iPhone network coverage is constantly improving, and 4G is available in many places that seem rural. But not everywhere in the world is covered by the internet, and your mobile network provider might differ when it comes to what their coverage is like.
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- How to Set Up and Use the iPhone Emergency SOS Feature
- How to Fix an iPhone Stuck on Emergency SOS
Sometimes, your iPhone might say “SOS” or “SOS Only” in the place where your network connection usually features. This problem is different from when your iPhone is stuck on Emergency SOS, which typically means that you can’t use other parts of your device full stop.
If your iPhone says SOS Only or something along those lines, you can use this guide to help you fix the problem. We’ll cover why your smartphone says this, along with the possible solutions you can try.
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What Does SOS Only Mean on iPhone?
SOS Only on your iPhone means that you cannot use your device to send or make calls that aren’t emergency ones. The signal usually appears when you’re out of your mobile carrier’s network range, such as if you’re in a desert or hiking up a mountain. You might also see the SOS Only message if you’re out at sea.
When you see SOS Only on your iPhone, you can still connect to Wi-Fi and use Bluetooth. It simply means that you can’t use your mobile data for the time being.
How to Fix the SOS Only Problem on iPhone
Now that you know what SOS Only means on your iPhone, let’s look at some ways that you can solve the problem. Below, we’ll include a list of options and highlight the instructions you should follow.
Turn Airplane Mode On and Off Again
Airplane Mode is the first place you should start when you see the SOS Only message on your iPhone. Turning the feature on and off again is a simple way to fix many issues with network connectivity, though it’s not guaranteed to work.
Here’s how you can turn Airplane Mode on and off again on your iPhone:
- Swipe down from the top right-hand side of your iPhone. It’s where the SOS sign, along with your battery and Wi-Fi, will be.
- After doing the above, you’ll reveal the Control Center. Here, click on the Airplane Mode icon once to activate the feature.
- After a few seconds, tap the Airplane Mode icon again. Your iPhone will then attempt to reconnect to your mobile network.
Restart Your Device
If turning Airplane Mode off and on again doesn’t work, you can try restarting your iPhone and hopefully reconnect to the internet that way.
iPhone users whose device doesn’t have a home button can quickly tap the volume up and down buttons, before holding on to the standby button until the Apple logo reappears. If you simply want to turn your iPhone off and on again, hold the standby button until the option asking saying Slide to power off show up.
If you have an iPhone with a home button, you might need to follow the same steps as above. But for older versions, hold the volume down and standby buttons. Restarting your iPhone normally is the same; you simply need to hold the power button until the slider asking you to turn your device off appears. When your smartphone has switched off, hold the standby button to turn it back on.
Turn Cellular Data Off and On Again
If you’re still experiencing the SOS Only problem on your iPhone, you can always try turning your cellular data off and on again. Here’s how to do that.
- Open the Settings app and go to Cellular, which is close to the top of the screen.
- Switch the Cellular Data toggle off.
- After toggling off Cellular Data, switch it back on by tapping the same part of your screen.
Manually Select Your Carrier
If you feel like you’re in an area that should be covered by your mobile network, but you still see SOS Only on your iPhone, you can try manually selecting your carrier.
You can manually select an iPhone carrier by following the steps outlined in this guide we’ve written. After opting to choose your carrier, you should see a list of options shortly after.
Wait Until You’re in a Different Location
Have you tried all of the tips we’ve outlined in this guide but enjoyed no success? Unfortunately, you might simply be out of range for your mobile network connection. When this happens, you won’t be able to access the internet with your mobile data – regardless of how many tips and tricks you try.
You can always wait until you’re in a different location. Once you’ve changed where you are, you should then hopefully be able to use your internet connection again.
If the problem persists after moving to more of an urban area, it’s worth trying to get in touch with your network provider. You might need to borrow a friend’s smartphone or connect to Wi-Fi when you have the opportunity.
Try These Tips for Fixing the “SOS Only” Problem on Your iPhone
If you live in an urban area, it’s easy to forget that you won’t always have access to your mobile network in every part of the world. Sometimes, you’ll be out of range – and when that happens, your iPhone may tell you that you can only make SOS communications.
There isn’t much you can do if you’re in an area that genuinely has no mobile network coverage. But before determining whether that’s the case, you can always make various tweaks to test whether your iPhone says that for genuine reasons.
You can always keep this guide handy if you need to refer to it later. It might be worth screenshotting it in case you enter situations where you can’t connect to your mobile network.
Danny has been a professional writer since graduating from university in 2016, but he’s been writing online for over a decade. He has been intrigued by Apple products ever since getting an iPod Shuffle in 2008 and particularly enjoys writing about iPhones and iPads. Danny prides himself on making complex topics easy to understand. In his spare time, he’s a keen photographer.
Rick Nevill says
A less obvious check is to ask if anyone else using that telephone service is having a problem. If the service is down, you can see SOS.
That check should be on the top of the things to check.
I spent time with tech support before the second person found there was an outage in our area.