Verizon Network Outage: Issues Plague Carrier on Monday Leaving Some Stuck in SOS Mode

If you’ve had trouble using Verizon’s network on Monday, you’re not the only one. The carrier has confirmed to CNET that it has been working to fix some problems that have led to a service outage for some of its users. 

“We are aware of an issue impacting service for some customers,” a Verizon spokesperson said in a statement Monday morning. “Our engineers are engaged, and we are working quickly to identify and solve the issue.”

In an updated statement from 4:53 p.m. ET, the carrier confirmed the issue was still ongoing. 

“Verizon engineers are making progress on our network issue and service has started to be restored,” the company tells CNET. “We know how much people rely on Verizon and apologize for any inconvenience some of our customers experienced today. We continue to work around the clock to fully resolve this issue.”

Exactly what the issues are, how many people they’re affecting or when they might be resolved wasn’t immediately known. The carrier says that the problems were unrelated to Hurricane Helene, which hit the US over the weekend. 

The issues have led to some Verizon users taking to X to post how their phone has been stuck in “SOS mode,” an emergency setting that allows for contacting and connecting with first responders but not regular friends, family or contacts. 

According to Downdetector, a site where users can self-report outages, issues with Verizon’s service have begun popping up across major cities including Chicago, Atlanta and New York. (Downdetector is owned by the same parent company as CNET, Ziff Davis.)

T-Mobile and AT&T have confirmed to CNET that their respective networks are fine and that issues their respective users may be experiencing could be a result of trying to connect with a Verizon user who doesn’t have working service. 

“Based on increased reports on Down Detector related to other providers, we believe our customers may be having challenges connecting with other networks,” a T-Mobile spokesperson said. “Outside of some areas where restoration is continuing from Hurricane Helene, our network is operating normally.”