SOS on an iPhone can mean different things depending on the context. Here are the main meanings and how to fix them:
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Emergency SOS: When you see "SOS" in your iPhone status bar, it means that you can use the Emergency SOS feature to call emergency services. To activate it, press and hold the side button and one of the volume buttons until the Emergency SOS slider appears, then drag the slider to call emergency services. Your iPhone will also automatically share your location with emergency services.
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SOS Only: If you see "SOS Only" in your iPhone status bar, it means that your iPhone is not connected to a cellular network that is able to use typical cellular connectivity. However, you can still make emergency calls from the iPhone. This can happen when youre out of a service area, in an area with poor cellular connectivity or coverage, in rural areas, tunnels, and in other situations where the iPhone is unable to connect to a cellular network.
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No Service: If you pass out of even SOS service, you will see "No Service" on an iPhone 13 or earlier. This means that your phone has no cellular connection, so you will only be able to place emergency calls.
To fix SOS or "SOS Only" on an iPhone, try the following:
- Check your cellular settings and make sure they are set to Automatic.
- Restart your iPhone.
- Update your iPhone to the latest version of iOS.
- Contact your cellular provider to troubleshoot the problem if the issue is with your SIM.
