How To Get Rid Of SOS-Only On iPhone

Has your iPhone unexpectedly gotten stuck in SOS-only mode, where the only functionality is to make emergency calls? While applicable in certain situations, being unexpectedly locked into this limited emergency state can be disruptive if accidentally triggered in the day-to-day use of your phone.

In this article, we’ll cover what causes the iPhone SOS-only mode to activate and the disadvantages or issues it poses from a user experience perspective. Most importantly, this article will examine how to exit and eliminate SOS mode. We will also provide some simple tips for preventing SOS mode from accidentally activating in the future. Read on for the fundamental solutions.

What Causes the SOS Mode?

By default, the SOS-only iPhone functionality enables quick emergency access. When triggered, it locks down the iPhone into a limited mode where you can only call emergency services numbers for safety purposes. 

Rapidly clicking the side or power button five times activates this emergency state. (On iPhone 8 or earlier versions, it’s the power button instead of the side button.) If you press this quickly five times, it signals to the iPhone that something may be wrong and launches the SOS mode. It allows quick access to call 911 or other emergency response numbers in case of perceived danger or injury.  

Sometimes, this SOS system gets activated simply by accident—the button gets pressed very quickly when pulling an iPhone in and out of your pocket or bag, for example. Or a child may be playing with your phone, rapidly pressing buttons without understanding they are triggering the emergency mode. 

Any rapid press could make it think there is an emergency when there isn’t one. Regaining full iPhone functionality requires exiting out of SOS mode since it limits you only to emergency calls when activated this way accidentally.

Disadvantages of Having Your iPhone Stuck in SOS-Only Mode

There are several critical downsides to being stuck in your iPhone’s restricted SOS-only emergency mode when it wasn’t your intention to activate it. The limitations significantly impede regular iPhone operation until adequately turned off.

The most basic disadvantage is that you lose functionality besides emergency calls. That means no apps, internet browsing, maps, cameras, social media, texting, etc. Your iPhone will only work on calls to emergency response numbers, which can be limiting. 

Being restricted to only emergency calls can drain your battery power faster since it keeps the cellular network and GPS switched on in anticipation of emergency calls. Combined with being unable to charge your phone in some cases while in SOS mode, you may have a faster battery drain.

Finally, the noticeable but most frustrating impact is losing access to regular contacts and phone features you utilize daily. Accidentally triggering the emergency standby causes disruptions to using your iPhone as usual for messaging friends and family, emails, directions, and everything else we tend to rely on smartphones for these days. The only solution is to disable and exit SOS-only mode.

How to Exit SOS-Only Mode

So, how do you exit SOS Mode on your iPhone? Here are three fixes you could try:

1. Hard Reset

The quickest and most effective fix for getting out of emergency-only standby is to force-start your iPhone. Initiating a force restart on your iPhone reboots it effectively to override being stuck in SOS mode.

Here is the step-by-step process:

• Hold down either the Side button and Volume button (new iPhones) or the Home button and Power button (iPhone 8 or older models)

• Keep holding the buttons down simultaneously for at least 10-12 seconds. Do not let go.

• The iPhone screen should go black as it powers down fully. Keep the buttons pressed the whole time.

• After 12+ seconds, you can release the buttons as the Apple logo will appear, signaling the reboot process.

This hard reset bypasses the SOS Mode activation entirely. Give it a minute or two once the reboot finishes, then swipe as usual to unlock your phone. You should have restored complete access to all apps and functions.

2. Drain and Recharge the Battery

If, for some reason, the hard reset sequence doesn’t turn off the emergency standby limitation, there is another approach to forcing your iPhone to exit SOS mode. This secondary technique involves fully draining and then recharging the battery.

Follow these steps instead:

• Allow the battery to drain until the iPhone shuts off at 1% or below. Let it sit fully powered down for at least 5-10 minutes.

• Next, plug the iPhone into the charger cable and let it charge undisturbed past 50% battery level before turning it back on.

• Once adequate charge reaches over 50%, press the side or home button to power the iPhone as usual.

These steps reset the SOS activation trigger by cycling the battery power off and on at sufficient levels. The extended shut-off period, followed by sustained charging, overrides the issues. It keeps the iPhone restricted to emergency mode only.

N/B: To work most effectively, allow time for a total shutdown of 0% and a 50%+ reboot charge.

3. iTunes Restore

If your iPhone gets stuck in emergency calling mode and neither the hard reset, battery drain, nor recharge solutions fix the issue, you can try one last resort option. Connecting to iTunes software on a computer to do a full system restore can also override the SOS activation.

Follow these steps:

• Connect your iPhone to a computer with iTunes installed using the charging cable or lightning port.

• Open iTunes on the computer you have linked the iPhone to. Back up device data unless issues prevent this.

• Access or check for the Update option on the iPhone summary page to install the latest iOS software.

• If updates are unavailable or fail, select the Restore option instead to wipe and reinstall iOS entirely.

• Once a successful restore is complete, the iPhone will reboot fresh without triggering SOS limitations again.

While wiping your device via iTunes should be last-ditch troubleshooting, the forced re-installation of iOS can reset incorrect SOS mode triggering. Back up any data you can beforehand.

How to Prevent iPhone Emergency-Only Mode

If you’re tired of your iPhone unexpectedly getting stuck in emergency-only mode, follow these simple precautions.

Handle Phone Carefully

Be cautious when pulling your iPhone in and out of your pockets or bags or setting it down to avoid pressing the power or side button five times rapidly. It avoids potential accidental SOS activation. 

Add a Protective Case

Adding a protective phone case and screen protector creates a button buffer zone. The protective case may help prevent accidental side or power button clicks from registering simultaneously.

Adjust Side Button Sensitivity

Go into Settings > Accessibility > Touch and toggle off the “Tap to Click” option for the side button.

Disable Quick SOS

If it triggers too quickly, turning off the auto-emergency SOS quick call feature entirely prevents activation.  

To disable quick emergency SOS, follow these steps:

• Open the Settings app on your iPhone.

• Scroll down and tap on Emergency SOS.

• Under the “Quick Emergency SOS” section, toggle the off switch to “Call with Side Button” to turn off this feature. 

• You will get a pop-up confirmation explaining that it will disable the emergency call shortcut. Tap “Turn Off” to proceed with deactivating it.

• It will again ask if you want to turn off Quick SOS. Tap “Turn Off” a second time to confirm.

• One more disclaimer will appear. Tap “Disable” to turn off the Quick Emergency SOS functionality entirely.

With Quick SOS disabled, rapidly pressing the side or power button will no longer automatically trigger Emergency SOS Mode. 

However, if needed, you can still manually activate the SOS call screen from the Emergency SOS settings.

Conclusion

In conclusion, if your iPhone gets stuck in emergency SOS mode, you can exit it by following any of the solutions we’ve provided in the article to get your phone back to full functionality. 

Even better, preventing accidental SOS activation in the first place by disabling Quick SOS and using phone cases can save you the hassle altogether.

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