience you may be experiencing," it said. "We will be posting updates to the Apps Status Dashboard."

At 1:10 p.m. ET Google updated dashboard with the following statement: "The problem with Google Mail should be resolved. We apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for your patience and continued support. Please rest assured that system reliability is a top priority at Google, and we are making continuous improvements to make our systems better."