Thousands of Verizon customers nationwide reported service outages Saturday after the network experienced a “software issue” impacting wireless service for some users.
Networking issues were first reported shortly after noon, according to Downdetector.com, which tracks real-time updates on internet and phone service disruptions.
“We are aware of a software issue impacting wireless service for some customers,” Verizon Support posted on X at 7:14 p.m. — roughly seven hours after the outage began.
“Our engineers are engaged and we are working quickly to identify and solve the issue. Please visit our Check Network Status page for updates on service in your area. We know how much people rely on Verizon and apologize for any inconvenience. We appreciate your patience.”
Outage reports peaked at 23,674 around 3:30 p.m. E.T. before gradually declining.
There were just under 6,000 reported incidents around 9 p.m.
The outages hit major metro areas including Los Angeles, Orlando, Tampa, Chicago, Atlanta, Minneapolis, Omaha, and Indianapolis.
Frustrated iPhone users took to social media to report their devices were stuck in SOS mode – a feature that replaces the signal bars with “SOS” in the right-top corner of the device.
SOS mode only allows for calls to a local emergency number. It automatically turns off when cellular service is restored.
Verizon, which has about 146.1 million subscribers in the United States, experienced a similar outage last year.
This story originally appeared on NYPost
