US Trends

is there a verizon wireless outage

There is a significant Verizon Wireless outage in the US today, and it is ongoing as of January 14, 2026.

What’s going on right now

  • Multiple major outlets report a large Verizon wireless outage affecting voice and data across much of the United States, starting shortly after noon Eastern time today.
  • Many customers are seeing their phones stuck in “SOS” mode or with no bars, meaning they cannot place regular calls or use mobile data on Verizon’s network.
  • Downdetector and similar tracking sites have recorded well over 100,000–180,000 outage reports at peak, indicating a widespread disruption rather than a local issue.

Where the outage is hitting

  • Reports concentrate in major metro areas including New York, Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, Portland and other large cities, though issues are being reported across much of the eastern half of the US and beyond.
  • Some local emergency-management agencies (such as New York City’s) have warned that 911 calls from Verizon devices may fail for some users and advised calling from another carrier, a landline, or going directly to a police or fire station if needed.

What Verizon is saying

  • Verizon has publicly acknowledged a problem affecting wireless voice and data for “some customers” and says engineers are working to identify and fix the issue as quickly as possible.
  • The company has apologized for the inconvenience but has not provided a specific cause or firm ETA for full restoration yet.

What you can try right now

  • If you have access to Wi‑Fi, try using Wi‑Fi calling and internet-based messaging apps to communicate, since the issue is with Verizon’s cellular network, not general internet connectivity.
  • For emergencies, use a phone on another carrier, a landline, or go in person to a police or fire station if you cannot reach 911 from your Verizon device, as some emergency managers are advising.

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