Major U.S. cities affected
On August 30, 2025, a software glitch caused a widespread Verizon network outage, affecting thousands of customers in cities including New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Atlanta. Phones went into SOS mode, preventing calls, texts, and data access for several hours.
Outage reports and numbers
According to Downdetector, at around 7:19 p.m. ET, roughly 11,134 reports of Verizon wireless outages were logged. Earlier in the day, over 22,000 users reported connection issues around 3:45 p.m., and more than 18,000 people reported trouble as of 6:09 p.m. By 9 p.m. ET, the number of reports had declined to approximately 7,000, indicating partial restoration.
Verizon responds to the outage
Verizon acknowledged the problem on its official support page, stating:
“We are aware of a software issue impacting wireless service for some customers. Our engineers are engaged and we are working quickly to identify and solve the issue. Please 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. We appreciate your patience.”
The provider did not give an exact timeline for full restoration, but updates indicated that services were gradually returning.
Understanding ‘SOS mode’ on iPhones
Many affected customers reported that their phones displayed “SOS” or “SOS only” at the top of the screen. Apple Support notes that emergency calls can still be made in SOS mode. Users can temporarily disable SOS mode by turning on airplane mode for at least 15 seconds and then turning it off.
Public frustration grows
Thousands of customers criticized Verizon on social media for delayed updates. Almost 60% of outage reports were related to mobile devices, with 40% of those users reporting no signal. By 9:12 p.m. ET, Verizon posted on X (formerly Twitter) that service restoration was underway and that engineers were working to ensure remaining customers were fully restored.
