Verizon restores network after outage leaves thousands without service
What's the story
A major network outage hit Verizon, leaving thousands of customers across the US without service. The disruption affected calls, text messages, and mobile data. Many devices were stuck in SOS mode. The software-related disruption was reported from several states, including Florida, Georgia, and California. However, the service for customers has now been fully restored, according to Verizon.
Twitter Post
Company to keep monitoring situation to prevent further impacts
Service for current customers has been fully restored following today’s software-related service disruption. We will continue to monitor the situation to ensure no further impacts. Thank you for your patience as our engineering team worked to resolve the issue.
— Verizon News (@VerizonNews) August 31, 2025
User reports
Users report being on hold for hours
The outage triggered a flood of complaints on Downdetector, with over 10,000 reports logged. Users noted that the disruption was both widespread and long-lasting. Many took to social media and outage forums to share their experiences. One user said they had been "down and on hold for past hour," while another reported service in Georgia went into SOS mode twice in two hours. A Verizon spokesperson said they were "aware of a software issue impacting wireless service for some customers."
SOS mode
What does SOS mean on iPhone?
When an iPhone shows SOS or "SOS only," it means the device is disconnected from the carrier's network but can still call emergency services. If you see "No Service" or "Searching," there is no connection to any network at all. Android users reported similar issues with their devices, unable to connect to Verizon towers during the outage.
Fixes
How to manually fix the issue?
Apple recommends iPhone users turn on Airplane Mode for at least 15 seconds before turning it off again. This can help refresh the connection and restore service. They should also check if their device is running the latest version of iOS and if there are any carrier settings updates available. For Android users, restarting their devices, checking for system or carrier updates, and reseating the SIM card can help resolve issues during such outages.