A widespread Verizon outage disrupted wireless services across large parts of the United States on Wednesday, leaving many customers without voice calls, mobile data, or text messaging. The issue affected users in several major cities, including Washington, D.C. and New York City, and prompted emergency alerts from local authorities.
Verizon, the country’s largest wireless carrier, confirmed that it was experiencing a Verizon wireless outage impacting cellular services. The company said its engineering teams were actively working to identify and resolve the problem.
Verizon Confirms Network Issues
In a statement released Wednesday afternoon, Verizon acknowledged the service disruption and said it was aware of problems affecting both voice and data services.
“We are aware of an issue impacting wireless voice and data services for some customers. Our engineers are engaged and are working to identify and solve the issue quickly,” Verizon said.
The Verizon outage today appears to have started around noon Eastern Time, according to customer reports on social media and outage-tracking platforms such as Downdetector. By early afternoon, thousands of users were reporting problems, with many asking, “Is Verizon down?” or “Is there a Verizon outage in my area?”
Phones Showing “SOS” Mode
One of the most common complaints during the Verizon service outage was that phones were displaying “SOS” or “SOS only” instead of signal bars. This led many users to search for answers like “why is my phone on SOS”, “why does my phone say SOS”, and “why is my phone in SOS mode Verizon.”
When a phone enters SOS mode, it means it cannot connect to the Verizon network and can only make emergency calls. This does not necessarily indicate a problem with the device itself, but rather a Verizon network outage or loss of carrier signal.
iPhone users, in particular, reported being stuck in SOS mode, prompting searches such as “iPhone stuck in SOS mode Verizon” and “phone stuck in SOS mode.”
Emergency Alerts Issued in Washington, D.C.
Due to the seriousness of the Verizon wireless outage, local governments issued public safety alerts. Washington, D.C.’s official emergency notification system warned residents that the outage could affect the ability to contact 911.
The alert advised residents that if they could not connect using a Verizon Wireless device, they should use a phone from another carrier, a landline, or go directly to a police station or fire station in case of an emergency.
The message described the issue as a nationwide Verizon outage, raising concerns about public safety during the disruption.
New York City Monitoring the Situation
New York City’s Office of Emergency Management also acknowledged the outage. While not naming Verizon directly, city officials said they were aware of a major cellular service issue and were working with partners to assess potential impacts on city agencies and essential services.
Residents in New York City were among those reporting Verizon outages near me, with many checking the Verizon outage map and Verizon wireless outage map to see if service was down in their area.
Downdetector Shows Surge in Reports
Outage-tracking website Downdetector Verizon recorded a sharp spike in reports shortly after noon ET. At one point, nearly 170,000 users had reported issues related to Verizon down or Verizon service down.
According to Downdetector data:
- Mobile phone service issues made up the majority of reports
- Loss of signal and “no service” complaints followed closely
- Data connectivity problems were also reported
Cities with high numbers of outage reports included New York City, Washington, D.C., Chicago, Atlanta, Houston, Dallas, and Miami.
Other Carriers Respond
As Verizon customers struggled with the outage, questions arose about whether other carriers were affected. T-Mobile and AT&T both stated that their networks were operating normally.
T-Mobile said its customers might have trouble reaching Verizon users but confirmed that there was no T-Mobile outage on its network. AT&T also reported no issues and said its services were functioning as expected.
Why Is My Phone in SOS Mode?
During a Verizon outage, phones may display SOS mode because they cannot connect to the carrier’s cellular network. This often leads users to ask questions like “why is my phone saying SOS” or “what does SOS mean on phone.”
SOS mode allows emergency calls even when regular service is unavailable. On newer iPhones, satellite SOS features may also activate if no cellular network is detected. Android phones offer similar emergency-only calling, even if the label differs.
What Users Can Do During the Outage
While waiting for Verizon to restore service, customers can take a few steps:
- Use Wi-Fi calling if available
- Connect to the internet through Wi-Fi for messaging and apps
- Use landlines or other carriers for urgent calls
- Monitor updates through Verizon customer service, My Verizon, or official social media accounts
Many users also continue to check Verizon outage updates and ask “when will Verizon be back up?”
Verizon’s Latest Update
By mid-afternoon, Verizon said its teams were still working on the issue. The company did not provide a specific cause or an exact timeline for restoration but stated that resolving the Verizon network outage was a top priority.
“Our teams remain fully deployed and focused on restoring service as quickly as possible,” the company said.
Past Verizon Outages Raise Questions
This is not the first time Verizon has faced a major service disruption. A nationwide outage in 2024 left many customers without service and drew attention from federal regulators. That incident renewed discussions around network reliability and emergency preparedness.
As of now, regulators have not announced any immediate action related to the current Verizon outages today, but the situation continues to be closely watched.
Conclusion
The widespread Verizon outage today caused significant disruption for millions of users, affecting voice calls, data services, and emergency connectivity. With phones stuck in SOS mode and emergency alerts issued in major cities, the incident highlights how dependent daily life has become on reliable cellular networks.
Verizon says it is working to restore service, and customers are advised to monitor official updates, check the Verizon outage map, and use alternative communication methods when possible. Until service is fully restored, many users will continue asking the same question: is Verizon down right now?