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What SOS on an iPhone means, and how it impacts what you can do

An iPhone showing “SOS” isn’t a cry for help, but it does mean you’re having connection issues. This is what the three letters really mean.

Top left screen of a smartphone displaying 'SOS only' with a Wi-Fi icon, and 100% battery level on the right. Purple background.
SOS Only on an iPhone

SOS is well known as a Morse Code distress signal, quickly and efficiently communicating that there is a major and potentially life-threatening problem. While SOS doesn’t actually mean “Save Our Souls” and is really just an agreed-upon communications sequence, the meaning is immediately understandable to almost anyone.

Your iPhone or cellular-equipped iPad can also display SOS in the status bar. However, the meaning is less about the phone being in trouble and more about what it cannot do.

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