Why Is My Phone on SOS? Updates on the Verizon Outage – Hollywood Life

In case you’re a Verizon customer, you probably noticed that your phone was on SOS today, August 30, 2025. People across the United States — mainly on the East Coast and in parts of California — complained that their cellular service was down.

According to downdetector.com, there were more than 23,000 reports of outages that afternoon, and Verizon acknowledged the issue. So, what’s happening with Verizon, and what can you do if your iPhone is in SOS mode?

Learn about the outage and find out what to do if you were affected here.

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Why Is My Phone on SOS?

If you’re a Verizon Wireless customer and your phone is in SOS mode, it’s due to a widespread outage with the carrier.

An iPhone could be in SOS mode because the device is not connected to a cellular network. If a carrier isn’t having an outage, Apple suggests that iPhone customers restart their devices and try reconnecting to their network. However, if there is a widespread network outage, then iPhone users should contact their carrier.

How Did the Verizon Outage Happen?

The mass Verizon outage across America is apparently due to a “software issue,” the company confirmed in a statement, according to multiple outlets.

“We are aware of a software issue impacting wireless service for some customers,” Verizon’s statement read. “Our engineers are engaged, and we are working quickly to identify and solve the issue.”

Verizon also advised customers to “visit our Check Network Status page for updates on service in your area.”

“We know how much people rely on Verizon and apologize for any inconvenience,” the rest of the statement read. “We appreciate your patience. Thank you again.”

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Is Verizon Still Down?

It depends on the area and customer, but at the time of publication, there are still outages being reported across the country. Complaints on downdetector.com rose at around 12:30 p.m. ET to more than 20,000, and new reports decreased afterward. However, there were still more than 18,000 reports on the site.

Customers in Florida, California, Wisconsin and other states were still reporting cellular issues by 6:00 p.m. ET on downdetector.com. Many claimed their phones weren’t working for several hours that day.