Verizon 911 Outage 2026: When Your Smartphone's SOS Mode Fails
Verizon's massive network outage on Jan 14, 2026, disrupted 911 emergency services for thousands. Learn about the Verizon 911 outage 2026 and why SOS mode failed.
What happens when your lifeline is cut off? For thousands of users across the United States on Wednesday, the promise of emergency connectivity vanished as a massive Verizon network outage disabled even the most critical functions.
Restoration Timeline of the Verizon 911 Outage 2026
The major carrier confirmed that its network services were finally restored at 10:20 p.m. ET (7:20 p.m. PT) after hours of widespread disruption. During the peak of the outage, phones across the country were stuck in SOS mode, leaving users unable to make standard calls or access data.
| Feature | Normal Status | During Outage |
|---|---|---|
| Standard Calling | Active | Disabled |
| Mobile Data | Active | Disabled |
| SOS Mode/911 | Reliable | Intermittent/Failed |
Critical Safety Failure: 911 Accessibility Issues
Theoretically, SOS mode allows a device to connect to any available network tower to reach emergency services. However, reports from the Office of Unified Communications (OUC) and Notify NYC indicated that some users couldn't even reach 911. Authorities were forced to advise citizens to use landlines or find a police station in person.
If you have an emergency and cannot connect using your Verizon device, please connect using a device from another carrier, a landline, or go to a police or fire station.
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