Verizon customers are reporting widespread outages with cell phones limited to SOS mode

Verizon customers in the US reported problems accessing the company’s mobile network. Some reported Monday morning that their phone service was down and limited to SOS mode.

As of 10:11 a.m. ET, more than 100,000 reports of Verizon outages had been logged on DownDetector, a website that tracks service outages for telecommunications providers, websites and other companies.

Outages were reported from New York to Los Angeles, with the main complaint being a lack of service on customers’ cell phones.

Customers began reporting problems shortly after 9 a.m. ET, with some turning to social media to ask Verizon for refunds.

“It’s been over two hours and we don’t even know why this is happening. We all pay a pretty penny on our Verizon bill, this time should be compensated until the issue is fully resolved,” a customer posted on Verizon’s customer support account on X.

People across the country said their phones had no service other than SOS mode.

“SOS in Ohio since this morning. I was working on my commute but crashed a few hours ago and haven’t returned,” one user wrote on DownDetector.

In an emailed statement to CBS MoneyWatch, Verizon said it was aware of the issue.

“We are aware of an issue affecting service for some customers,” a spokesperson said. “Our engineers are committed and we are working quickly to identify and resolve the issue.”

What is SOS mode?

Cell phones sometimes enter SOS mode when they have problems connecting to a wireless network. As the name suggests, SOS mode means the phone can still make emergency calls like 911 by connecting to other wireless carriers, according to Apple.

Some customers complained on social media that the outage made it impossible for them to use two-factor authentication, in which a company sends a code via SMS to a customer’s cellphone as an additional security measure when logging in. The customer then uses the code to access an account, such as a financial services account or a work email address – as well as their Verizon accounts.

“Also, how can I log into my Verizon account if I can’t confirm who I am through a text message due to an outage?” one user wrote on X.