Verizon customers across the U.S. experienced widespread issues accessing the company's wireless network, with many reporting that their phone service was down and stuck in SOS mode on Monday morning.

By 10:11 a.m. ET, more than 100,000 outage reports had been logged on DownDetector, a platform that tracks service disruptions for telecom providers and other businesses.

The outages affected customers from New York to Los Angeles, with the primary issue being the lack of mobile phone service. Problems began surfacing shortly after 9 a.m. ET, prompting frustrated customers to turn to social media, with some demanding refunds from Verizon.

“It’s been over two hours, and we haven’t been given any explanation. We all pay a lot for our Verizon service, and we should be compensated until this is fixed,” one customer posted on X (formerly Twitter).

Many reported that their phones had no service beyond SOS mode. One user on DownDetector wrote, “SOS in Ohio since mid-morning. It was working during my commute, but service went out hours ago and hasn’t returned.”

Verizon acknowledged the issue in a statement sent to CBS MoneyWatch, saying, "We are aware of an issue impacting service for some customers. Our engineers are actively working to identify and resolve the issue."

**What is SOS mode?**  

Phones switch to SOS mode when they can't connect to their usual wireless network. In this mode, the phone can still make emergency calls, like 911, by connecting to other carriers, according to Apple.

Several users also voiced frustration over being unable to use two-factor authentication (2FA), which requires a text message to verify identity during login attempts for accounts like online banking or work email. Some pointed out the irony of being unable to access their Verizon accounts due to the outage itself.

“How am I supposed to log into my Verizon account if I can’t receive a verification code because of the outage?” one person wrote on X.

Aimee Picchi, associate managing editor for CBS MoneyWatch, contributed to this report. She covers business and personal finance, and has written for outlets like USA Today and Consumer Reports.