Technologies

If the Verizon Outage Left Your iPhone Stuck in SOS Mode, Here’s How to Fix It

Even when you’re in an area with good cellular coverage, your iPhone status might read SOS. Here’s what to know.

Did you get caught up in Verizon’s massive outage this week? Millions of customers saw «SOS» at the top of their phone screen instead of the usual graph of connection bars. Verizon has since restored service, but some people are still seeing those three letters or getting spotty reception.

Unfortunately, when the network is down, there’s not a lot you can do to get reconnected — you have to wait for service to resume. But you could also see the same thing with any mobile provider when you venture out of cellular range or even when riding the subway. Still, seeing «SOS» on your iPhone can still make you anxious.

Let’s take a look at what Apple’s Emergency SOS modes are and see what you can do when your iPhone gets stuck in them, even after service is back online.

What exactly are Apple’s Emergency SOS modes?

When you see «SOS» as the status, it refers to a feature on the Apple iPhone (14 and newer) called Emergency SOS via Satellite, which lets you contact emergency services and share your location with them, even if you don’t have cellular network service. It’s a way to stay connected even when you’re out of coverage areas. For example, if you’re hiking in a remote wilderness and get injured, you can still contact emergency services.

Emergency SOS via Satellite is a separate feature from another feature on every iPhone, called simply Emergency SOS. That one requires an active service connection and calls your local emergency number, and shares your location information with emergency services.

So what’s the problem with SOS mode?

Once your iPhone loses service and enters its SOS mode, your device may struggle to reconnect to your network, even if you’re back in an area with service. You might notice that someone else in the area has service while you don’t, or vice versa. Fortunately, there are several ways to address this issue.

Read more: Best iPhone in 2026

What to do if you’re stuck in SOS mode

According to Apple, if you see «SOS» or «SOS only» in the status bar, you can do the following to help your device find a cellular network:

Make sure that you’re in an area with cellular network coverage. You can check in with people around you who appear to have service or verify with your service provider.
Turn your cellular data off and on. Go to Settings > Cellular and toggle Cellular Data on and off.
Restart your iPhone. On the iPhone X and later models, hold either of the volume buttons and the side button until the power off slider appears, and then drag the slider. Wait 30 seconds, then press and hold the side button to turn your iPhone back on. If you have an older iPhone model, here’s how to restart it.
Check for a carrier settings update. Your carrier may send out a carrier settings update to improve your cellular network connectivity and performance. As long as you’re connected to the internet, go to Settings > General > About and check to see if an update is available.
Turn your cellular line off and on. Go to Settings > Cellular > your phone number and toggle your cellular line on and off. If you’re not using an eSIM, remove the SIM card from your phone and reinsert it.
Update your iPhone. If the software has a bug, it may be causing issues with your cellular service. To check for a software update, go to Settings > General > Software Update. You’ll need internet for this to work, so Wi-Fi would be your only option if you can’t connect to cellular.
Reset your network settings. WARNING: This will reset all your Wi-Fi networks and passwords, cellular settings, and VPN settings. Only do this if you’ve tried all of the above first. If you’re fine with that, go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > Reset Network Settings.

Lastly, if network connection issues persist, Apple suggests contacting your phone carrier to determine if there are any issues with your carrier or account that could be affecting your service, such as another outage in your area or an unpaid account.

Technologies

Get This Next-Level Alienware Gaming Desktop for a Door-Busting $400 Off

This powerful Dell desktop will totally overhaul your PC gaming, and it’s now available for just $1,750.

Right now, Dell is offering the Alienware Aurora gaming desktop for just $1,750. It usually costs $2,150, so this deal saves you $400. That’s more than the $1,250 low we saw briefly, but it’s still a solid price. Dell’s Alienware line is one of our favorites. Though there are multiple models to choose from, the Aurora is full of features gamers are sure to appreciate.

Dell doesn’t have a strict deadline for this discount, but we suggest acting fast.

This Alienware Aurora desktop is black, has a transparent cover and has chic lights. It also has air cooling, a mouse and a matching keyboard.

Dell offers the option to add a few extras to your purchase, but its base configuration includes 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD and Windows 11 Home. The desktop is equipped with an Intel Core Ultra 7 card for speedy performance and multitasking. An Nvidia GeForce RTX 5060 Ti graphics card powers all your visuals for a clear view of the action.

The Aurora features AI-boosted gameplay for smooth frame rates and lessened lag. This desktop also supports Wi-Fi 7 and 2.5Gbps Ethernet for fewer signal interruptions.

Why this deal matters

Gaming can quickly get expensive. However, this $400 discount on the Alienware Aurora desktop offers the chance to upgrade for just $1,750. Dell doesn’t exactly mention a deadline for this deal, so we suggest acting fast.

Technologies

These Bass-Boosting Skullcandy Headphones Are Over $100 Off Today at Best Buy

That drops the price down to just $130, making this a one-day deal you won’t want to miss.

Right now, you can pick up these Skullcandy Crusher ANC headphones for just $130 at Best Buy. That saves you $110 compared to the usual price, and is just $15 more than the all-time lowest price we’ve seen for this over-ear pair. However, this one-day deal expires at 9:59 p.m. PT (12:49 a.m. ET) tonight, so be sure to get your order in soon.

If you’re someone who cranks the volume up during workouts, movie marathons or late-night gaming sessions, these headphones lean right into that energy. The Crusher ANC 2 is built for bass lovers who want their playlists and action scenes to hit hard without maxing out the volume.

The standout feature is Skullcandy’s patented Crusher Bass technology which combines dual bass drivers with 40mm audio drivers. You also get adjustable four-mic active noise canceling, letting you adjust how much of the outside world you want blocked out.

Battery life is another win here, with up to 60 hours of listening with ANC off, plus Rapid Charge that gives you up to four hours from a 10-minute charge. Multi-point pairing makes switching devices easy, and the Skull-IQ app lets you fine-tune EQ and sound profiles.

If this isn’t the right fit, take a look at our full roundup on the best headphones we’ve tested in 2026.

HEADPHONE DEALS OF THE WEEK

Sony WH-1000XM5 Wireless Noise Canceling Headphones (Black):

$248 (save $152)
Beats Studio Pro Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones (Black):

$170 (save $181)
Sony WH-1000XM6 Wireless Noise Cancelling Over-Ear Headphones:

$398 (save $62)
Bose QuietComfort Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones (Twilight Blue):

$179 (save $170)
Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless ANC Over-Ear Headphones (Black):

$200 (save $250)

Deals are selected by the CNET Group commerce team, and may be unrelated to this article.

Why this deal matters

Between the physical bass sliders, long battery life, smart noise canceling and multipoint support, you’re getting a feature-packed pair of headphones for well under their usual price. Add clear AI-powered mic quality and this limited-time deal offers a lot of tech for the money.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Strands Hints, Answers and Help for March 11 #738

Here are hints and answers for the NYT Strands puzzle for March 11, No. 738.

Looking for the most recent Strands answer? Click here for our daily Strands hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Today’s NYT Strands puzzle could be tough. If you watch a lot of Game of Thrones-type shows, or play D&D, the answers might come easily for you. Some of the answers are difficult to unscramble, so if you need hints and answers, read on.

I go into depth about the rules for Strands in this story.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections and Mini Crossword answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: NYT Connections Turns 1: These Are the 5 Toughest Puzzles So Far

Hint for today’s Strands puzzle

Today’s Strands theme is: Survival mode

If that doesn’t help you, here’s a clue: Needed skills.

Clue words to unlock in-game hints

Your goal is to find hidden words that fit the puzzle’s theme. If you’re stuck, find any words you can. Every time you find three words of four letters or more, Strands will reveal one of the theme words. These are the words I used to get those hints but any words of four or more letters that you find will work:

GIFT, LIFT, LITE, LITER, LIFTER, MITE, MITER, RIDE, RIDES, SIDE, SIDES

Answers for today’s Strands puzzle

These are the answers that tie into the theme. The goal of the puzzle is to find them all, including the spangram, a theme word that reaches from one side of the puzzle to the other. When you have all of them (I originally thought there were always eight but learned that the number can vary), every letter on the board will be used. Here are the nonspangram answers: