Some new iPhone 18 Pro Max phones on AT&T lost cell service and got stuck in SOS mode. Updates won't fix those phones, but Apple will replace them free.
Some owners of the new iPhone 18 Pro Max on AT&T woke up to a phone with no cell service, stuck in SOS mode. That mode can block even 911 calls. Apple and AT&T have released software fixes to stop it from spreading. For phones already hit, a software update does not help, so Apple says it will give those owners a new phone at no cost.
MacRumors reported that AT&T sent a text message to iPhone 18 Pro Max owners, urging them to install iOS 27.0.1 right away. MacRumors estimated that thousands of customers were affected. Apple also released a separate carrier settings patch to go with the update.
The patch came too late for some people. An Apple representative told CNET the updates are meant to guard against the problem in the future. They will not repair a phone that is already stuck. Those owners should contact Apple Support or AT&T.
The problem appears limited to the iPhone 18 Pro Max on AT&T's network. CNET asked T-Mobile and Verizon, and both said they are not seeing similar reports. A CNET colleague's iPhone 18 Pro Max on Google Fi, which uses T-Mobile's network, has no problem. The standard iPhone 18 Pro on AT&T has not shown the issue either.
Some Reddit owners say they still have trouble after updating. Others say their service came back, but two settings called 5G Standalone and Voice Over 5G Standalone were turned off. 5G Standalone uses 5G for all cellular activity. Without it, the phone falls back to slower LTE.
The steps are in the alert box above. In short, update the phone first, then contact Apple Support or AT&T if it has already lost service.
No one has named a definitive cause. It is also unclear whether the hardware is involved. In the US, the iPhone 18 Pro Max is the only model with Qualcomm's Snapdragon X80 modem, the chip that connects a phone to cell networks, according to an iFixit teardown. The standard iPhone 18 Pro uses Apple's own C2 modem. Qualcomm declined to comment and pointed CNET to Apple.
It is also not confirmed whether customers of carriers that run on AT&T's network, such as Cricket or US Mobile, are affected. Anyone on one of those services with this phone should watch for signs of lost service.
If you have an iPhone 18 Pro Max on AT&T, update it now, and if it lost service, ask Apple or AT&T for the free replacement.
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