Amid a major wireless service outage that affected customers of numerous providers across the U.S. on Thursday, many people reported seeing SOS on their iPhones, prompting them to use Wi-Fi calling when needed. Some people were, but what does this mean?
The question surfaced as AT&T’s massive outages left thousands of people without power and service in the Chicago area and across the United States.
As a result, messages and alerts popped up on cellphones across the country, with emergency officials warning that many users were unable to contact 911 call centers.
At its peak, more than 70,000 outages were reported.
“Some of our customers are experiencing wireless service interruptions this morning. We are working urgently to restore service to our customers,” AT&T said in a statement Thursday morning. We recommend using Wi-Fi calling until service is restored. ”
Shortly after 10 a.m., the company reported that three-quarters of its network was back up, although outages were still present. The cause of the outage has not yet been made public.
So what should you know if your service is unavailable now or in the future?
The presenters are:
What is SOS mode? Why does my phone show SOS mode?
Some AT&T customers reported to NBC Chicago that they saw an “SOS” message appear in the top right corner of their phones, where the service bar usually appears.
Apple says this message appears when “your device is not connected to a cellular network,” but this also means you can make emergency calls through other carrier networks. Masu.
This feature is only available in the US, Australia, and Canada.
“If you see SOS in your iPhone’s status bar, it means your cellular network is available for emergency calls,” the company said.
When you call with SOS, you are automatically connected to your local emergency number and your location is shared with emergency services.
Users can also set their phones to alert emergency contacts with a text message containing their current location after making an emergency SOS call, and to update contacts if their location changes .
“With iPhone 14 and later (all models), you can also send a text message to emergency services using Emergency SOS via satellite, even when cellular or Wi-Fi coverage is unavailable.” Apple says.
What is Wi-Fi calling?
If Wi-Fi is still available in the event of an outage, you can still make calls.
Look for “Wi-Fi” in the status bar to see if it’s available.
“Wi-Fi Calling lets you make and receive calls even in areas with little or no cellular coverage as long as you have a Wi-Fi connection,” Apple says.
And it’s not just for Apple users.
According to AT&T, “Wi-Fi Calling allows you to make calls and send text messages over an active Wi-Fi connection,” which most Apple and Android smartphones from 2015 onwards support. I am. However, users will need a smartphone with an eligible rate plan to use it.
The company’s website states, “You can turn Wi-Fi Calling on or off in your phone’s settings. Wi-Fi Calling allows you to make and receive phone calls just as you would over a cellular network. , send text messages, and use AT&T Visual Voicemail.”
How do I turn on Wi-Fi calling?
Here’s what Apple should do:
[設定]>[電話]>[Wi-Fi 通話]Go to. You may need to enter or confirm your address for emergency services.
