Most of the time, getting a phone out of SOS or “SOS only” mode is about fixing your mobile signal or turning off an emergency feature that got triggered by accident.

First check: is it just “no signal”?

Before tweaking settings, check whether it’s an actual network issue.

  • Move to an open area or near a window; tall buildings or basements can block signal.
  • Ask someone on the same carrier nearby if they have service; if they don’t, it might be a tower or carrier outage.
  • If you’re traveling, make sure your plan supports roaming in that region and that roaming is enabled in cellular settings.

If everyone around you has normal service and only your phone shows SOS, continue with the steps below.

Quick fixes that work on most phones

These are safe to try on both iPhone and Android when stuck in SOS / SOS only.

  1. Toggle Airplane Mode
    • Swipe down to open Control/Quick panel.
    • Turn Airplane Mode on, wait ~10–20 seconds, then turn it off so the phone reconnects to the carrier.
  1. Turn cellular off and back on
    • Go to Settings → Cellular / Mobile network and toggle cellular/mobile data off, wait a few seconds, then turn it back on.
  1. Restart the phone
    • Power the phone completely off, wait 20–30 seconds, then turn it back on; this often clears glitches that cause SOS to stick.

If these don’t help, the next steps are a bit more specific.

If you’re on iPhone (SOS or SOS only at top)

When an iPhone shows SOS/SOS only, it usually means either emergency mode got triggered or the phone can only reach emergency networks, not your carrier.

Try these in order:

  • Check cellular settings
    • Go to Settings → Cellular.
    • Make sure your line/eSIM is turned on, and that you haven’t accidentally disabled it.
  • Update carrier settings
    • Go to Settings → General → About and wait a few seconds; if a carrier-update pop-up appears, install it. This can fix SOS issues tied to outdated carrier profiles.
  • Reset network settings (last-resort software fix)
    • Go to Settings → General → Transfer or Reset → Reset → Reset Network Settings.
    • This wipes Wi‑Fi, Bluetooth pairings, and cellular network settings but often resolves stubborn SOS problems.

If none of that works, your SIM/eSIM or account might be the issue, and your carrier support or an in‑person tech visit is usually the next step.

If you’re on Android (Emergency SOS stuck)

Many Android phones (Samsung, Pixel, OnePlus, etc.) have a built‑in Emergency SOS feature that can get “stuck” if triggered.

Try this:

  • Turn off Emergency SOS feature
    • Open Settings → Safety & emergency (sometimes under Advanced features).
    • Find Emergency SOS or Send SOS messages and toggle it off, or adjust how it works so it doesn’t keep activating.
  • Force restart the device
    • Hold the Power button (and sometimes Volume Down too, depending on model) for several seconds until it restarts.

If your Android shows “Emergency calls only” or similar alongside SOS, that usually means no active carrier signal or a SIM problem, so checking your SIM card, plan status, or contacting the carrier is important.

When to get urgent help

If:

  • You cannot call any number, including emergency services,
  • Or this started right after a drop, water damage, or a major update,

then treat it as more than a glitch and contact your carrier or a repair center as soon as possible, since there may be a hardware or account-side issue.

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