Cellular Outage, SOS Mode On: AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile Down

UPDATE: Verizon Fixes Outage, Promises Credits to Affected Customers

TAMPA, Florida – A cellular outage across the United States has caused Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, U.S. Cellular, and other cell phone service provider networks to go down around 12:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time today, Wednesday, January 14, 2026, according to downdetector.com.

Verizon Outage Update

“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. We understand how important reliable connectivity is and apologize for the inconvenience,” Verizon said in a statement.

Verizon Downtime

Verizon does not have an estimated time when service will be restored, or how long Verizon will be down.

How To Make Phone Calls When Verizon Is Down?

Verizon recommends that customers use WiFi calling until service can be restored.

Why Is My Phone On SOS Mode Only?

The cellular outage has caused smartphones, including Android and iPhone, to go into the no service state of SOS mode.

What Does SOS Mean On An iPhone?

If you see SOS or “SOS only” in the status bar, your device isn’t connected to a network, but you can still make emergency calls, according to Apple. This feature is available in Australia, Canada, and the United States.