Why Your Verizon Phone Might Be in SOS Mode Right Now

If you're a Verizon customer who's noticed your phone shifting into SOS mode throughout the day, there's now an official explanation: As confirmed by Verizon itself, the carrier has been facing a nationwide outage throughout the afternoon.

"We are aware of an issue impacting wireless voice and data services for some customers," Verizon said to Lifehacker sister site Mashable. "Our engineers are engaged and are working to identify and solve the issue quickly. We understand how important reliable connectivity is and apologize for the inconvenience."

The company also posted an acknowledgement over on X, while on popular service interruption tracking website Downdetector (which is owned by the same parent company as Lifehacker), user reports of problems have been coming in steadily since about noon. They reached a peak of over 170,000 reports at around 12:50 EST, and while they've dropped steadily since then, the latest update at time of writing still saw over 60,000 reports of problems.

I'm a Verizon customer, but my phone seems to be unaffected for now, even if I turn my wifi off and rely purely on my cell signal. That's a bit surprising, as according to Downdetector, the areas with the most reports include both New York City (likely meaning Manhattan) and Brooklyn, which would include where I'm located. Other areas reporting major disruptions include Charlotte, N.C.; Houston; Atlanta; Dallas; Philadelphia; Miami; and Ashburn, Va.

As for which services are impacted, 61% of reports only point out mobile phone problems in general, but 35% of reports specifically complain about a lack of signal, while 4% report issues with mobile internet.

You'll know if you're affected if your signal strength is low, which is usually indicated by four vertical bars in the top-right corner of your phone. Your phone might also display that it's in "SOS" Mode. This does not mean that you or your phone are in any danger, but rather, that signal is only present for contacting emergency services like 911.

Unfortunately, the best you can do while the outage is resolved is probably wait, although if you're connected to wifi and are still having issues calling or texting, you could try an alternative messaging app like WhatsApp, as well as ensure that wifi calling is enabled on your phone. The loss of cell service should mostly affect those relying on data from cell towers, rather than those connected to an internet router.

While Verizon is facing the brunt of user reports, T-Mobile and AT&T are also seeing their own share of outage complaints over on Downdetector. Some of these may be a case of confusion, however. On X, T-Mobile said that its network "is operating normally and as expected," but that some customers may still face issues, specifically if they're trying to reach someone on a Verizon plan. AT&T posted similar sentiments, albeit with a more aggressive tone.

Meanwhile, city governments are issuing their own warnings. An emergency AlertDC notification sent to Washington D.C. residents said, "If you have an emergency and can not connect using your Verizon Wireless device, please connect using a device from another carrier, a landline, or go to a police district or fire station to report the emergency."

While the city's advice is understandable, as it wants to prepare readers for a worst possible scenario, it's worth reiterating that, for emergency calls, phones can use any viable nearby network. If you are a Verizon customer and you need immediate help from 911, it's still best to attempt reaching out over the phone (or even text, depending on your area) before taking the extra time to visit emergency services in person. As a reminder, connecting to wifi and enabling wifi calling can help with this.

As for New York, it's taking a more measured approach with its messaging. New York City's Office of Emergency Management posted to X that it is aware of the outage and that the government is "working closely with our partners" to asses possible impacts.