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why do i have sos on my iphone verizon

You’re seeing SOS on your iPhone with Verizon because your phone isn’t connected to Verizon’s network, but it can still reach emergency services through other carriers.

What “SOS” Means

  • When “SOS” or “SOS only” appears in the status bar, your iPhone has lost normal cellular service to your carrier (Verizon in this case).
  • Even though calls, texts, and data may not work, you can still make emergency calls, often using other available carrier networks.
  • This is a built‑in safety feature for the U.S., Canada, and Australia, not a sign your phone is broken.

Why It’s Happening On Verizon Today

  • Verizon is currently experiencing a large outage affecting many users across the U.S., which is causing iPhones on Verizon to show “SOS” and lose regular service.
  • People are reporting that they suddenly have no bars, can’t place normal calls, and only see SOS at the top of the screen during this outage.

Quick Things You Can Try

These won’t fix a major Verizon outage, but they can help rule out an issue on your side:

  • Toggle Airplane Mode on for 15–30 seconds, then turn it off again to force a reconnect to the network.
  • Restart your iPhone and then check again for signal or SOS.
  • Go to Settings → Cellular and make sure your line is turned on, especially if you use eSIM or Dual SIM.

If others around you on Verizon also see SOS or have no service, it’s almost certainly the network, not your phone.

When To Contact Verizon Or Apple

  • Contact Verizon if: the outage is reportedly resolved but your line still shows SOS or no service while other Verizon phones nearby are fine.
  • Contact Apple if: only your iPhone shows SOS regardless of SIM, location, or carrier status, and basic steps (Airplane Mode, restart, software update) don’t help.

Extra: SOS vs. Emergency SOS via Satellite

  • SOS in the status bar = no normal cellular service, but the phone can still reach emergency services via other networks if available.
  • Newer iPhones (14 and later) also support Emergency SOS and messaging via satellite when there’s no cellular or Wi‑Fi at all, which Apple has expanded in recent iOS versions.

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