Verizon Addresses Nationwide Service Outage Affecting Thousands

Verizon customers across the United States experienced significant service disruptions on Saturday, with many devices limited to SOS mode, allowing only emergency calls. The company attributed the outage to a software issue and stated that engineers are actively working to resolve it.

"We are aware of a software issue impacting wireless service for some customers," Verizon said in a statement. "Our engineers are engaged and we are working quickly to identify and solve the issue."

Reports of outages began around 12 p.m. Eastern Time, peaking at nearly 23,000 by 3:30 p.m., according to Downdetector, a website that tracks service disruptions. Affected areas included major cities such as Los Angeles, Chicago, and Miami.

Customers reported their phones displaying SOS mode, indicating limited connectivity. Apple explains that SOS mode appears when a device can't connect to its carrier's network but can still make emergency calls through other carriers.

This incident follows a similar outage in October 2024, which affected over 100,000 users. Verizon has not provided an estimated time for full service restoration but advises customers to check their network status page for updates.

"We know how much people rely on Verizon and apologize for any inconvenience," the company added. "We appreciate your patience."

As of late Saturday, some users reported improvements, but many areas remained affected. Verizon continues to work towards a complete resolution.