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Verizon users across the country reported widespread service disruptions and SOS alerts on their phones as the carrier acknowledged an ongoing outage.
Thousands of Verizon users across the US reported calls and data outages, with many phones switching to SOS mode. (IMAGE: REUTERS FILE)
Verizon services were down for thousands of users across the United States on Wednesday, with widespread reports of disruptions to voice, data and messaging services, according to outage tracker Downdetector and reports by 9to5Mac and Mashable.
As per 9to5Mac, the problems began shortly after noon ET (eastern time), with many Verizon users saying their phones had switched to “SOS” mode. On iPhones, SOS mode indicates that the device is not connected to a cellular network, though emergency calls can still be made. Affected users reported being unable to place regular calls, send messages or access mobile data.
Downdetector classified the Verizon outage as “Very High”. Mashable reported that the platform recorded a peak of over 140,000 error reports within a 15-minute window on Wednesday afternoon. Of those reporting problems, around 63 percent flagged phone-related issues, while 31 percent said they had a complete loss of signal. Complaints were logged from both the east and west coasts, pointing to a nationwide disruption.
In a statement posted on X, Verizon said it was aware of an issue impacting wireless voice and data services and that its engineering teams were “fully deployed and focused on the issue”. In a later update, the company said efforts to restore services were continuing but did not provide a cause or timeline.
While users on AT&T and T-Mobile also reported some difficulties, both carriers said their networks were operating normally. According to 9to5Mac, T-Mobile said its customers might face trouble reaching Verizon users due to the outage, even though its own network was functioning optimally.
There were also reports of more than 1,700 incidents each for T-Mobile’s and AT&T’s services, according to Downdetector.
Industry watchers cited by Mashable said the disruption appeared to be concentrated on Verizon’s network, with issues on other carriers likely linked to cross-network communication rather than separate outages.
Verizon had faced a nationwide wireless outage in late 2024 that impacted over 100,000 users at its peak. The outage drew the Federal Communications Commission’s attention after several services were impacted and iPhone users were stuck in “SOS” mode.
Washington D.C., United States of America (USA)
January 15, 2026, 01:27 IST
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