Verizon is experiencing a major wireless outage impacting voice and data services for many customers across the United States on Wednesday, January 14, 2026, leaving numerous users unable to place calls or use mobile data and seeing “SOS” on their phones instead of normal signal bars. The company has acknowledged the problem and says its engineers are working to identify the cause and restore connectivity as quickly as possible, while apologizing for the disruption and urging customers to use Wi‑Fi, landlines, or other carriers where available in the meantime.
Verizon outage hits voice and data
Verizon confirmed on Wednesday that it is dealing with an “issue impacting wireless voice and data services for some customers,” disrupting regular calling and mobile internet access for tens of thousands of users nationwide. Many affected customers report that their smartphones abruptly lost service and now display “SOS” or “No service” in the status bar, indicating they cannot connect to the carrier’s network for normal communications.
Scale and locations of the disruption
User‑reported data from outage‑tracking site Downdetector shows more than 100,000 reports at the peak of the incident, with some counts climbing well above that figure as the day progressed. Reports have been concentrated in major metro areas including New York City, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, Boston, Chicago and Los Angeles, though issues have been reported across much of the country.
Verizon’s official response
In a statement shared on social media and to news outlets, Verizon said its engineers are “engaged and are working to identify and solve the issue quickly,” emphasizing that the company understands how important reliable connectivity is for customers’ daily lives. Verizon has not yet provided details on the root cause of the outage or a firm timeline for full restoration, describing the situation as ongoing and promising further updates as work continues.
Emergency alerts and safety concerns
Emergency management officials in cities such as Washington, D.C., have issued alerts warning that some Verizon users may have trouble reaching 911 during the outage. Authorities advise that anyone unable to place an emergency call on a Verizon device should try a phone on another carrier, a landline, or go directly to a police station or fire station to seek help.
What customers can do right now
Technical troubleshooting on the user side—such as restarting phones, toggling airplane mode, or reseating SIM cards—is unlikely to resolve the problem while the underlying network issue persists, though it may help once service begins to return in some areas. Customers are being urged to rely on Wi‑Fi calling where it still works, use alternative communication methods, and monitor Verizon’s official channels and local emergency notifications for the latest information until normal service is restored.