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how to turn off sos

To turn off SOS, you usually have two different issues to understand:

  1. the Emergency SOS feature itself, and
  2. the “SOS” or “SOS Only” status in your signal bar.

Below are clear steps for both, mainly focused on iPhone, since that’s where this question comes up most.

1. Turning off Emergency SOS (iPhone)

This prevents accidental emergency calls when you press buttons or in a crash, but keeps the phone usable in emergencies. Step‑by‑step:

  1. Open Settings.
  2. Scroll down and tap Emergency SOS.
  3. Turn off these toggles (names vary slightly by iOS version):
    • Call with Hold and Release or Call with Side Button
    • Call with 5 Button Presses
    • Call After Serious/Severe Crash (iPhone 14 and newer)
  4. Optional: also turn off Auto Call and Countdown Sound if you see them.

Once those are off, your iPhone will not auto‑dial emergency services from button presses or crash detection, though you can still call 911/112 manually from the Phone app or the power‑off screen if needed.

2. Fixing “SOS” / “SOS Only” in the status bar

If your phone says “SOS” or “SOS Only” where the signal bars usually are, that does not mean the Emergency SOS feature is “on” – it means your normal cellular service is not available, but emergency calls are still allowed on any reachable network.

Try these to clear it:

  • Toggle Airplane Mode
    • Open Control Center.
    • Turn Airplane mode on, wait 10–20 seconds, then turn it off again.
  • Toggle Cellular / Mobile Data
    • Go to Settings → Cellular (or Mobile Data).
    • Turn Cellular Data off, wait a few seconds, then turn it back on.
  • Restart the phone
    • Power it off completely, wait 20–30 seconds, then turn it back on. This often clears temporary network glitches.
  • Check SIM / eSIM and coverage
    • Make sure you’re in an area with coverage and your SIM/eSIM is active and properly set up with your carrier.
    • If you just changed carriers or plans, you may need to contact them or re‑download the eSIM.

If “SOS” stays on for a long time in an area where you normally have signal, it usually points to a carrier, SIM, or coverage problem rather than a simple setting.

3. Disabling SOS on Android (general idea)

On Android, there are two slightly different things:

  • Some phones show “Emergency calls only” when you have no valid network but can still call 112/911.
  • Many Android phones also have an “Emergency SOS” or “Safety & emergency” feature that can be turned on/off in Settings → Safety & emergency (name and path vary by brand).

Because menus differ (Samsung, Pixel, Xiaomi, etc.), the usual pattern is:

  1. Open Settings.
  2. Look for Safety & emergency, Security & emergency, or Advanced features → Emergency SOS.
  3. Turn off options like Quick emergency call , Send SOS messages , or button‑triggered SOS if you don’t want accidental calls.

4. Important safety note

Even if you turn every shortcut off, smartphones typically always allow manual emergency calls , either through:

  • The Phone app keypad, or
  • The power‑off / emergency screen.

This is intentional for safety reasons and cannot fully be disabled in standard settings on modern devices.

TL;DR:

  • To “turn off SOS” on iPhone, go to Settings → Emergency SOS and disable all button/crash triggers.
  • If you see “SOS/SOS Only” in the status bar, fix your network (Airplane mode toggle, cellular toggle, restart, coverage/carrier check); it’s not just a setting.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.