iPhone Showing SOS? Here's Why

Verizon is experiencing a major outage across the U.S. today, with hundreds of thousands of customers reporting issues with the network on Downdetector.

iPhone users with Verizon may see "SOS" in the status bar, as the device cannot connect to Verizon's network. As a result, you may not be able to make or receive most phone calls, send or receive text messages, or use data over 5G or LTE.

Apple explains what "SOS" means in a support document:

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. This feature is available in Australia, Canada, and the United States.

Verizon is aware of the outage, and it is working on a fix.

"We are aware of an issue impacting wireless voice and data services for some customers," said Verizon, in a social media post, shortly after 1 p.m. Eastern Time. "Our engineers are engaged and are working to identify and solve the issue quickly. We understand how important reliable connectivity is and apologize for the inconvenience."

At 2:14 p.m. Eastern Time, Verizon said it is still investigating the issue.