Is Verizon Down?
Verizon is online
No issues reported. The website, app, and services are fully operational.
Service status is calculated by merging official data with a 24-hour baseline of user-reported issues. Our tool recalculates these metrics every 30 minutes to provide a real-time, 360° view of connectivity.
Major Verizon outages and their causes
As one of the largest telecommunications companies, Verizon manages a massive infrastructure of cellular towers and fiber-optic networks. When these systems experience software bugs or routing failures, millions of customers lose their connection. Below are a few notable examples:
January 2026: 5G SA Core Software Failure
A major software issue triggered an extended service blackout that affected nearly 2 million Verizon mobile customers across the United States. Network experts noted the outage was linked to Verizon's 5G Standalone (SA) core going down during a feature update, causing cascading cascading network failures that disrupted both voice and data services.
Source:CNET - Verizon 5G core software failure triggers major service blackout for millions of users
September 2024: Massive Nationwide SOS only mode on Verizon?
A catastrophic network disruption left millions of Verizon mobile customers across the country without cellular service, with smartphones suddenly stuck in "SOS Mode." The outage, which peaked with over 100,000 reports within hours, prevented users from making calls, sending texts, or accessing mobile data, limiting them exclusively to emergency satellite connectivity.
Source: Light Reading - Verizon hit by massive nationwide outage as millions of devices enter SOS mode
June 2020: Widespread Multi-Carrier Routing Disruption
A severe nationwide network routing issue caused mass connectivity failures across the telecommunications grid. Although the root cause primarily started with a T-Mobile infrastructure collapse, the interconnected nature of the routing grid meant calls from other networks to T-Mobile failed to connect, creating widespread panic and a massive surge of Verizon outage reports as cross-carrier communication broke down completely.
Source: Android Authority - Nationwide routing issue causes cross-carrier outage for Verizon and T-Mobile users
How our status checker works
We combine official data with a dynamic User-Report Baseline to calculate real-time connectivity. By analyzing user-reported issues over a rolling 24-hour window, our tool recalculates the health of each service every 30 minutes.
Online
When report volume remains below the 50% threshold, the service is confirmed "Online," reflecting stable performance and no widespread issues.
Partial outage
A report surge between 50% and 75% triggers a "Partial outage" alert, indicating localized disruptions or specific feature instability.
Down
Reports exceeding 75% of the baseline classify the service as "Down," signaling a critical failure or a major connectivity outage.
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Official Sync
What to Do If Verizon Is Down
If you're having trouble accessing Verizon, follow these steps to troubleshoot and restore your connection:
1Verify Specific Service Outages
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Verify Specific Service OutagesDetermine if the outage affects Verizon's cellular network or Fios home internet. Check @VerizonSupport on X and real-time outage maps. If local cellular towers are undergoing emergency maintenance, you must simply wait for technicians to restore the signal.
2Toggle Airplane Mode or Restart
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Toggle Airplane Mode or RestartSometimes phones struggle to hand off connections between cellular towers, mimicking a blackout. Turn on Airplane Mode for 10 seconds, then turn it off. Alternatively, fully restart your device to force a search for the nearest operational cell tower.
3Reboot Fios Router and ONT Box
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Reboot Fios Router and ONT BoxIf your Fios internet is down and the router displays a solid red globe light, it indicates a synchronization error.
Unplug both your Fios router and Optical Network Terminal (ONT) box for one minute to reset the fiber connection.
Unplug both your Fios router and Optical Network Terminal (ONT) box for one minute to reset the fiber connection.
4Secure Fallback Wi-Fi with BearVPN
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Secure Fallback Wi-Fi with BearVPNWhen cellular networks drop and your phone enters SOS mode, you may rely on unsecured public Wi-Fi to communicate. BearVPN encrypts your connection on these vulnerable hotspots, ensuring your personal data and VoIP calls remain completely hidden from hackers.
Frequently asked questions
When your iPhone or Android displays "SOS" or "SOS only," it means your device has completely lost its connection to Verizon's cellular network. Your phone can no longer make standard calls or use data, but it is still capable of routing emergency 911 calls through other available carrier towers or satellites.
Yes. Verizon Mobile relies on wireless cellular towers, while Verizon Fios is a hardwired fiber-optic internet service delivered directly to your home. It is extremely common for the mobile network to experience a localized outage while your home Fios internet continues working perfectly, or vice versa.
No, a VPN cannot create a cellular signal if the physical Verizon towers are down. However, when you are forced to use an unsecured public Wi-Fi network to send messages or make internet calls during an outage, BearVPN is essential for encrypting that traffic and protecting your privacy.
A solid red globe light indicates that your router cannot establish an internet connection with Verizon's servers. This is usually caused by a severed fiber-optic cable in your neighborhood, a widespread Fios service outage, or a malfunctioning ONT box on the side of your house.
If you have an active Wi-Fi connection (like your home internet), you can enable the "Wi-Fi Calling" feature in your smartphone's settings. This allows you to make standard voice calls and send SMS text messages using the internet router instead of the broken cellular towers.
