You can’t fully remove SOS from most phones, but you can turn off the triggers that keep activating it and fix “SOS only” status. Below are the two most common situations people mean by “how do you turn off SOS” and how to handle both.

If you mean “Emergency SOS keeps triggering”

On iPhone (including iPhone 15 and other recent models):

  1. Open Settings.
  2. Tap Emergency SOS.
  3. Turn off these toggles (names may vary slightly by iOS version):
    • Call with Hold and Release.
    • Call with 5 Button Presses.
    • Call After Severe Crash (iPhone 14 and newer).
  1. Optional: On Apple Watch, open the Watch app → Emergency SOS → turn off the same kinds of triggers to stop accidental calls from your wrist.

Notes:

  • Even with all shortcuts off, the SOS slider is still available on the power‑off screen so you can call in a real emergency.
  • This doesn’t change your emergency contacts; it just stops auto‑calling or easy accidental calls.

On Android phones, the steps vary by brand, but the pattern is similar:

  • Go to Settings → look for Safety & emergency, Emergency SOS , or Security.
  • Turn off options like “Quick SOS,” “Press power button 5 times for emergency,” or similar trigger phrases.
  • You can usually keep emergency info and contacts saved while turning off the shortcut that dials automatically.

If you see “SOS” or “SOS only” in the status bar

On iPhone, “SOS” or “SOS only” near your signal bars usually means your phone can only call emergency services because normal cellular service is unavailable (no signal, network issue, or plan problem). To “turn it off,” you have to restore normal service:

Try these steps:

  • Toggle Airplane Mode on, wait 10 seconds, then off again.
  • Restart the phone.
  • Check that your cellular plan is active and the bill is paid with your carrier.
  • If you use a physical SIM, eject and re‑insert the SIM carefully.
  • If you’re traveling, enable Data Roaming (Settings → Cellular/Mobile Data → Data Options) if your plan allows it.

If “SOS” or “SOS only” stays on even where others have signal, it’s often a carrier or SIM issue, and contacting your carrier or visiting a store may be necessary.

Quick HTML table for the fixes

html

<table>
  <thead>
    <tr>
      <th>Situation</th>
      <th>What “turn off SOS” means</th>
      <th>What to do</th>
    </tr>
  </thead>
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <td>Emergency SOS keeps auto-calling</td>
      <td>Stop side-button / crash triggers from dialing.</td>
      <td>Settings → Emergency SOS → turn off “Call with Hold and Release”, “Call with 5 Button Presses”, and “Call After Severe Crash”.[web:3][web:5][web:7][web:9]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>“SOS” / “SOS only” in status bar</td>
      <td>Phone only has emergency-call access, no normal signal.</td>
      <td>Toggle Airplane Mode, restart, check plan/SIM, and contact carrier if it persists.[web:1][web:3][web:7][web:8]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Android Emergency SOS</td>
      <td>Stop power-button emergency shortcut.</td>
      <td>Settings → Safety & emergency / Emergency SOS → turn off quick SOS / power-button triggers.[web:2][web:5][web:8]</td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>

Mini note on safety

Even if you’re turning off SOS triggers to avoid false alarms, it is usually smart to keep some quick way to call for help enabled, especially when traveling, walking alone at night, or driving long distances.

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