How To Fix “SOS Only” Issue On iPhone?

Let’s say you are having a quiet evening, and you want to call your friend, and suddenly you see the “SOS Only” sign right next to the right Wi-Fi signal; what would you do? I’m sure you’ll be worried, and that’s not a big deal. If you are facing a similar situation, I will help you today and tell you how exactly to fix the “SOS Only” issue on your iPhone with actionable tips.

There is no need to panic as these tips will surely get out of this problem and call anyone as usual. Before moving forward, I would like to discuss one important thing.

What Does “SOS Only” Mean Anyway?

SOS or SOS Only on your iPhone means you are connected to a cellar network and can’t make a call, send an SMS, or use the internet connection. Despite having an SOS symbol on your iPhone, you can still call emergency services like 911; however, it is available only in the United States and a few limited countries.

There are various reasons why you may have SOS on your iPhone, and some of them are

  • You are outside of the carrier coverage area.
  • Your phone has a weak reception of the network.
  • You have not activated your SIM card.

Whatever the reason for getting an SOS, I will help you solve it today. Without taking your extra time, let’s jump right into it.

How To Fix The “SOS Only” Issue On iPhone?

I have provided you with all the possible ways to fix the issue. Go with them one by one until you solve the problem.

1. Check Your Network Coverage:

The first you should do to get rid of the SOS Only notification on your iPhone is to check whether you are actually in an area where your carrier serves its users. If you are in an extremely remote area like a forest or a mountain, you might not get the network, and thus, you get the SOS Only error.

The best thing you can do in this situation is to borrow your friend’s mobile, you are with, and visit the official site of your network, such as Verizon and see if they serve in that specific area. You’ll get the map of their network on their website.

2. Reset Network Settings:

To reset network settings on your iPhone, you have to:

  • Launch the “Settings” app.
  • Now, go to “General > Transfer or Reset”.
  • Select “Reset” and then tap on “Reset Network Settings”.
Reset Network Settings Iphone
  • Finally, confirm your action and complete the process.

Getting a network on an iPhone isn’t a new thing. It could happen to anyone for various reasons, such as making a few changes in the network recently, which could lead to getting the SOS Only error on the iPhone.

By simply resetting the network, you can clear that sign and then use the network as usual. Don’t worry; you’ll not lose any data on your phone as you reset only the network and not the entire phone.

See also  Beautiful AI Review - Features, How to Use & Pricing

3. Enable Roaming On iPhone:

To Enable roaming on your iPhone, you have to:

  • Open the “Settings” app.
  • Go to “Mobile Data > Mobile Data Options”.
  • Now, turn on the “Data Roaming” option, and you are done.
data roaming on iphone
  • When you visit a foreign country or even a state which you aren’t originally from, you’ll get an SOS sign on your iPhone, and there is nothing to be worried about because you may not have turned on the data roaming option which is essential in this case.
  • Turning on the data roaming option will clear the SOS Only sign, and you can do whatever you want with your mobile network without any issues.

4. Update Carrier Settings On iPhone:

To update carrier settings on your iPhone, you have to:

  • Open the “Settings” app.
  • Go to “General” and then tap on “About”.
  • If your device has the carrier’s update, you’ll get a pop-up notification on this page, and you have to click “Update” to complete the process.
carrier settings update iphone
  • Mobile carriers sometimes release updates to your device when they have got something extra to offer, such as 5G, and If your device is compatible with 5G, you’ll be upgraded from the 4G to 5G.
  • You’ll no longer see the SOS Only on your iPhone when you update carrier settings and get proper network coverage.

5. Turn on/off Cellular Data:

To turn on and off the cellular data on your iPhone, you have to:

  • Launch the “Settings” app.
  • Tap on “Mobile Data”.
  • Just toggle the “Mobile Data” to turn it on and off until you remove the SOS Only message from the top.

Your mobile data might be currently having some technical issues, and due to the same reason, you may have got the SOS Only sign on the top. What you should do right now is turn it on and off repeatedly until you remove the sign of that SOS.

If you can’t solve the problem, don’t worry; I have more methods for you.

6. Switch To 4G Or LTE:

To Switch to 4G or LTE on your iPhone, you should:

  • Open the main “Settings” on your device.
  • Tap on “Cellular”.
  • Now, select “Cellular Data Options” from the list.
  • Finally, go to “Voice & Data” and choose 4G or LTE.
iphone 4g setting
  • If you have recently switched from 4G to 5G, Congratulations as you have been upgraded to the latest and the fastest network available; however, there is bad news too. As 5G is a new technology, you’ll face multiple technical issues on your iPhone, including the SOS Only notification.
  • What you should do now is, stick with 4G or LTE for some time until the cellular companies fix the glitches, and then you can use the 5G network without any worries.

7. Restart Your iPhone:

One of the main reasons for getting the “SOS” only sign on your iPhone could be related to a technical glitch that any background apps may have caused, and simply restarting your iPhone could solve the issue you have right now.

See also  How to Use VPN on Netflix?

Restarting your iPhone is one of the biggest ways to solve any problem your mobile is facing right now, and the chances of getting the “SOS Only” error on your iPhone with a simple restart are pretty high. Just try; I’m sure you’ll no longer get the error.

8. Disable Automatic Network Selection (And Enable That Again):

To Disable and Enable Automatic Network Selection, you have to:

  • Launch the home screen on your iPhone and tap on “Settings”.
  • Next, go to “Cellular” and select “Network Selection”.
  • Finally, toggle the “Automatic” option to turn it off and turn it again after a few seconds.

iPhones select the network on you automatically and seamlessly based on your current location; however, in some cases, it might be a little difficult to choose the right network for you, and it’ll show the SOS Only sign.

In this case, you can turn off the automatic network selection, and when you turn it on again, it’ll get able to catch the right network for you.

9. Re-Insert The SIM On Your iPhone:

If you are using a physical SIM card on your iPhone, you may not have inserted it correctly, which could be the main reason for getting the “SOS Only” error on your device. What you should do now is, remove the SIM card from the slot and then insert it the right way.

A restart of your device might not be required. However, restarting and seeing If the problem goes away and getting the network on your device would be better.

Pro Tip: If you use an eSIM, delete it and then add it again to solve the problem.

10. Update iOS On Your Device:

To update iOS on your device, you have to:

  • Open the “Settings” app and then tap on “General”.
  • Select “Software Update” and check If you have got any updates.
  • If the update is available, click on “Download & Install” and complete the process.
Update iOS
  • Updating the software on your iPhone has got to be one of the best ways to solve any issues your device is currently facing. Apple does release updates to their products regularly to fix any bugs, and that bug might have caused the SOS Only error you have got now. Follow the steps; the update will be completed after restarting your device.

Just ensure you are connected to a Wi-Fi network during the process and have enough battery left on your iPhone.

11. Contact Your Carrier:

If you have tried all the above methods I have shared above and are still not able to get rid of the SOS Only error on your phone, it is time to contact your carrier from someone else phone and explain the problem you are facing right now.

They’ll guide and help you with exactly what is causing this error on your device and what actions you should take to overcome the issue.

12. Reset iPhone:

To reset your iPhone, you have to:

  • Launch the “Settings” app on your device.
  • Go to “General > Transfer or Reset”.
  • Next, tap on “Erase All Content and Settings” from the options.
  • You must enter your device’s passcode and confirm your action.
See also  Twitter Account Hacked: What to Do and How to Recover?

Resetting your iPhone should be the last option. If you can’t get rid of the SOS Only error on your device. However, you need to understand the consequences when you go with this method because you’ll lose all your device’s data and settings, and it isn’t easy to get it back.

If you are okay with losing everything from your iPhone to solve the SOS error, you can proceed with this method without any issues.

13. Contact Apple Support:

If you aren’t very technical and have no idea how to make the SOS Only error go from your iPhone, you should contact the Apple Support team in your area. They’ll help you to solve the problem you are facing now.

If your device is under warranty, they may help you out for free, and If it isn’t, you may have to fee some charges for their services.

Frequently Asked Questions:

How do I get my iPhone out of SOS only?

There are multiple ways to get SOS Only from your iPhone, and some of the effective ways are, restarting your device, resetting the network settings, enabling the roaming option, etc.
If you can’t clear the SOS Only from these three methods, I have got 10 more methods I discussed above. Try each one of them until you can clear that sign.

Why is my iPhone saying no service?

The main reason why your iPhone is saying no service is, you are currently in a place where your carrier doesn’t serve any user or has no network installed.
If you are with a friend in such a place and he or she is using the same network, you should check If they are also facing the same issue. If that’s the case, it is mainly related to network unavailability or the problem is something else.

Conclusion:

If you have the SOS Only on your iPhone at a very important time, such as calling someone urgently, you might be slightly angry. By simply following the above methods, I’m sure you’ll get out of this problem very soon and do whatever with your network.

I hope you may have understood How to fix the “SOS Only” issue on iPhone with any of these methods. If you have any other questions about SOS Only on your iPhone, let me know in the comments, and I’ll talk to you soon. Thanks.

Leave a Comment