Verizon outage cause: What we know, what we dont

As Verizon mobile customers reported phones stuck in SOS mode from coast to coast, the mobile provider assured customers it was working on a fix.

Jan 15, 2026 0 0

Verizon outage cause: What we know, what we dont

the verizon app appears on a phone screen in front of a large display that reads 'SOS'

UPDATE: Jan. 14, 2026, 11:28 p.m. EST Verizon states that the outage has now been resolved, though hasn't yet shared any details on what caused it. If you're still having difficulty connecting to the network, Verizon recommends restarting your device. The company also confirmed again that it will provide account credits to impacted customers.

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UPDATE: Jan. 14, 2026, 9:45 p.m. EST Verizon has posted an update about the situation on X, stating that it is working through the night to solve the issue and has been "making progress." The company also apologised for the outage, and said it would issue account credits to impacted customers. Unfortunately, there is still no information on when service might be restored, or what caused the outage.

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In the midst of a widespread service disruption affecting Verizon Wireless customers in the United States, the company is facing a deluge of angry customers on social media.

The company has made a series of statements about the outage, which is ongoing as of this writing.

But what caused the Verizon outage that affected so many mobile customers all over the country? While Verizon hasn't issued any statements addressing the cause, we'll provide more information as it becomes available. In the meantime, here's everything we know so far.

The Verizon service outage cause: What we know

Starting around 11:55 a.m. ET, the platform Downdetector started to receive a spike in user error reports from Verizon customers. Error reports peaked around 12:45 p.m. ET, when Downdetector received "178,284 concurrent reports" within a 15-minute period." So far, the platform has received more than 1.7 million error reports. (Disclosure: Downdetector and Mashable are both owned by Ziff Davis.)

Mashable reporters reached out to Verizon with questions about the outage, but the company has yet to say anything concrete about the source of the problem.

Instead, the company responded with the same statements it's posted to its website and social media platforms. The statements thank customers for their patience and promise that Verizon engineering teams "remain fully deployed" to address the issue.

A recent statement on X reads:

"Verizon's team is on the ground actively working to fix today’s service issue that is impacting some customers. We know this is a huge inconvenience, and our top priority is to get you back online and connected as fast as possible. We appreciate your patience while we work to resolve this issue."

At this time, it's not clear where on the ground Verizon is working, or what they're working on.

Verizon outage cause: What we don't know

Global mobile networks involve a vast infrastructure, and we don't yet know which part of Verizon's telecommunications system has malfunctioned. It's even possible that the outage was caused by a third-party contractor or vendor that works with Verizon, rather than the company itself. Likewise, the outage could be the result of a cybersecurity attack by an unknown actor.

If the outage did originate with Verizon, we don't know if it's a software problem, a hardware problem, or both, though Verizon has blamed previous outages on software problems.

Mashable reported on several major internet outages in 2025. Typically, the companies responsible for an outage provide an initial update the day of the disruption, followed by a more in-depth report in the weeks ahead.

We will update this story as we learn more about the outage.

Verizon Wireless outage timeline

Verizon experienced a major service disruption on Wednesday, Jan. 14, with confused customers taking to social media to report that their phones were suddenly stuck in SOS mode.

The outage began around noon ET, and Verizon quickly acknowledged the outage in a statement posted on X; a Verizon spokesperson also provided the same statement to Mashable reporters.

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By the evening, some customers reported restored service, though many customers on social media still complained of ongoing problems. While the service was down, many angry Verizon customers criticized the company in social media posts.

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This isn't the first time Verizon customers have experienced an outage.

In September 2025 (and again in October 2025), thousands of Verizon mobile customers experienced brief outages, which Verizon eventually attributed to software issues. A service disruption in 2024 also sent some Verizon customers' phones into SOS mode.