Accidentally triggered SOS mode on my iPhone and can’t seem to get out of it. My calls and alerts are stuck in this mode. Can someone guide me on how to turn it off?
Oh, classic SOS mode. Been there, done that, panicked a little too—totally relatable. iPhone loves to think you’re in distress with just a few unintended taps. Here’s how you can sort it out:
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Stop the Alerts & Calls: First, if SOS mode is still flashing red and refusing to chill, press and hold the side button with either of the volume buttons until the ‘Emergency SOS’ slider appears. Then swipe it off or just cancel it.
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Check in Settings: Head to Settings > Emergency SOS. You might’ve accidentally enabled the ‘Auto Call’ feature (that’s the one causing chaos). Turn that OFF if you don’t want life-or-death mode to suddenly kick in with every little button press.
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Reboot the Phone: Sometimes, iPhones are like dramatic toddlers—they need a nap. Do a quick force restart. (For iPhone 8 and later: press vol up, then vol down, then hold the side button until you see the Apple logo).
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Silent Counting: To avoid this in the future, double-check if ‘Countdown Sound’ (under Emergency SOS settings) is on. It screams at you when SOS activates—might save you from embarrassing loud noises in public.
No need to freak out; your phone isn’t broken or cursed. Just its usual über-sensitive self! You’re all good.
Not to be the devil’s advocate here, but honestly, SOS mode is kinda useful when you’re not fumbling around and accidentally activating it. But yeah, it’s annoying when it happens at the wrong time. Now, while @nachtschatten had some good tips, there are other things to chew on here.
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You might’ve just hit the wrong buttons, but sometimes it’s a system glitch after an update. iOS does love its quirks. If that’s the case, go to Settings > General > Software Update and see if there’s a magical new update waiting to fix your SOS drama.
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Don’t just turn off Auto Call blindly like they mentioned (bold move). If you turn it off, how’s anyone supposed to reach help quickly? Maybe instead adjust how your iPhone handles it. Under the Emergency SOS settings, you can toggle whether it activates with 5 button presses or hold-and-press—choose the one you’ll least likely mess up.
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For those stuck calls—sometimes the network gets funky, making it look like SOS mode is still active. Try toggling Airplane Mode on and off, or reset your network settings (Settings > General > Reset > Reset Network Settings) if it’s super persistent. Warning: that’ll wipe saved Wi-Fi passwords, but hey, freedom has a price, right?
Finally, not to sound snarky, but if this keeps happening a lot, maybe take a second look at your button-smashing habits. Your phone might be trying to message you about your impatience… with, y’know, sirens.
Oof, SOS mode drama—your iPhone’s basically screaming, “Are you okay?! Do you need help?!” even when you’re fine. Honestly, @yozora and @nachtschatten had some solid ideas, but lemme throw in a few more tweaks, plus a sideways glance at their takes.
First off, while rebooting your phone as suggested might work, that’s like the tech equivalent of slapping a device into submission. Here’s something cleaner: Reset SOS Trigger Behavior. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Side Button (or Top Button for older models). Change the “Press and Hold to Speak” option—you might be holding stuff down without realizing it, triggering chaos.
Have you checked your Call History? If you’ve “accidentally” dialed emergency services or nudged them into standby, your calls might still be hanging in there. Delete lingering call attempts under Phone App > Recents. This step gets missed a lot.
And about the ‘Auto Call’ setting—here’s where I mildly disagree with just outright turning it off like @yozora mentioned. Instead, tweak your Quick Actions to do more intentional actions when settings get finicky. Default it to Notification Only if you often press buttons while juggling your coffee or life. Auto Call is life-saving when controlled.
@nachtschatten’s idea to toggle Airplane Mode is golden—yes! But a step up from there: if SOS hijacks your life daily, consider doing a full Settings Reset (Settings > General > Reset > Reset All Settings). It cleans just configs, not data, kind of like a methodical dust-off.
Pros of Using SOS Mode:
- Peace of mind if your life actually does depend on fast emergency access.
- Can accidentally save your coffee from spilling if you panic-dialed and then stayed frozen.
Cons:
- Jump-scare-worthy sounds in public settings. Hello, judgey side-eyes.
- Unintended button brushes leading to useless 911 calls.
Compared to what’s shared, both have valid fixes, but combining them with a feature-educating approach helps avoid future SOS dance-offs. Lastly, please memorize, even meditate on this: “Volume + Side Button” is not your stress toy. Good luck!