Your iPhone is connected to your carrier’s network at all times unless you enable Airplane mode or are out of a network coverage area. When the latter happens, you may see any of the following alerts – No Service, Searching, SOS, or SOS Only. If your device shows the SOS Only alert in the status bar for a significant time, you may have trouble contacting anyone from your iPhone. 

But why is your iPhone showing the SOS Only alert and how do you solve it? That’s what we’ll discuss in this post. 

Why does your iPhone say “SOS Only”?

When you’re greeted with the SOS or “SOS only” alert on the status bar on your iPhone, it’s because your device isn’t able to connect to a supported network in your surroundings. This may happen because:

  • You’re currently out of your network’s coverage area
  • You’re traveling and your iPhone isn’t able to use your network while roaming
  • Your iPhone is configured to run only on 5G
  • Network settings on your iPhone haven’t been updated
  • Your SIM card is damaged
  • There are some ongoing bugs in the current version of iOS 
  • You’re using a SIM card with a phased-out network like 3G
  • Your carrier account is inactive or is blocked by the network. 

What should you do if you’re stuck at a location with “SOS only”?

Your iPhone may not be able to connect to a supported network if you’re traveling and moving through an area with low or no coverage. In such situations, you may still be able to make emergency calls, provided you’re in the US, Australia, or Canada. To make emergency calls, open the Phone app on your iPhone and dial the following numbers depending on your current region:

  • US: Dial 911
  • Canada: Dial 911
  • Australia: Dial 000

How to fix the “SOS Only” issue on iPhone 

You can check out the following fixes to resolve the SOS Only issue on your iPhone. 

Fix 1: Move to an area with better network connectivity 

The SOS Only alert shows up primarily when your iPhone cannot connect to any surrounding networks which may happen if your carrier doesn’t have a nearby tower in the region you’re currently located at. So, the first thing you need to do when such an alert appears is try moving around to a different location and see if your iPhone can connect to a network. If you’re on the move during your travel, you can wait a few minutes till your location changes to see if you get a signal.  

Fix 2: Enable and disable Airplane mode

The next thing you can do to fix the “SOS Only” issue is disconnect your wireless connection to refresh. For this, launch the Control Center on your iPhone and tap on the Airplane button. When this button turns orange, wait for a few seconds and then tap on the Airplane button again. When your wireless connection is reset, check if your iPhone now connects to a network. 

Fix 3: Turn on Data Roaming

If you’re traveling outside your region, it’s possible that your iPhone isn’t connecting to a network because of the Data Roaming function being disabled. To fix this, go to Settings > Mobile Service > SIMs > select your SIM and turn on the Data Roaming toggle. 

Fix 4: Change Voice & Data settings to 4G LTE – [SCREENSHOTS NEEDED]

SCREENSHOTS NEEDED HERE

If you recently switched to your carrier’s 5G network and your iPhone is only configured to work with a 5G network, you may not be disconnected from the network as soon as you move into an area that doesn’t have 5G coverage. In these situations, you may only then be able to make calls or use mobile data when your iPhone is allowed to connect to a 4G or LTE network. For this, go to Settings > Mobile Service > SIMs > select your SIM > Voice & Data, and select 4G or LTE. 

Fix 5: Select a network manually

If your iPhone isn’t able to connect to a network on its own, you can try finding one manually. For this, go to Settings > Mobile Service > SIMs > select your SIM > Network Selection and turn off the Automatic toggle. You’ll now see a list of available networks to connect to on the same screen; from here, select your current carrier, if available, or try connecting to a different carrier. In areas where network coverage is poor, you may be able to connect your iPhone to other carrier’s networks as well.  

Fix 6: Restart your iPhone

To solve temporary glitches in software, restarting your iPhone is the way to go. If you started seeing the SOS Only alert only recently, a quick reboot of your device may fix the issue easily. To restart your iPhone:

  • On iPhones with Face ID – Press and hold the Side button and any one of the Volume buttons until you see the Power-off slider screen. When the slider appears, drag it from left to right to turn off your iPhone. After your iPhone is completely shut down, wait for 30 seconds and then press and hold the Side button until the Apple logo shows.
  • On iPhones with Touch ID – Press and hold the Side button until you see the Power-off slider screen. When the slider appears, drag it from left to right to turn off your iPhone. After your iPhone is completely shut down, wait for 30 seconds and then press and hold the Side button until the Apple logo shows.

Fix 7: Check for Carrier settings updates 

Ideally, your carrier applies its own network settings on your iPhone as soon as you insert it. If you’re facing connectivity problems, you try checking if your carrier has a network update lined up by going to Settings > General > About. If there’s an update available, tap on Update and wait for it to get installed. 

Fix 8: Use a different SIM card

If your iPhone is unable to connect to a carrier network, it’s probably down to your SIM card which may not be supported in your current region. If you’re traveling, we recommend getting a temporary SIM card from your present region and using it to replace your existing SIM. If you’re not on the move, there’s a chance that your SIM card is no longer functional. In that case, reach out to your carrier’s nearest store to get a replacement SIM card and see if that works for you. 

Fix 9: Switch off Mobile Data and switch it on again

Another way to refresh your network is by turning off Mobile data on your iPhone and then turning it back again. For this, launch the Control Center on your iPhone and tap on the Cellular Data button to disable it. Wait for a few seconds and then tap on the Cellular Data button again. You can now check whether the SOS Only alert now appears. 

Fix 10: Update to the latest stable iOS version

Sometimes, changes in the iOS firmware can cause certain issues that may hinder system functions. This is more likely if you’re running a beta version of iOS on your iPhone which often contains more known issues than stable versions. You can thus try solving the SOS Only issue by updating your iPhone to the latest iOS version by going to Settings > General > Software Update and then tapping on Download or Install when an update is available. If you’re running a beta version, we’d recommend switching to the stable version by going to Settings > General > Software Update > Beta Updates and selecting Off. 

Fix 11: Take out your SIM card and re-insert

In some occasions, your physical SIM card may be the culprit behind the unavailability of the network on your iPhone. To make sure your SIM card is damaged, remove the SIM card from your device by pushing the SIM ejector tool into the SIM slot opening and taking the SIM out from the SIM tray. You can try cleaning the SIM with a fresh dry piece of cloth, place it back onto the SIM tray, and insert it inside your iPhone. This fix may ensure there’s no physical damage to your SIM card. 

Fix 12: Check if you’re using a phased-out 3G network

With most of the consumers shifting to 4G and 5G networks, carriers are slowly phasing out their 3G networks. If you have an iPhone that supports 4G and your current carrier offers this network, you may contact your carrier to get a new SIM card that offers you 4G or 5G. If you have a much older device like the iPhone 5s, iPhone 5c, iPad 2 Wi-Fi + Cellular, or earlier, you will have to switch to a newer iPhone as your device may no longer be supported to work with current networks. 

Fix 13: Reset network settings

You can erase the configuration data for all your wireless connections by resetting your current network settings. To do that, go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > Reset Network Settings > Reset Network Settings.

Fix 14: Contact your carrier

If none of the fixes above worked, the SOS Only issue may be happening because of issues with your carrier or account. You can reach out to your carrier to check if your account is active, know whether there are any outages in your area, and check if your device isn’t blocked from receiving cellular services. 

That’s all you need to know about fixing the SOS Only issue on your iPhone.