When Cell Networks Go Down, These 6 Steps Keep You Connected

Verizon, touted as a very dependable network, crashed hard last week due to a software glitch. From about 12:30 PM to 10:15 PM Eastern, potentially hundreds of thousands to millions of customers lost service in locations including Atlanta, Charlotte, Chicago, Houston, New York City, and Philadelphia.

Coming on the heels of Cloudflare's technologically different but equally jarring outages of last year, it's a further reminder that constant connectivity is not a given. Luckily, we have six tips to help you prepare for future wireless outages.

1. Use Wi-Fi as a backup

It's unlikely that both your cell service and your home internet or cafe's Wi-Fi will go down simultaneously. Many phones and networks allow you to switch to Wi-Fi for calling and sometimes texting. To set it up on Android, tap "Settings" > "Network & internet" > "SIMs." Tap the name of your network, then "Wi-Fi Calling". On iOS, tap "Settings" > "Apps" > "Phone" > "Wi-Fi Calling." (This is based on Android 16 and iOS 26.)

Of course, Wi-Fi also works for any other apps, including email, cloud services, social networks, food delivery, and rideshare. For the last one, no worries if you don't have access at your destination. Whenever you get back online, you can leave a tip and review, if you wish.

2. Use internet-based texting and calling apps

Your wireless service is far from the only way to text and call. As a backup, make sure to get on messaging apps that work over the internet and that the key people in your life also use. (That may end up being several.)

Read more: Prepare Now for the Next Big Internet Outage

If everyone is on iOS, you're already set. While the iPhone's Messages app handles standard SMS texts, chats between Apple devices (including iPhones, Macs, and iPads) run over the internet-based iMessage service.

Newer iPhones and Android phones may support RCS, enabling online messaging between both types of phones. But implementation is still spotty, so it's not a sure thing. To turn on RCS for Android, click > Messages app > your profile picture or initials > "Messages settings" > "RCS chats" and toggle it on. For iOS, tap > Settings > "Apps" > "Messages" > “RCS Messaging” then toggle it on. (This assumes the phone and wireless carrier support it.)

There are also plenty of apps that allow conversations over the net, regardless of device. You can call and text with Discord, Facebook Messenger, Instagram, Signal, Snapchat, WhatsApp, and X.

3. Save tickets, QR codes, and more on your device

Paper tickets and will-call lines are yielding to using your phone for access. Many tickets, including airline boarding passes, can be saved to the Android and iOS apps, which are both called Wallet. You typically just click a button in the confirmation email on your phone. You may also get a QR code right in the email. Make sure you have enabled downloading of images for any of those emails as a second way to gain access if the network goes down.

4. Switch from SMS codes to apps or passkeys

A few sites can send two-factor authentication codes to WhatsApp (available on phones, computers, tablets, and some smart watches), but the vast majority offer them only by generic SMS text. There are at least three alternatives so you can log into websites even when SMS is down.

Apps such as Authy, Google Authenticator, and Microsoft Authenticator can generate the 2FA codes instead, but this must be set up with each website in advance. Some sites' apps serve a similar role. With a Google account, for instance, you may be able to use mobile apps like Gmail (if previously installed) to authenticate, generally by just pressing a button.

Read more: More People Are Ditching Passwords for Passkeys

You can also enable passkeys for your main online accounts. This encryption-based login method is much more secure than username/password, and most sites that support passkeys don't require two-factor authentication if you have set one up. That's also helpful if your phone is lost, stolen, or broken.

5. Set up emergency service

If you or someone with you is in danger, there may not be time to find a Wi-Fi network. Some major wireless providers now offer emergency satellite service on newer iPhones and Android phones, either included or as an add-on. Apple devices, beginning with the iPhone 14 and the new Apple Watch Ultra 3, can send SOS messages, and sometimes limited iMessage and SMS, using the Globalstar satellite network.

T-Mobile's emerging T-Satellite service uses SpaceX Starlink to provide texting and image and location sharing and support for low-data apps such as WhatsApp and Google Maps. It's available or rolling out to customers of T-Mobile as well as Verizon and AT&T.

6. Get a backup network

This is not nearly as expensive as it may sound. Most phones today can support two wireless networks using either physical SIM cards or virtual eSIMs. SIM #1 can be your main network, while SIM #2 can be a pay-as-you-go backup service. (If you have only one SIM slot, you can simply swap cards.)

For instance, you can pay for just one month of Ultra Mobile service for $19, or a 30-day TracFone plan for $20, and switch to that second network for limited, emergency use.

One caveat: These virtual providers use the networks of other companies, such as T-Mobile or Verizon. Make sure your emergency plan isn't on the same network as your main plan, or an outage may affect both. For instance, Ultra Mobile uses the T-Mobile network, while TracFone uses Verizon's.

[Image credit: Sean Captain/Techlicious via ChatGPT and Nano Banana]

Tips & How-Tos, Phones and Mobile, Cell Phones