Verizon customers around the U.S. are currently experiencing a massive service outage, with phones either not getting any bars or even being stuck in SOS mode.
News of the outage first started hitting the internet around 12 p.m. ET, with DownDetector (which shares the same parent company as Lifehacker) showing over 100,000 user reports of Verizon outages. Reports have fallen since, but are still sitting around 42,000 as of 4 p.m.
According to DownDetector, 51% of users are just generally reporting issues with their mobile phone, while 34% are more specifically saying they don’t have signal, and 15% say they are experiencing a “total blackout.”
The outage doesn’t appear to be restricted to areas hit by Hurricane Helene, either. While DownDetector’s heat map of the outage does say that North Carolina and Georgia are experiencing heavy service interruptions, it also lists New York and Kansas as areas of equal concern.
Not everyone in these areas is experiencing the outage—none of Lifehacker’s East Coast-based staff have seen interruptions to their Verizon service.
Users on X have taken to messaging the @VerizonSupport account for aid, which seems to be providing help over direct message. Roughly before Noon, the account also posted a message confirming the company is aware of the outage.
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The FCC also said that it is aware of the outage, and is “working to determine the cause and extent of these service disruptions.”
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CNET reports that T-Mobile and AT&T’s networks are operating as usual—if you have a plan with either of these companies and are experiencing issues, it’s likely the person you’re trying to contact has a plan with Verizon.
If you are on Verizon, you’ll unfortunately need to wait until the outage is resolved to resume full service. However, iOS users with access to Apple’s Emergency SOS via Satellite feature or Google Pixel users with Satellite SOS can still place emergency calls despite the network’s status (that's what the SOS mode you might be seeing is for). If you find yourself in need of emergency services, attempt to place a call anyway—even if you do not have the above features, it’s possible your call might get routed to another network to ensure you get help.
For more casual use, Verizon users can continue to call friends and family using wifi calling apps like Whatsapp.
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