How to fix your iPhone if it’s stuck in SOS mode as US is hit by major network outages

Amid a major cell phone outage hitting thousands of users across the US, iPhone users have found themselves trapped in what's been termed as "SOS mode," rendering their devices unable to make calls or send messages.

Yes, in what many have described as being like the start of Netflix's Leave The World Behind, many cell phone users woke up today to find no service on their devices.

As a result, X has been flooded with memes, questions, and trending phrases such as 'outage' and 'SOS Only'.

Seriously, it's all anybody is talking about:

The issue, causing considerable inconvenience to iPhone users, has prompted them to seek solutions to regain control of their smartphones. According to the Daily Mail, the quickest workaround to resolve the issue involves performing a hard reset, known as a "force restart" in Apple terminology.

Apple's recommended steps for a force restart entail pressing and quickly releasing the volume up button, followed by the volume down button, before holding down the side button until the Apple logo appears.

Once the logo is visible, users can release the side button and restart the iPhone as usual.

"SOS mode" is triggered when a cellular connection is severed, restricting users to only making calls to emergency services. However, those with iPhone models 13 or earlier may not encounter SOS mode during the outage, instead seeing a "no service" indicator.

An alternative method to restore service involves toggling the "Data Roaming" feature under the "Cellular Data" tab in settings, as suggested by reports. However, enabling data roaming can potentially lead to additional charges from mobile service providers.

The cell phone outage, affecting major carriers including AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon, struck around 4 a.m. EST Thursday, causing widespread disruptions. AT&T bore the brunt of the outage, with nearly 32,000 reports registered at the height of the issue, according to data from DownDetector.

T-Mobile and Verizon also reported over 800 service outages, although a Verizon spokesperson attributed some reports to users experiencing difficulties when attempting to call individuals on other networks. Smaller carriers like Boost Mobile, Consumer Cellular, and Straight Talk Wireless also experienced issues.

The outage stretched across major cities from New York to Los Angeles, and even reached Montreal, Canada, though the root cause of the problem remains undisclosed.

As iPhone users grapple with the "SOS mode" glitch amidst the broader cell phone outage, many are hoping for a swift resolution to restore seamless connectivity and functionality to their devices.

Anyway, I've watched Leave The World Behind. So the best advice I can give you is to stay away from Teslas and avoid any deer.

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