Verizon's service should now be restored following a major outage that lasted for around 10 hours and impacted hundreds of thousands of people.
It was the popular United States wireless carrier's first major outage since October 2024, and it was a bad one, with customers across the country seeing 'SOS' in place of network bars.
Many users reported no network bars, and on phones like the iPhone, those were replaced with SOS, with no ability to make or receive calls or texts beyond using data.
The problems started at around 12:30PM ET, with thousands of Verizon cellular customers reporting issues with the network on social platforms including X (formerly Twitter) and Threads, as well as in the comments below on this article. At its height, Down Detector reported more than 180,000 issues.
Verizon eventually confirmed to TechRadar that its network was experiencing a disruption shortly after 1 PM ET, then was relatively quiet on the issue until issuing a substantial update around 9 PM ET.
Verizon noted then that it majorly let customers down and that credits would be on the horizon for those affected, then added that it was "working non-stop and making progress," . Verizon's statement continued with: "Our teams will continue to work through the night until service is restored for all impacted customers." Finally, at 10:24 PM ET, Verizon confirmed the outage was resolved.
If you're still having issues, it's best to try restarting your device.
We invite you to vote in our poll below to let us know if you're on Verizon and are still being impacted by the outage, and to comment down below.
We're still continuing our live coverage of this major Verizon outage ahead and have reached out to the carrier for more information on what caused the outage.
The spike is real on Down Detector – as of 12:16PM ET there are over 46,000 reported outages and a few of my colleagues who use Veirzon are seeing 'SOS' in place of network bars on there iPhones.
For those counting, Down Detector is now at over 90,000 reported issues, with many in the comments noting that on their phones, 'SOS' is appearing instead of network bars. This likely indicates that the device can't reach the cellular network and instead defaults to satellite connectivity, a feature offered by the iPhone and other smartphones.
Here's a look at what that looks like, courtesy of TechRadar's Editor-at-Large, Lance Ulanoff's iPhone 17 Pro Max, which is connected to Verizon's network here in New York City.
Verizon's own Network Status isn't showing any issues
Interestingly, Verizon's Network Status checker doesn't appear to show any issues, and I've tried plugging in a few different locations to get it to update. Please let us know in the comments if you're on Verizon and experiencing this outage.
Based on social media posts and Down Detector comments, it's clear that the New York Metro Region, Texas, Florida, Las Vegas, Nevada, and South Carolina are experiencing issues.
I am also encountering a 'please try again' pop-up when using the tool, so it might be experiencing an outage.
I am keeping an eye on Verizon's own social channels – mainly @Verizon, @VerizonSupport, and @VerizonNews on X – to see if any comment or acknowledgment is being issued, but there's nothing as of yet.
Meanwhile, here's a sampling of impacted users taking to social platforms to report issues with Verizon.
Who else has a Verizon outage? I have no service, full SOS in North Carolina.January 14, 2026
Looks like Verizon is having a major outage again. My iPhone is down to no service but my galaxy on unlimited welcome is fine. pic.twitter.com/KwRHsVIgpGJanuary 14, 2026
I use Visible, one of Verizon MVNO's, and still have service
I swapped from Verizon to Visible this past November during the carrier's Black Friday - Cyber Monday sale and am still seeing service on my iPhone 17 Pro Max, actually 5GUW with two bars of service.
Now, Visible is Verizon's MVNO, which means it's a 'mobile virtual network operator' that actually offers its service via Verizon's network, so it's peculiar that it's not impacted by the outage ... at least as of yet.
Verizon just confirmed the issue with TechRadar and is working on a fix
We've heard back from a Verizon spokesperson, and the carrier has confirmed that an issue is impacting its network.
"We are aware of an issue impacting wireless voice and data services for some customers. Our engineers are engaged and are working to identify and solve the issue quickly. We understand how important reliable connectivity is and apologize for the inconvenience."
Verizon states that it's aware of the issue hitting both voice and data for some customers, but doesn't show how far-reaching the impact is. It's clear it's quite wide; scroll down and read the comments below.
There is no timeline for a resolution, but Verizon's engineers are working on it. So that's a positive.
It's a good time to try Messages via Satellite on your iPhone
If you see "SOS" on your iPhone 14 or newer, now is a good time to try "Messages via Satellite." Apple originally designed this for when you're out in the wilderness or a place that's intended to have no cellular reception, but it's a good way to stay in contact with family and friends during a network outage.
You can see our guide to using Messages via Satellite here.
Verizon's responding back to frustrated users on social media
While we still haven't seen a formal Tweet from the @Verizon account, the @VerizonSupport account is responding to individual customers who are tweeting about network connectivity issues. And it appears to be the same message to most folks, likely automated and asking for a DM to help troubleshoot the issue.
Other carriers are spiking on Down Detector, but it's likely not another outage
As we see with almost all service outages, competing services tend to spike when one carrier is experiencing one. With mobile carriers, it's generally the case that one person has Verizon and is in the midst of the outage, and they're reaching out to someone at AT&T, T-Mobile, or another carrier; if they don't, they fail to do so.
Generally, it's that Verizon can't connect to that network, not that AT&T or T-Mobile is simultaneously experiencing another outage, though it's possible.
A look at 'Messages via Satellite' on iPhone
While I'm still seeing service on Visible – Verizon's own MVNO – with 5G UW, my colleague, Lance Ulanoff, on Verizon proper, is still seeing SOS and is attempting to use 'Messages via Satellite' on his iPhone 17 Pro Max. Here's what that looks like: it's a pretty nice visual interface that takes over the Dynamic Island.
Down Detector reports are dropping, but many are still reporting issues
Let's take a quick status check on Down Detector – while reported issues with Verizon were at nearly 180,000, it is starting to drop to around 120,000. A significant drop, which might point to some recovery, but also still way above the number we expect Verizon or any cellular carrier to be at on a normal day.
Lance headed onto the streets of NYC to give 'Messages via Satellite' a go, as his iPhone 17 Pro Max in Cosmic Orange that's connected to Verizon is still showing SOS. He connected via satellite, following the prompts, but the four messages he sent me still haven't been received on my end.
Verizon's outage is impacting voice, text, and data for cellular customers
Here's a quick update – reported outages for Verizon began spiking a bit before 12:30 PM ET on January 24, 2026, and Verizon confirmed the issue shortly after 1 PM ET. The outage is affecting nearly all parts of Verizon's cellular service in the areas covered, including New York, New Jersey, the Carolinas, Texas, and Florida, among others. Just look at the comments below.
Additionally, it affects voice, text, and data, with many affected phones displaying an SOS icon instead of the usual network bars and 5G/5G UW/4G in the top corner. For iPhone users with a 14 or newer model, you'll be directed to satellite services, including 'Messages via Satellite'.
Verizon's provided an update, but there's still no estimate for a fix
Verizon just shared another update via @VerizonNews on X. As expected, its engineering team is still investigating the issue and working to resolve it, but there is no estimate yet for when recovery will occur.
And further, Verizon's not sharing any information on what's causing the issue – we've reached back out to Verizon to ask for more information, though we might not hear back until this is resolved.
Verizon engineering teams are continuing to address today's service interruptions. Our teams remain fully deployed and are focused on the issue. We understand the impact this has on your day and remain committed to resolving this as quickly as possible.January 14, 2026
Let's talk about those network bars
If you see bars but are unable to make a call or receive data, remember that those bars simply indicate a connection to a cell tower. In that case, you're in range, and it's still casting, but it's similar to a home Wi-Fi network that is casting without a direct pipeline to the World Wide Web.
In this case, as Verizon works to restore its network and resolve the issue, you may be able to reach a cell tower and have a strong signal, but it's not sending any data or voice traffic back to you. Meaning that you won't be able to use the internet, or at least use it at close to normal speeds, make calls, or send a message.
It's also likely that when Verizon is unaware that recovery is underway, a full restoration will take longer and can vary by location. Of course, there's a chance you don't even see those network bars as of right now, as many are seeing those swapped for SOS.
New York City's official emergency notification system has commented on the situation, noting that if you're on Verizon and are impacted by this outage, it may affect your ability to dial 911 in an emergency. It advises you to try calling from a landline or another device, or to visit a precinct, if you have an emergency.
You can also try using 'Emergency SOS via Satellite' if you're an iPhone 14 or newer.
Nationwide @Verizon Wireless Outage: Outage may affect some users trying to call 911. Call using a device from another carrier, a landline, or go to a police/fire station to report emergencies. To find your precinct: https://t.co/QtknvNamrXJanuary 14, 2026
We have a slight update, at least from folks on Verizon, but it's not a fix, more like a glimmer of recovery.
Here in NYC, my colleague Lance Ulanoff is now seeing two bars of service and 5G after a restart on his iPhone 17 Pro Max, which is connected to Verizon. Though it's super spotty and has quickly gone back to SOS, meanwhile, other colleagues are still seeing SOS and not even seeing the network bars after a restart.
So, fair to say that Verizon's network is still impacted, and we're waiting on further updates from the carrier on what's causing the outage and when recovery might be. Judging from the comments below, though, it appears many are seeing it come back, then disappear back to SOS or no bars.
As we noted earlier, other carriers are operating normally, with T-Mobile posting on X (formerly Twitter) that its network is performing well. It does note that if you're attempting to reach someone on Verizon, you may not be able to establish the connection.
We're still waiting for an update from Verizon as well on the current network issues.
T-Mobile’s network is keeping our customers connected, and we’ve confirmed that our network is operating normally and as expected. However due to Verizon’s reported outage, our customers may not be able to reach someone with Verizon service at this time.January 14, 2026
Just like T-Mobile, AT&T is also confirming that its network is operating just fine ... albeit with a bit more sass.
The carrier writes, "Our network? Solid." and then notes that if you're having issues, it's due to another network but doesn't mention Verizon by name. AT&T then shouts out some switching offers as well.
Our network? Solid. If you’re experiencing issues, it’s not us.....it’s the other guys. Some things are just out of our hands! - BUT if you're interested in giving us a try - https://t.co/xftQXpUcjwJanuary 14, 2026
Verizon is finally showing some proof of life in NYC
We won't call this a full recovery just yet, but my colleague Lance Ulanoff is now seeing three bars and 5G UW. His first call to me failed, and it showed 'Call Failed' on the iPhone, but on the second attempt, after a brief delay, I was able to hear him, and he was able to hear me.
I also had him run a quick speed test, and on Verizon 5G UW from a 17 Pro Max, he got 19.8 Mbps download and 5.97 Mbps upload. So this is progress, but we're not sure how widespread the recovery is. Let us know if service is starting to come back in the comments below.
Of course, we'll update you if this disappears again or if we get another comment from Verizon.
Quick update – Lance's phone quickly went back to SOS and then back to a few bars, so it's likely that Verizon is working on restorations and that there is a flood of iPhones and other phones like Pixel and Galaxy devices trying to get back online.
We're keen to hear Verizon provide another update on what exactly is going on, as the last one was at 2:14 PM ET – over an hour ago.
We reached out to Carolina Milanesi, President and Principal Analyst at Creative Strategies, Inc., for her thoughts and expertise on the current outage impacting Verizon:
"Sadly, we are getting accustomed to outages, whether they are network Verizon today, ATT in 2024, AWS at the end of 2025, and I fear this is the new reality as cyber attacks increase and reliance on major cloud and AI providers increases," wrote Milanesi.
While there is no evidence that today's issues are a cyberattack, such outages are certainly on the rise. One thing that I'd hope we see improved is communication from the impacted services, but that's not the case yet ... with Verizon today, Verizon in 2024, or the outages in between.
And here's the latest look at the reported outage map from Down Detector – Verizon's outage is very widespread, hitting the East Coast – Northeast and Southeast – Midwest, and even select metropolitan cities on the West Coast.
Here's where we stand 4 hours in
This is officially the biggest and longest outage of 2026, but I'll level with you, it's also the first outage of 2026. Even so, this will stand as a major outage for Verizon, disrupting cell service for countless customers, and it's still ongoing.
Verizon's latest update on the outage came at 2:14 PM ET, close to two hours ago, and it didn't provide much of a real needle pusher. It noted that the engineering team is focusing on addressing the interruption and is fully committed to resolving it. No mention of what's causing it or the estimated time for resolution.
We've reached out to Verizon to ask for more information and are waiting to hear back; that'll likely be the case until another wide statement is issued. For now, though, if you have Verizon, your ability to make calls, send texts, and use data – aka browse the web on 5G or even 4G – is likely affected. If you're on an iPhone, you're likely seeing network bars replaced with SOS. You can see our guide to sending messages via satellite here.
Keep posting in the comments below to let us know if your service is still out, if it's showing signs of coming back to life, or if it's being a bit of a tease like my colleagues have been seeing. For what it's worth, I still have two bars and 5G on Visible, but Lance is seeing Verizon with no bars and no mention of 5G with no connectivity.
Krispy Kreme to the rescue, sort of
While it's not a service recovery, Krispy Kreme is at least making those impacted by Verizon's major outage today feel a little bit better. The iconic doughnut chain has confirmed to TechRadar that it'll be serving up free original glazed doughnuts from 5 PM to 7 PM across the United States at its locations as a 'sweet backup plan.'
That's pretty great, and I can confirm a Krispy Kreme original glazed can really hit the spot. If only Verizon would provide another update!
Verizon provides an update, but still no time for a resolution
Well, Verizon's finally shared another update on the ongoing network disruption as of 4:12PM ET. It doesn't state the cause of the issue or how long it'll take for it be resolved, but it does read, "Verizon's team is on the ground actively working to fix today’s service issue that is impacting some customers."
Verizon's clearly working fast to resolve the issue, but as of now many, many customers are still without connectivity. We'll keep you updated!
Krispy Kreme donuts are secured
Lance and I headed to a Krispy Kreme in NYC and can confirm that donut deal is real. You're entitled to one free Original Glazed donut and the offer is valid from 5PM to 7PM, it certainly helps for a tasty treat after a stressful day – that's contuining to the evening – for Verizon customers.
Patience is a virtue, right?
Lance Ulanoff here.
We're nearing hour 6 of this Verizon outage, and while some are reporting restored service, many of us are struggling to maintain even LTE support on what's supposed to be a 5G network. Plus, coverage is wildly inconsistent. Some people have a few bars of 5G, others have just LTE, and some have nothing.
On the ride home, I notice some people on their phones happily scrolling through their feeds. It was hard to tell, though, what network they're on. In my own house, my wife has 5G while I'm suffering with SOS.
This will be a slow road back.
The impacts of the Verizon outage
Beyond not being able to access the internet, make calls, or receive texts, the implications of Verizon's major 6+ hour outage today are far-reaching. Take this, for example: live sporting events are affected, especially when you need connectivity to pull up tickets on your phone to enter the venue.
In New Jersey this evening, the NJ Devils take on the Seattle Kraken, and the team recommends fans save their tickets to Apple Wallet or Google Wallet before leaving for the venue.
And here's an update on the current number of reported outages at Down Detector – it's fallen to about 43,000, which is still an abnormally high number pointing towards an outage by down from the over 180,000 reports from earlier today. Meanwhile, we're awaiting further updates from Verizon on the timeline for resolution.
Due to ongoing network outages, we’re encouraging all fans to add their tickets to tonight’s game to their Apple/Google wallets prior to arriving at the arena to avoid any delays.January 14, 2026
Verizon's outage is now stretching on for 6+ hours
We're now stretching into 6 hours of this Verizon outage that's knocked out phone, text, and data for a huge swath of customers across the United States. The issues began shortly before 12:30PM ET, and Verizon confirmed a network disruption after 1 PM ET.
While at its peak, Down Detector reported over 180,000 incidents; it has since fallen to around 40,000, but hundreds of thousands of customers have reported issues. You can see many of those on social platforms, like X (formerly Twitter) or Threads, and even see more of them by scrolling below to the comments.
Now, my colleagues and I at TechRadar want to know whether you've been affected by today's Verizon outage, so please take the poll below and feel free to comment.
We're still awaiting an update from Verizon on the resolution timeline or the cause of today's issues. The carrier last posted an update at 4:12 PM ET, noting that teams were on the ground working to resolve the outage. And if you're on an iPhone and seeing SOS, here's a guide to trying to send messages via satellite.
We're now in hour 7 of this Verizon outage
We're now into 7 hours of what is still a very active and ongoing Verizon outage, so let's take a look at the outage map on Down Detector that's based on the most recent reports. It shows fewer outages, but it's still quite high for a typical day at Verizon, with over 37,000.
It seems that the Northeast, specifically New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, is a bit of a hotspot for Verizon's network issues. Still, Boston, Washington DC, Florida, LA, and Phoenix are all on here as well.
From the comments below, I see that TechRadar readers on Verizon are still experiencing issues in Massachusetts, Alaska, Mississippi, Maryland, Virginia, and New Hampshire, among others, and remain affected by this outage.
I'm on Visible – Verizon's MVNO – and haven't been impacted, but I spoke with my colleague, Lance, who still has no service. His wife, though, has 1 bar showing and 5G with the ability to browse the internet and make calls, though not to Lance, and his son has LTE.
One of my friends in NYC has an iPhone 16 and is still seeing "SOS" instead of network bars or 5G on his device. He tried a restart, a soft reset, and turning Airplane mode on and off – all to no avail so far. He hasn't attempted to try Messages via Satellite, though that is a bit hard to pull off in metro areas with tall buildings like NYC.
And our poll is still open, so please vote on what you're currently experiencing with Verizon, and thank you to the 20,000+ who have already voted.
Some things to try on your phone
If you're starting to see a bar or two return, or want to try and make that happen while we wait for further updates from Verizon, here are a few ideas on what to do.
Given that the network outage is still active and Verizon is working to resolve it, there's no guarantee these will work. You might find that even if you're seeing a bar or 5G appear, you can't connect either, and as Lance wrote earlier, that can be par for the course as parts of the network come back online, but not fully online, or they get pulled back down again as Verizon attempts to ensure 100% recovery.
Unfortunately, the recovery will likely be slow.
- Sounds simple, but try restarting your phone.
- Try a soft reset if you're on an iPhone – press and hold the volume up button, press and hold the volume down button, then press and hold the power button until you see the Apple logo.
- Turn on Airplane mode and then turn it off.
We're now in hour 8 of this Verizon outage
We're now in hour 8 of this outage and are now past four hours since Verizon's last update on the network disruption, though we have asked the network for another update.
Judging by the comments down below, it appears that many across the United States – Georgia, Massachusetts, Florida, Texas, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, to name a few – are still in the midst of this Verizon outage, while others have seen bars reappear and then disappear soon thereafter.
One of my friends in New York City who has an iPhone 17 Pro Max just told me that after hours without service, 5G appeared and then went away after about a minute – certainly frustrating. Similarly, my colleague Lance Ulanoff is seeing Verizon service come in and out on his iPhone 17 Pro Max – at times, a bar or two appearing, and then quickly disappearing.
It does appear that a few of you are seeing better luck with service reappearing and lasting a bit longer, so let's hope Verizon is making progress, and we'll see that across all impacted areas soon.
Verizon finally gives us an update, and says it will work through the night to get its network back online
Well, nearly five hours since Verizon's last update that its team was actively working on the issue, we finally have another update, and it's not a resolution.
You can read it in full below, but the carrier is first acknowledging that it let its customers down majorly today and that its "teams will continue to work through the night until service is restored for all impacted customers."
Unfortunately, that means we're likely still hours away from a complete recovery, though Verizon says it's "working non-stop and making progress."
And Verizon does formally mention credits for customers affected by the major outage, Verizon offers some hope: "We will make this right - for any customer affected, we will provide account credits and share updates soon."
"Today, we let many of our customers down and for that, we are truly sorry. They expect more from us.
We are working non-stop and making progress. Our teams will continue to work through the night until service is restored for all impacted customers.
We will make this right - for any customer affected, we will provide account credits and share updates soon."
Today, we let many of our customers down and for that, we are truly sorry. They expect more from us.We are working non-stop and making progress. Our teams will continue to work through the night until service is restored for all impacted customers.We will make this right -…January 15, 2026
Lance's iPhone 17 Pro Max on Verizon is finally showing some positive signs, and hopefully that means a few of you in the comments might be seeing this as well ... though mileage will undoubtedly vary.
After switching to 'Searching,' the iPhone was able to show 5G and two bars of service with Wi-Fi turned off. Lance ran a quick speed test and scored 89MBps download and 1.48MBps – not the strongest speeds ever recorded, but a sign that the network connection was there.
It's lasted about 14 minutes so far, so let's see if the connection sticks.
Verizon says the outage is resolved, but a restart of your phone might be required
TechRadar has received another update from Verizon, and it's a positive one. As of 10:24 PM ET, Verizon's Christina Moon Ashraf confirmed that "the outage has been resolved" and that, if you're a Verizon customer still experiencing issues, it's best practice to "restart" your device.
Further, Christina Moon Ashraf writes, "For those affected, we will provide account credits. Details will be shared directly with customers." Lastly, as the earlier statements echo, it concludes with "We sincerely apologize for the distruption."
This is largely good news, and based on the comments below, it appears many of you are reporting that service has returned, while others note a partial return with only some features working. It might be that Verizon is still making some adjustments, but I'll include the same list of tips from before, beyond just restarting your phone, to try and see if that can help bring service back to life.
We'll, of course, update this if we hear further from Verizon as well – those might come from me in the early morning hours tomorrow or from my TechRadar colleagues in the UK who will be online well before then.
It's also good news on the credit front, and once we hear more about the process for obtaining those, we'll update the guide. And I do hope that Verizon will detail a bit more about what exactly happened today and the steps it's taking to ensure the likelihood of an outage at this scale – lasting for nearly 10 hours – happening again can be reduced.
- Sounds simple, but as Verizon suggests, try restarting your phone.
- Try a soft reset if you're on an iPhone – press and hold the volume up button, then press and hold the volume down button, and finally press and hold the power button until you see the Apple logo.
- Turn on Airplane mode and then turn it off.
'We learned to disconnect and appreciate'
In all the madness and anger – or any other emotion you want to for this outage – there was one Verizon customer who left a comment that stood out to me. Posted by an anonymous user on Down Detector, they said, "Today we learned to disconnect and appreciate and some of us even met some pretty cool people."
Now, that's a glass-half-full kinda person and I appreciate that outlook. More so because it's been a trying 12 hours. But it does show that sometimes disconnecting can be a good thing.
We're 12 hours in and things are coming round
12 hours, and over 1.5 million complaints later, DownDetector is now showing only around 1,500. So looks like services are coming back for most customers and it shouldn't be long before it all goes back to being 'business as usual'.
As of 10.20pm ET, Verizon confirmed that the issue had been resolved, but the company is yet to offer an explanation as to what went wrong.
It's given the competition a chance to take a dig at Verizon. T-Mobile sent its customers a message to reassure them there wasn't any issue with its own network, while AT&T said that if any of its customers were experiencing problems, "It’s not us...it’s the other guys.”
Verizon services should now be back to normal for everyone. If your phone is still not picking up the network, trying turning on airplane mode and off again or restart your phone.
That hadn't worked for some our readers until about an hour ago, but hopefully you'll rest easy for the rest of the night knowing you'll be receiving spam calls again in the morning.
There's still no word from Verizon on what caused the outage, but we'll update this live blog when we hear more.
The most recent update from the carrier is below:
The outage has been resolved. If customers are still having an issue, we encourage them to restart their devices to reconnect to the network. For those affected, we will provide account credits. Details will be shared directly with customers. We sincerely apologize for the…January 15, 2026
Will Verizon customers get a refund?
We're still in the aftermath of the big Verizon outage, and one of the main questions is whether customers will be reimbursed for the problems that lasted 12 hours?
Right now, all Verizon has said is that "we will provide account credits" and that "details will be shared directly with customers". So far, we haven't seen any evidence of anyone receiving those details – if you have, please do share them in the comments below.
While some may have preferred a refund rather than a credit, not all mobile networks promise compensation during outages – so that's at least a small silver lining on a very bad day for Verizon customers.
Some are still having issues
While the Verizon outage is over for most people (aside from waiting to receive credits, see post below), some are still experiencing residual issues almost a day on.
Over on Downdetector, the reports are at around 2,300 at the time of writing – nowhere near the peak of 182,000 reports at 12.45pm ET yesterday, but still not insignificant. In the comments, some have noted "still out in NC", "I’m still SOS (South Jersey)", and "New Hampshire and I'm down".
There are similarly some anecdotal reports over on X, with a number of users posting that the network is "still down" for them. Fortunately for us, that isn't our experience, with TechRadar's Editor at Large Lance Ulanoff reporting that "all systems are normal here" in New York and that he's currently hotspotting on his Verizon 5G network while on a train, which is "working smoothly".
If you're still having issues, Verizon's advice is still for customers to "restart their devices to reconnect to the network". Clearly, that isn't working for everyone, but hopefully those remaining cases will be resolved soon.
Verizon will give customers a '$20 account credit'
Well, Verizon has issued its next comment—arriving at 9:42 AM ET—and once again the carrier is apologizing and admitting it "did not meet the standard of excellence you expect and that we expect of ourselves."
Maybe more importantly, though, Verizon is finally detailing what the credit it will be offering looks like, and I have a feeling it might not meet the mark for those in the comments below.
Verizon writes, "To help provide some relief, we are giving you a $20 account credit that can be easily redeemed by logging into the myVerizon app to accept. On average, this covers multiple days of service. Our business customers will be contacted directly about their credits."
The nice part is that it’s a somewhat automatic credit that Verizon customers should be able to accept. Still, though, considering it was an over 8-hour outage, I’m not sure this will be music to the ears of impacted customers.
The carrier does provide a little more detail, though: "This credit isn’t meant to make up for what happened. No credit really can. But it’s a way of acknowledging our customers' time and showing that this matters to us."
Additionally, Verizon says if you're still experiencing the outage, it recommends restarting your phone to help get it back online. There's no exact timing for when the credit option will appear in the MyVerizon app, but let us know if you see it in the comments down below.
Full statement from Verizon:
"Yesterday, we did not meet the standard of excellence our customers expect and that we expect of ourselves. To help provide some relief to those affected, we are giving customers a $20 account credit that can be easily redeemed by logging into the myVerizon app to accept. On average, this covers multiple days of service. Our business customers will be contacted directly about their credits.
This credit isn’t meant to make up for what happened. No credit really can. But it’s a way of acknowledging our customers' time and showing that this matters to us.
If customers are still experiencing issues, we encourage them to restart their devices to reconnect to the network. We are sorry for what you experienced and will continue to work hard day and night to provide the outstanding network and service that people expect from Verizon."
Yesterday, we did not meet the standard of excellence you expect and that we expect of ourselves. To help provide some relief, we are giving you a $20 account credit that can be easily redeemed by logging into the myVerizon app to accept. On average, this covers multiple days of…January 15, 2026
Not seeing the $20 credit? Verizon will send a text when it's available
If you're not seeing the $20 credit from Verizon on your account page – either on the web or in the MyVerizon app on Android or iOS – you're likely not alone. Lance hasn't seen it yet, and we reached out to Verizon, who informed us that it will send out a text to customers when the $20 credit becomes available.
I'm not yet sure if that process has begun or if it's planned for later today – though I really hope it is –, but we've asked Verizon and will hopefully hear back soon. If not, it's a bit of a waiting game. You can read a bit more on the $20 credit and some thoughts on its impact here.
Below, I'd invite you to take TechRadar's poll to let us know if you think the $20 credit is enough for the outage. Feel free to vote and leave a comment below. You can even let us know if you see the $20 credit appear.
It doesn't appear that Verizon's begun the process for issuing the credit, but TechRadar has confirmed that it is a $20 credit per account, not per line. This means that if you have a family plan with any number of lines, you'll be eligible for a $20 credit.
As a refresher, you'll be able to redeem the $20 credit within the MyVerizon app for iOS and Android, and Verizon will send a text when that option becomes available. Verizon has not yet confirmed when it will be available or when the process will start.
Verizon confirms a software issue caused the outage and there is 'no indication' of a 'cyber security incident'
In a statement to TechRadar, Verizon is shedding some light on the over 8-hour outage yesterday, January 14, 2026, that affected many of its customers across the United States. The outage was caused by a software issue, and Verizon is conducting a full investigation into the cause.
Furthermore, Verizon notes that this wasn't a cyberattack: "As of now, there is no indication that this was a cyber security issue."
Here's the full statement from a Verizon spokesperson to TechRadar:
"This was a software issue and we are conducting a full review of what happened. As of now, there is no indication that this was a cyber security issue."
Customers are still looking for the $20 credit
While Verizon did inform us that the multi-hour outage yesterday, January 14, 2026, was caused by a software issue and that there were no signs of a cybersecurity issue, we're still waiting for the carrier to start serving the $20 credit for customers.
The last update earlier this morning noted that customers will be able to access the $20 credit on their account page in the 'MyVerizon' app for iOS and Android. Verizon also noted that it would notify customers via text that the credit was available.
Based on the comments below and my colleague, TechRadar's Editor-at-Large, Lance Ulanoff, Verizon has yet to start texting about the credit or make it accessible in the app. As Lance noted, the app doesn't show a credit but still has the notice apologizing for the outage up top.
The $20 credit is appearing as redeemable for some in the MyVerizon app
Here's some good news – hours after Verizon announced that customers would be able to get a $20 credit due to the over 8-hour outage that impacted the carrier's customers across the United States, we have Chris who commented down below, as well as my colleague Lance Ulanoff, confirming they both were able to see it in the app.
For Lance, it appears at the top of his 'MyVerizion' app, reading: "We're sorry we've let you down. Redeem your $20 credit below. Credit will be applied in 1-2 bill cycles." with a 'Redeem Now' button below. He clicked it and received a success screen (see below) confirming that there is only one $20 credit per account.
For Chris, in the comments below, he wrote: "Received the $20 credit in the Verizon app. Had to click on the notification icon, and then redeemed the credit. It will be applied in 1-2 billing cycles." That's a few more hoops, but if you're not seeing it up top, the notifications section is a good place to check.
Seemingly, Verizon has not yet sent a text message informing customers of the ability to redeem the $20 credit. We also haven't received any updates from the carrier on the specific details of the 'software issue' that caused the outage, but we expect Verizon to release more information after it completes its investigation in the coming days.
