During the outage, iPhone and Android users reported seeing SOS or "SOS only" in the status bar. This means the device isn't connected to a network, but the phone users can still make emergency calls.

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When iPhones aren’t connected to a cellular network, they will typically alert the user by giving an indication in the phone’s status bar. Those notifications usually say “No Service” or “Searching,” but your phone may also say “SOS” or “SOS only.”

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Verizon users across the United States are reporting a network outage causing phones to show SOS mode. This guide explains what the Verizon SOS mode issue is, why it happens, and step-by-step methods to fix it.

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In short, when you see SOS on your phone, it means you're not connected to a cellular network. "If you see SOS or 'SOS only' in the status bar, your device isn't connected to your cellular network, but you can still make emergency calls through other carrier networks," reads an Apple support page on the feature.