Why Your iPhone Says SOS Only
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- Опубліковано 7 лют 2025
- If you’ve recently purchased Apple's new iPhone 14, you may have noticed this SOS icon appear in the status bar. Which can be alarming, since it’s never been displayed by any iPhone before.
But it turns out that the SOS indicator simply means the iPhone is not connected to a cellular network, but is still able to make emergency calls. That’s why the icon appears in the area where the carrier name usually goes.
Small correction - As many commenters have pointed out, 'SOS only' has appeared on iPhones (in many countries) for years.
Say you have a SIM card/plan with Verizon (or Orange or Telstra or whatever your country's counterpart is), but the only cell towers in range of your current location belong to T-Mobile or AT&T. Your phone IS within range of a cell tower, but since it's not a VERIZON cell tower, you can't use it to surf the Web or send texts. You can, however, make a call to 911, since it's legally required (in certain countries) that doing so is free, regardless of what company you pay. The same thing happens if you don't have an active phone plan. You can still use the inactive SIM card in your phone to make 911 calls, hence the 'SOS only' status.
BUT, there is a difference. On older iPhones, if you removed your SIM card, or you were in a remote area where there aren't ANY cell towers (from ANY company), the phone would instead say 'No Service', to indicate that the phone is physically unable to make any sort of cell connection, even to make a 911 call. However, in the new iPhone 14 series, the phone will still say 'SOS only' in this case, because Apple's phone's can connect to satellites (in space, instead of cell towers on the ground) to send very basic text messages to emergency services. That's the difference. Even in the middle of nowhere, your iPhone 14 may save you.
Connecting to satellites to send emergency texts is not new technology. In fact, Garmin's popular 'inReach' series of handheld GPS units can send any texts over a satellite network, not just to emergency services. It's a nifty feature for the sorts of hikers and adventurers that would own a handheld GPS. However, this is the first time such a feature has existed in a mainstream cell phone. Granted, Apple's tech is definitely more limited since iPhones aren't specifically designed for this purpose and can only cram such a large antenna in their thin bodies, but it is still absolutely something to be excited about, and if you're ever in the situation which calls for such a feature, it could very well save your life.
Hope this helps!
Thanks
My iphone 8 plus says sos only tho
Most phones, iPhone, Android, or dumb will connect to whatever network is strongest - regardless of your carrier - if you dial 911, 999, or 112 in any country. It just automatically makes the strongest connection it can to the emergency services if you dial any one of those numbers (I did once try calling 911 in the UK when I needed to contact the police & it still connected to the emergency services even though the number is 999 here).
He's referring to satellite connection. Not your vanilla emergency contact
@@arnoldmbuthia2687 Granted, that emergency satellite texting feature is new & presently exclusive to the latest iPhones, but the video is still inaccurate in saying that no phone has ever previously shown “SOS” when only emergency calls could be made. As far back as 2009 I had a BlackBerry Curve that would show SOS in bold red letters as the network ID if I was outside my provider’s coverage area, but still in range of other cell towers.
I literally just looked this question up like 4 hours ago, this man is literally reading my mind
I did that a few days ago. I just found this video.
its called t r a c k i n g. a lot of websites track your data, and if you didn't know already, kind of make a profile out of you even if you didn't put any information. but also it could be because google owns youtube, so that's why.
That's why this comment is sponsored by No-
@@TheProGamerMC20 well I watch this guy anyway, I’ve seen most of his videos lmao, I just thought it was funny
@@Hopexos oh lol
To sum this video, SOS in the status bar is how Apple now indicates that the phone isn't connected to a cellular network but can still make emergency calls. You may also see “SOS Only” where the carrier name usually goes. This feature works in Australia, Canada, and the United States. 🤭
It also works in the UK & Portugal and probably most other countries.
@@badr58 Sadly they don’t even include Europe
@@badr58 As an American I agree
@@badr58 Probably for testing since those 3 countries have like 400 million people combined so a good majority can test the feature before they release it worldwide, Im guessing they don’t release it to mexico because they’re less likely to have iphones or phones in general
It also works on the iPhone 13
I love these videos. They are short and concise and get to the point
Icl I hate it, I really loved his long deep in exploration of topics in technology and I’m not really pleased with his short type of content because I just find it boring 😅
@@siji_yy then don’t watch it
All my previous iPhone's have done this. Don't know whether the US only just introduced this, but this has been a thing in Australia for AGES.
“SOS Only” is not just with the iPhone 14. It’s all iPhones using iOS 16 and newer.
No, IPhone With IPhone 14 And Later It Has The New Text VIA Satellite But the other phones don't have it but it still has connection with 911 (Or 112)
yeah i gotta 15 Pro , and it says SOS
I have a 13 and it says it too. It’s not just limited to the 14.
edit: i dont care what phone satellite SOS is limited to or if you have to pay for it or not, its a feature that is good to have and worth the money when you need it.
What’s limited to 14 is the satellite SOS.
@@austinfreyrikrw6651 i didn’t say satellite was on the 13, it’s why i wish i had waited for the 14.
I have an SE 2nd gen and it says the same thing. I think its for all supported apple devices.
@@DingusYi its not like your ever going to need the Satellite SOS thats just an emergency feature
@@reversee1871 it’s an emergency feature…. incase you need it
its nice to have if you do need it
my first mobile phone, an Ericsson GH688, also had such a text ("Emergencies only") in case of network coverage issues ....
The rule that all networks must provide emergency services, irrelevant of the connection applies also to the entire Europe (I'm from Luxembourg).
It even works without a SIM-Card in the phone (not applicable to Germany)
Some countries (including france Uk Belgium and romania) require an active SIM card to call 112/911
There is a way to bypass if you have an inactive sim card
@Khaliil bin Ammar in Germany and some other countries, you need an active SIM card for emergency calls. This has been enforced because it has been abused to often before by stupid kids.
I’ve experienced this on my iPhone 12, so it’s not only on the 14
yea i had it on my xr
So it's iOS 16 only? Or what version of iOS is your iPhone running?
My SE 3 does this to me at my church. I don’t see too many other places.
Same w my iPhone 11 Pro Max
Same
Daily dose of APPLE
Except it isn’t daily because Apple Explained doesn’t do daily uploads.
@@tonymontanaltu69 there is a channel called “Daily Dose Of Internet” it’s based off of that
@@tonymontanaltu69 neither does daily dose of internet
@@kittyboiyt lol yeah 😂
100%
This was really helpful. I was so confused about Sos only and contact via satellite. Thank you!
Also happens on my XR not just the 14
Definitely happened on my Xr to
AT&T users watching this >>>>
Bro this is me rn 😂
😂😂😂😂😂
fr what’s going on??
😂😂😂😂
Thank god my shit ain’t broken 💀
I carry a personal locator beacon because I just know too many stories for people of disappeared and died because they cannot get help. And I’m still going to carry my beacon even though I will have the satellite coverage with Apple. I think it’s great that they’ve included this feature But everyone needs to remember it was not gonna work if your phone is dead. My personal beacon has a five-year battery so I never have to think about charging it. Carry some back up battery packs or something because it’s a great option to have on your iPhone but again if your battery‘s dead it’s not gonna do any good. Thanks for the great video.
Yup I don’t leave the house with out my garmin inreach mini . I also have garmin inreach 66i and APRS capable ham radios
Thank you for this video, I have an iPhone 12 Pro and when I’m in the train and is in the tunnels sometimes I see this appear, now I know.
Good video I woke up saw SOS and thought I accidentally pushed the button
I looked at my phone to see what carrier status it displays and I realised that I watched whole 30 minute videos with cellular data
This feature is available in Turkey for years. Even if your phone doesn’t have a SIM Card or if it’s in Airplane mode or anything, you’re able to call 911 anytime as long as you have charge. Everyone can use this feature with any device. Maybe this is the reason why our government’s saving our phones into their system so no one can use any device which came from abroad. So we need to register our device if we buy any device from anywhere, and that’s like 6,000 turkish lira. Though an iPhone 14 Pro Max is like 44.000 turkish lira in here, and in USA it’s $1100 which is equal to 21,000 turkish lira. Look, they’re charging almost %100 tax…
Same in Australia
Been a thing in Australia for years, surprised this is only just becoming a thing in the USA?
It's odd that the SOS only indicator (for some reason) appears on older iPhones updating to iOS 16.
Yeah me iPhone X has the SOS
They added it in response to the iphone 14 sos via satellite feature, but even older phones can make emergency calls on networks that are in range but not subscribed too (ie, At&T customer but only Verizon tower in range). It shows on older iphones in reference to that.
My iPhone 5 SE shows this icon, initially I have thought upon just having no specific connection but to have still SOS alert in it is useful
iPhone 5 SE?
is there a reason to why my iPhone 6s doesn't have this feature?
@@doodoofart6698I got the same phone having the same issue
This is so common to see in my school because the schools walls are made out of concrete so it’s common to see on our phones
This just happened to me. Problem is it happened at home where I’ve always had phenomenal service. All of a sudden nothing… doesn’t make much sense. I’d appreciate any help
Me too let me know if you get it solved
Same thing happen to me few minutes ago
Happened to me 3 days ago wtf is this dumb shit
Wow this really explained so much. I thought my phone needed to be rescued! I really couldn't have worked it out without this video, so informative. Next time please make a video about those four digits separated by a colon at the top of the screen, and then have a video which tells us where to find the time on our iPhones.
It’s useful for some people. When the iPhone 11 came out, people were confused on why their left “speaker” wasn’t playing noise, it turned out that it was a microphone.
Well it says sos even if you have a cell plan because it is connecting to a tower … just not your carriers tower. Meaning you still can call 911
SOS appeared on my 12S (no SIM card) after installing iOS 17.6. Now I am unable to make calls or answer calls of any kind. Airplane Mode switch off and on did not help. No phone service of any kind now.
Make it make sense when there’s a cell tower not even 100 feet from our school and we still have no service
It’s in Canada as well
Wait what? This is not new? Maybe in the USA but this was always visible on my phone when my main carrier was not available. The ‘no service’ is only shown when absolutely no usable network is nearby.
I had this feature already on my Nokia 3310.
Thanks for the explanation. They do that to help the customer. It would also be helpful if they made sure people knew what that was, I didn’t until I watched your video.
I’ve always thought that’s what it meant when I saw it
This also occurs on any iPhone.
I’ve seen this sos only pop up on my device and I have a older apple phone. It seems to be on all products from the iPhone 8 and up starting with the iOS 16 updates
I have an iP12p and have seen “SOS” in the top right corner before. It definitely freaked me out, before realizing it basically just means “no service,” because I thought it meant I had accidentally made/was on an emergency call.
you must have saved so much time abbreviating "iPhone"
@@sheepsushis5720 Your mom was rushing me
@@sheepsushis5720 Saved time typing out iPhone 12 Pro
Bro this is such old news, I can’t believe you had to explain this.
we're coming for you apple!
This has been around in Australia for awhile. I've had it on my iPhone 7 and now my iPhone 11 for at leaat 2-3 years maybe longer.
I have the same on my iPhone XS Max in Canada- not just 14s in the US
This has been a thing for years on iPhone in Australia
11:00PM
*Apple Explain:* 😴
_Apple:_ Hey slave, we got a job
*Apple Explain:* 😟
can this be caused by weather? Such as being in a storm, rain and wind
i dont wanna sound stupid but in australia you could already call emergency services with no service for yonks
Me : *checks the top left and sees the SOS thing* tf did i do this time
Every phone does this. Thank you for taking about this. To few people know this.
Isn't this the same thing, worldwide, on any phone?
How do you fix the issue?
I try ink AT&T is having a problem because me and my mothers phones are going on SOS so idk
My XR says SOS only when not in AT&T’s range and says no service when not in range of any carrier
Thank you for telling me this I was worried my wifi was being a idiot and calling 911 or something-
how do we fix it ??? is it something the carrier has to deal with?
This is also available in other countries, like Greece.
This has happened on my XR, so I believe any phone on iOS 16 will have this feature.
okay but i’m at home connected to wifi and my internet keeps cutting in and out??? i’ll go from full bars to zero to sos only??? and when i left like 30 ft from my house it just straight up said “no service” so is this a tower issue or????
Still makes no sense , I live in Columbus ohio and pay for cellular data , in a populated area with connection not an issue why does my phone always go to sos mode in a populated area ? I’d understand the country but a city
My SE3 will do this to me at church most of the time.
Fun fact you’ve always been able to make emergency calls on any phone with no cell because of the satellites everywhere
Scammer DONT REPLY TO THAT
We should ALL be able to contact help when needed. For free. On all devices.
In Australia we have always had the sos sign on all i phones and on iPads that have SIM cards
You can even make emergency calls without a SIM card over here in Germany. I wonder why the US is so late to the game…
We can also do WLAN Calling here, so as long as there is SOME KIND of connection of any sort, you can make emergency calls.
I have the iPhone 13, I’ve found this out w/ logical thinking
A lot of people are saying they get it on their non-14 iPhones, so I'm a little late, but I can say the indicator is also on SE 2.
LOVE my iPhone 14 Plus!
Huh in Australia that’s come up for years, when we are in the outback. We can use other Carriers to call 000 emergency services
Fast explanation:
Emergency calls only
I read a comment that had said to update your phone to the newest ios and lo and behold that was my fix for this issue….hope this helps
This channel is like every school presentation.
This also happens on iPhone 13 and some older ones, too.
I have seen it on my iPhone 8
0:10 Huh? SOS Only has been displayed for years here in Oz. My iPhone 5 did it.
How do you make calls if your phone is stuck on SOS and how did that happened , I was on the phone talking and then the called dropped and now it says SOS
In this video, you state that this occurs on new iPhone 14s, but I want to ask if it's normal to see the "SOS Only" on an iPhone XR?
It's is connected to cellular it's just that it's connected to a competitor network that your carrier doesn't have access
Does this happen if you have a phone plan but haven’t been able to pay the bill just yet when I pay the bill will it start to work again
Doesn’t show up in the UK it just says “no sim”
Thank you so much! My iPhone X seems to display this frequently.
its not just iphone 14 i think, i have an iphone xr and it said that when i was doing a roadtrip with no celluar
This does appears in older iPhones, mine, an Xr displayed that when I moved to Canada, my sim at that time was a Peruvian one.
Finally, someone who able to explain.
It's not only for iPhone 14. Users in the US, Canada and Australia have it I think.
yeah i have an iphone SE and I still get this SOS Only message sometimes.
everywhere in the eu
And in NZ
and in singapore
I have an Iphone 10 aka X and i use to get SOS only randomly but i guess i have terrible service where i was
I have a iPhone 13 and have this Any answers?
Imagine before satellite if you didn’t have connection it says “You Will Be Missed”
Other iphones other then 14 has this feature as well.
We have SOS on our iPhones in Canada as well
uh I've had this on my iPhone 8 and my iPhone 13 wdym its only on iPhone 14?
my iPhone 12 mini has done that since around July of this year. Cell service also doesn''t work.
I have an iPhone XR and I just started getting this problem today. It was saying something about an invalid sim
Idk about the sim part, but mines too though
@@KuzcoQuise for my phone I had to pop the sim tray open and reinsert it to fix the issue
@@sharksbean I’ll give a try, thanks my guy 👌🏾
I woke up to a SOS in the status area can’t make calls or receive calls😡
Same here wat too doo?
But if you are around Wi-Fi can you still use the phone like normal ?
Can somebody answer ? Thanks
My Verizon 13 does this a lot and and a lot of people in my area are having this problem. Can’t use phone to leave certain areas. Pain
Well I’m home and my phone is on and on the wi-Fi and it keeps doing it. Like this is very annoying very I turn my phone off. Turn it back on it Just keep doing it.
Why this feature is only for iPhone 14 models?
Would satellite work with a case
Thanks for let me know what is the sos mean
this is handy if you were involved in a crash and you dont have cell service
Nice knowledge
Back when I had Verizon I was able to place an emergency call on my old RAZR even though my phone was inactive on the network.
I just switched to the 14 and AT&T today… I’m annoyed and disappointed. I could’ve kept my $60 unlimited plan with Metro, and had the peace of mind knowing my 6 has a headphone jack and reliable service off of Wi-Fi
i’ve experienced this on my SE 2, this isn’t limited to iphones w/o physical home buttons (maybe only devices compatible with ios 16)
I wish I could have access to all calls without a cellular connection not just emergency calls
its just sza’s new album no need to worry