How to Fix “SOS Only” on an iPhone
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Key Takeaways
- “SOS Only” or “SOS” means that you are only able to make emergency calls to restricted numbers (like 911) using another provider’s cell towers.
- Your phone may also show the “SOS” message during carrier outages, or occasionally due to a problem with your iPhone.
- To “fix” the problem, move into an area with better coverage, try toggling Airplane Mode and restarting your iPhone, or consider switching carrier if you see the message a lot.
If you see “SOS Only” on your iPhone at the top of the screen, you’ll have trouble making calls, sending texts, or accessing the internet. Here’s what’s going on and how to get things back to normal.
What Does “SOS Only” Mean on iPhone?
The “SOS Only” or just “SOS” warning appears in the carrier field, at the top of the screen on your iPhone. This means that the only calls you can make on your iPhone are emergency calls to numbers like 911 (US), 112 (Europe), 999 (UK), or 000 (Australia).
Traveling and not sure of the current emergency number? Press and hold the Side and Volume Up or Down buttons until you see the “Emergency SOS” slider and use it to make a call.
Normal calls to standard numbers won’t work, and you won’t be able to send text messages. Data services that connect to the internet also won’t work. Your phone is effectively limited to calling police, fire, ambulance, coastguard, mountain rescue, or similar emergency services you may have in whatever country you are in.
If you have an iPhone with Crash Detection or an Apple Watch with Fall Detection or other emergency services, these will still work as normal while you see the “SOS Only” warning.
Why Does My Phone Say “SOS Only”?
“SOS Only” means that the carrier your iPhone normally uses is out of range but that you’re in range of a rival network. For example, if you subscribe to AT&T but you’re in an area that’s only covered by Verizon, you’ll see the SOS Only warning on your iPhone.
This means you can still call for help if you find yourself in trouble but outside of normal cell phone range. “SOS Only” will appear when you’re traveling abroad depending on which country you are calling from.
“SOS Only” May Be Related to Carrier Outages
“SOS Only” will also appear at times when your carrier is experiencing service outages. This means that you are only able to use a rival carrier’s cell towers in order to place emergency calls. If you’re in an area where you expect to receive a cellular signal and you see this warning, there’s a good chance something has gone wrong somewhere.
Though your smartphone will be out of action, it’s worth checking for any network outages when you can access the internet. Big network outages usually make the news, so you might want to flick on the TV too. Smaller outages, where a single (or a cluster of) towers are affected is much more likely than a region-wide or nationwide outage.
How to Fix “SOS Only” on an iPhone
Since “SOS Only” is a failsafe feature rather than a problem, the only “fix” is to move within range of your carrier’s network. If you see the message appear a lot, you might want to consider making use of your iPhone’s dual-SIM capabilities and subscribing to another mobile plan.
Sometimes your iPhone can get “stuck” on the “SOS Only” warning, causing it to appear in areas where you normally get a signal. In this instance, you can try enabling Airplane Mode by swiping down from the top-right corner and toggling the plane symbol on and then off in Control Center.
You can also try restarting your iPhone if this doesn’t work, which should cause your device to re-establish a connection with your carrier.
Wi-Fi Calling Should Work During an Outage
Instead of using the cellular network, Wi-Fi calling uses a standard internet connection to place calls with your carrier. Most carriers support Wi-Fi calling as long as you’re connected to a reliable wireless network. You can enable Wi-Fi calling on your iPhone under Settings > Phone > Wi-Fi Calling.
If you don’t see the option, your carrier may not support it. Once Wi-Fi calling is enabled, you should see a “Wi-Fi calling” label at the top of the screen.
Your iPhone May Also Support Emergency SOS via Satellite
Apple introduced “Emergency SOS via Satellite” in the iPhone 14. If you have an iPhone from 2022 or later including the iPhone 14, iPhone 15, and iPhone 16 (including Plus, Pro, and Pro Max models) then you can access this feature.
This feature kicks in whenever you’re out of carrier range altogether (so you won’t see “SOS” at all). To use it, try to place an emergency call as you normally would. Your iPhone will advise you that no signal is detected, and to “Try Emergency Text via Satellite” instead.
You’ll need to follow the on-screen advice to point your iPhone at the satellite for this to work. The feature is available in the U.S., Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, the UK (at the time of writing).
Seeing the “SOS” warning a lot? You might live in an area where your current cellular provider has poor coverage. First, check cellular coverage in your area and then consider switching to a better phone plan.
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