Verizon customers across the U.S. Saturday reported issues with the network on their cellphones, with some saying that their devices have been limited to SOS mode for several hours.
In a statement to CBS News, Verizon said it was 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,” the statement read. “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.”
Outages were reported from California to Florida, according to complaints on social media and DownDetector, a site that tracks service outages for telecommunications providers, websites and other businesses.
Customers began reporting problems shortly after 12 p.m. Eastern Time on Saturday, according to DownDetector’s data. The number of reports peaked around 3:30 p.m. ET, with nearly 23,000 reports.
People across the country said their phones had no service except for SOS mode. Mobile phones will sometimes switch to SOS mode when they’re having trouble connecting to a wireless network. As the name suggests, SOS mode means the phone can still make emergency calls, such as 911, by connecting to other carriers, according to Apple.
In October 2024, Verizon experienced a similar outage that resulted in over 100,000 reports on DownDetector.
Aimee Picchi
contributed to this report.
