If you are a Verizon customer, you likely noticed that your phone was on SOS today, August 30, 2025. Many people across the United States — particularly on the East Coast and in parts of California — reported that their cellular service was down.
According to downdetector.com, there were over 23,000 reports of outages that afternoon, and Verizon acknowledged the problem. So, what is happening with Verizon, and what can you do if your iPhone is in SOS mode?
Discover details about the outage and learn what actions to take if you were affected here.
People heading to Twitter right now to see if Verizon is down #Verizon #VerizonDOWN pic.twitter.com/577X4C573d
— Mbilly (@Mbilly12821175) August 30, 2025
Why Is My Phone on SOS?
If you are a Verizon Wireless customer and your phone is in SOS mode, it is due to a widespread outage affecting the carrier.
An iPhone may display SOS mode because it is not connected to a cellular network. If there isn’t an outage, Apple recommends that iPhone users restart their devices and attempt to reconnect to their network. However, in the case of a widespread network outage, iPhone users should reach out to their carrier for assistance.
How Did the Verizon Outage Happen?
The extensive Verizon outage across the United States is reportedly caused by a “software issue,” as confirmed by the company in a statement to multiple news outlets.
“We are aware of a software issue impacting wireless service for some customers,” read Verizon’s statement. “Our engineers are engaged, and we are working quickly to identify and resolve the issue.”
Verizon also encouraged customers to “visit our Check Network Status page for updates on service in your area.”
“We understand how much people rely on Verizon and apologize for any inconvenience,” continued the statement. “We appreciate your patience. Thank you again.”
Verizon customer support right now pic.twitter.com/0ZwkSQtmKq
— Rhomanoff (@Rhomanoff) August 30, 2025
Is Verizon Still Down?
It varies by area and customer, but at the time of publication, outages were still being reported nationwide. Complaints on downdetector.com surged around 12:30 p.m. ET to over 20,000 before decreasing afterward. However, there remained more than 18,000 reports on the site.
Customers in Florida, California, Wisconsin, and other states continued to report cellular issues by 6:00 p.m. ET on downdetector.com. Many claimed their phones had been non-functional for several hours that day.
