Verizon customers across the United States faced major service disruptions on Saturday, with thousands reporting that their mobile devices were limited to SOS mode for several hours. The outage caused widespread frustration as people from California to Florida struggled to connect to the network.
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The Outage and Its Impact
Reports of service issues began surfacing around 12 p.m. ET, according to outage tracking website DownDetector. Complaints surged throughout the afternoon, peaking around 3:30 p.m. ET with nearly 23,000 reports logged.
Many customers stated that their phones had no service, showing only “SOS mode.” In this mode, devices cannot connect to their regular network but can still make emergency calls, such as dialing 911, by using other carriers’ networks.
On social media, Verizon users expressed frustration, with some saying the company downplayed the scale of the outage. One customer told CBS News that all of their Los Angeles friends using Verizon had no service, despite Verizon suggesting only “some customers” were impacted.
Verizon’s Response
In a statement to CBS News, Verizon acknowledged the problem and attributed it to a “software issue impacting wireless service for some customers.”
“Our engineers are engaged and we are working quickly to identify and solve the issue,” Verizon said. The company encouraged customers to check its Network Status page for updates and apologized for the inconvenience.
By around 9 p.m. ET, Verizon announced on X (formerly Twitter) that it was beginning to see service restoration in affected areas. By midnight, the company confirmed that services had been fully restored nationwide.
“We will continue to monitor the situation to ensure no further impacts,” Verizon added.
Lessons from the Incident
While mobile service outages are not uncommon, the scale of Saturday’s disruption highlights how dependent people have become on reliable connectivity. For many, being limited to SOS mode not only disrupted communication but also raised concerns about safety and accessibility during emergencies.
For businesses and individuals, the incident underscores the importance of having backup communication methods, whether through landlines, alternative carriers, or Wi-Fi calling.
Conclusion
The Verizon outage that left thousands of customers across the U.S. without service serves as a reminder of the critical role mobile networks play in daily life. While Verizon moved quickly to resolve the software issue and restore service, the disruption emphasized how even short-term outages can cause nationwide concern.
As reliance on wireless connectivity continues to grow, network providers will likely face increasing pressure to ensure resilience and faster recovery when issues occur.
