Verizon is experiencing a network outage – here's everything we know so far

Like AT&T, T-Mobile responded to us and quickly noted that its network is operating normally, aside from ongoing recovery efforts related to Hurricane Helene.

The full statement is: “Due to increasing reports of Down Detector related to other providers, we understand that our customers may have difficulty connecting to other networks. Outside some areas where recovery from Hurricane Helene is continuing, our network is operating normally.”

The down detector reports for T-Mobile are declining and are currently at 840 as of 12:56 p.m. ET.

Considering that the biggest spark in the Verizon outages reported via Down Detector occurred at 10:00 a.m. ET, we're now at about three hours after that outage. Reports peaked at over 105,000, but have since declined to a still impressive 62,001 (as of 12:41 p.m. ET on the website). Many users in the United States are still reporting problems on Verizon's network, including being unable to make calls or send text messages and even seeing SOS in the top bar if they have an iPhone .

Verizon has not commented further since its initial statement at 11:53 a.m. ET, indicating that it is aware of the issue and is working on a resolution.

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AT&T says its network is fine

AT&T is open right now “It is likely that this reflects the challenges our customers face when trying to connect to users on a different network.” This means the problem is with Verizon and not AT&T. The full statement can be found above.

T-Mobile has yet to comment, but Down Detector is still showing an increase in reported outages for them too.

While reported outages on Down Detector for Verizon rose to over 105,000 as of 11:37 a.m. ET, nearly an hour later, outage reports on the site appear to be declining. Currently showing over 70,000 outage reports and a similar heatmap for affected areas across the United States.

However, many affected customers are still posting to Threads and Others also report being unable to make calls and not receiving calls.

If you're just joining us, here's a quick TLDR about what's going on at Verizon this morning. The US-based wireless carrier is currently experiencing a nationwide outage affecting people across the country. It is reported that affected customers are unable to make or receive calls and have no access to data. Some iPhones display “SOS” or “SOS Only” in the top status bar instead of the network coverage bars, meaning the phone cannot connect to the cellular network.

While the outage reports began again at 9:00 a.m. ET, Verizon issued a response shortly after 11:50 a.m. ET, noting that it was aware of a service issue and was working quickly to “identify and resolve” it.

“VerizonDown” and “VerizonOutage” are trending on Threads and X as affected users share their frustrations and experiences.

If you have an iPhone and Verizon, but your device's top status bar currently says “SOS” or “SOS Only,” your phone cannot connect to your carrier's cellular network. If you're a customer, this coincides with Verizon's outage today, but your iPhone in the US, Australia and Canada can still make emergency calls.

Apple has a support document surrounding SOS or SOS Only on your iPhone, but there's not much to do other than wait for Verizon to fix the problem. You can try restarting your iPhone or turning on airplane mode for about 15 seconds to see if that solves the problem.

Verizon customers affected by the outage continue to post about their experiences on Threads and X, but are now using the tags “VerizonDown” or “VerizonOutage.” Some even include the phrase, “Can you hear me now?” as a nod to the carrier's old advertisements.

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Verizon responds to network outage

Verizon just responded to us and said: “We are aware of an issue affecting service for some customers. Our engineers are dedicated and we are working quickly to identify and resolve the issue.”

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the problem can be found and fixed quickly, as in some regions it has already existed for several hours. Verizon also shared the same statement on its social channels.

As with AT&T's massive network outage in early 2024, when reports first began at Verizon, Down Detector is now seeing an increase in reports at AT&T and T-Mobile. It's important to keep in mind that this may not be an issue specific to these carriers, but rather that you're dialing a number that's connected to Verizon's network. Nonetheless, we contacted both AT&T and T-Mobile this morning to ask about any network disruptions.

Since reports of the outage first surfaced at 9 a.m. ET, there have been over 105,000 reports of an outage on Down Detector for Verizon, and that number also appears to be increasing.

People notice that they can't call or don't have a network, which causes the SOS icon on a newer iPhone to appear to replace the network bars. This feature allows iPhone to connect to a satellite to send messages or make calls. It was originally used for emergency SOS via satellite, but now also works for messaging via satellite.

Verizon customers have taken to the social platform's threads to ask if they're the only ones experiencing network issues and express their frustration. Down Detector's outage map shows New York, Washington, DC, Atlanta and Kansas as the areas with the most reported problems, followed by Los Angeles, Phoenix and San Francisco.

Some users are noticing that the cell service reception indicators – also called the bars at the top of the smartphone screen – have disappeared in favor of SOS and a satellite icon.

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Welcome, we are here to report on this ongoing Verizon outage. According to Down Detector, there has been an increase in outage reports since 10 a.m. ET.