What Does SOS Mean on iPhone and How to Fix It
As network connectivity issues occur, your iPhone might display the SOS symbol for assistance. Resetting network settings could solve this issue; however, doing so will wipe away Wi-Fi passwords and cellular data settings that were stored previously.
Problems typically arise when you are too far from a cell tower to connect successfully, or having difficulty doing so. Luckily, it is straightforward to rectify.
What Does SOS Mean on iPhone?
An SOS icon in your iPhone status bar typically indicates that you are no longer connected to a cellular network, such as in tunnels or villages with limited signal. Even so, emergency calls can still be made by pressing and holding Power or using Emergency SOS features on your device.
Your iPhone could display this message if the latest carrier settings haven’t been applied. To update them, launch the Settings app and tap Cellular Data (Mobile data).
Another possibility is that you haven’t enabled automatic network selection on your iPhone. If traveling overseas, this may be the issue; to remedy it simply head into Settings app > Networks and then Automatic. This will make sure that when connected to a cellular network it connects correctly, preventing SOS only messages on your iPhone from popping up!
Why Do I Get SOS Only on My iPhone?
The SOS Only indicator on an iPhone’s status bar indicates that your phone has left its network carrier’s range, meaning you cannot make or receive calls; however, emergency information remains accessible and 112 (India & Europe), 911 (United States), or 999 (UK) can still be called in case of accidents or other emergencies.
Your iPhone might display SOS Only due to various causes. One such cause could be poor cell coverage – either abroad where Data Roaming may not have been activated yet or simply due to inadequate network coverage in your city or town.
Your iPhone might show “SOS Only” if its SIM card has become dislodged or damaged. Software issues could also cause this problem; for instance, after updating iOS. A forced restart of your phone may help resolve these issues.
What Can I Do to Fix SOS Only on My iPhone?
Whenever an SOS Only error arises on your iPhone, the first thing to try is moving to an area with better network coverage as this could indicate that the signal reception for cellular network connection has become unstable and instability has ensued.
Restarting your iPhone may help to restore its system and clear temporary memory, potentially solving the issue. To do this, press and hold both Volume Up or Down buttons as well as Side button simultaneously for 15 seconds until your iPhone reboots itself.
Another thing you could try is resetting the network settings on your iPhone. This will remove any existing carrier information and reset all of its settings – hopefully fixing the SOS Only problem in the process.
If the problem continues, update your iPhone to address any bugs and errors in the software that could be contributing to SOS Only issue. You can check for updates in Settings General Software Update.
How to Fix SOS Only on My iPhone
If your iPhone displays SOS only due to poor signal coverage, try moving to another area with better coverage or rebooting it to resolve this issue.
If the issue continues, try disabling the automatic network selection setting on your iPhone. To do so, open the Settings app and navigate to Cellular/Mobile Data before toggling off Automatic. Wait a few seconds and then turn back on again.
If the SOS only error persists on your iPhone, consider performing a complete network settings reset to fix it. While this will delete all wireless networks and passcodes stored therein, it should still resolve it successfully.
If the SOS only error persists, contact your carrier or visit an Apple store for a replacement SIM card to restore stable cellular signals and remove any trace of SOS-only error. This should help bring normal functioning back into your iPhone experience and clear away the SOS only error altogether.
