The word SOS in the iPhone status area and the Emergency SOS calling shortcuts are different things. If the status bar says SOS or SOS only, the iPhone is not connected to its normal cellular network but may still be able to make emergency calls. There is no setting that simply turns that network-status message off.
If your iPhone says SOS
- Move to an area where your carrier normally has cellular coverage.
- Turn Airplane Mode on for several seconds, then turn it off.
- Restart the iPhone.
- Open Settings > Cellular and confirm the appropriate cellular line is turned on.
- Check with your carrier for an outage or an account, SIM, or eSIM problem if service does not return.
Change Emergency SOS button shortcuts
- Open Settings.
- Tap Emergency SOS.
- Turn Call with Hold and Release or Call with 5 Presses on or off according to your preference.
What to know
Turning off those shortcuts does not disable the iPhone’s ability to call emergency services, and it does not remove an SOS status caused by lack of normal cellular service. Emergency features are safety functions, so change the shortcuts only if you understand what each option does.
When you should contact your carrier
If restarting the iPhone and toggling Airplane Mode do not restore service, verify that your cellular plan is active. A carrier can check for an outage, account restriction, provisioning problem, or SIM/eSIM issue that the iPhone settings cannot fix. If the problem started immediately after moving an eSIM, changing carriers, or replacing a phone, mention that when you contact the carrier because the cellular line may need to be activated or provisioned again.