The Meissner effect, magnetic field expulsion, is a hallmark of superconductivity. Associated with it, superconductors exclude applied magnetic fields. Recently Minkov et al. presented experimental results reportedly showing “definitive evidence of the Meissner effect” in sulfur hydride and lan-thanum hydride under high pressure1. Instead, we show here that the evidence presented in that paper does not support the case for superconductivity in these materials. Together with experimental evidence discussed in earlier papers, we argue that this clearly indicates that hydrides under pressure are not high temperature superconductors.