The Verizon cellular network is experiencing a major service outage in the United States, and hundred of thousands of customers are reporting issues with the network on the website Downdetector. Users are also complaining on social networks like Facebook and Reddit.
Customers with iPhones and other smartphones on the Verizon network report being unable to make phone calls, send text messages, or connect to the internet over 5G or LTE due to the outage. iPhone users report seeing “SOS” in the status bar, as the device cannot connect to Verizon’s network.
In a support document, Apple says “SOS” means your device isn’t connected to your cellular provider’s network, although you can still make emergency calls through other carrier networks. The feature is available in Australia, Canada, and the United States.
AT&T and T-Mobile customers may be indirectly impacted by Verizon’s outage.
Verizon says it is aware of the outage, and it is working on a fix.
At 4:12 p.m. Eastern Time, Verizon said it is still working on the issue.
Verizon's team is on the ground actively working to fix today’s service issue that is impacting some customers. We know this is a huge inconvenience, and our top priority is to get you back online and connected as fast as possible. We appreciate your patience while we work to…
— Verizon News (@VerizonNews) January 14, 2026
“Verizon’s team is on the ground actively working to fix today’s service issue that is impacting some customers. We know this is a huge inconvenience, and our top priority is to get you back online and connected as fast as possible. We appreciate your patience while we work to resolve this issue.”
We will update this article when the outage is fully resolved.
