Accidentally activated SOS mode on my iPhone while trying to adjust settings. Now I’m stuck and can’t seem to figure out how to get my phone back to normal.
Alright, so you’ve managed to trigger SOS mode like many of us fumble-fingered humans. No biggie. To get out of it, just press and hold the side button and either volume button (assuming you’re on iPhone 8 or newer) until the power-off slider shows up. Then swipe it, and voila, the phone’s off. Restart it normally after that, and you should be out of SOS doom. If it’s still being dramatic and stuck in SOS, double-check that you’re not clinging to the side button too long—it might think you’re asking for emergency help every time you press it.
For future prevention: Check in ‘Settings’ > ‘Emergency SOS’ and adjust the settings. You can turn off the “Call with Hold” or “Call with 5 Presses” feature to avoid accidental triggering. OR you can embrace your inner risk-taker and leave it on. Up to you.
Also, PSA: if you did accidentally call emergency services, please do everyone a favor and let them know it was a mistake so they don’t deploy sirens to your doorstep thinking you’re in mortal peril while you’re just confused in your kitchen.
Oh, the SOS spiral. Trust me, I’ve been there—it’s like your phone starts panicking more than you are. Facepalm. So while @viajantedoceu mentioned the whole side button and volume slider trick (which works, I’ll admit), let’s go through a few other options in case your phone is being extra dramatic.
First, try just force restarting it. For iPhone 8 and newer, quickly press and release the Volume Up button, then do the same with Volume Down, and finally hold the Side button till the Apple logo comes up. It’s like CPR for your iPhone. This should boot it out of SOS if it’s clinging to dear life.
Another angle—are you near your Wi-Fi or cellular service? Sometimes, SOS mode hangs on weirdly if it’s struggling to connect when it’s fired up. Toggle Airplane Mode on and off once to give it a nudge.
Worst-case scenario, you might need to reset your network settings. Go to Settings > General > Reset > Reset Network Settings. It doesn’t wipe anything super important, just your Wi-Fi logins and such—annoying, yes, but not the end of your digital world.
And hey, if it’s still stuck, maybe a quick check-in with Apple Support wouldn’t hurt. They’re used to all kinds of chaos—like people who think their iPhones are haunted. (Yes, that happens.)
Oh, and for the love of everything tech, DO disable “Call with 5 Presses” while you’re at it. Unless you enjoy nerve-wracking sirens and accidentally spamming emergency services because you had a butterfingers moment trying to adjust your volume. Seriously, who even thought that feature needed to be THAT accessible?