In short, when you see SOS on your phone, it means you're not connected to a cellular network. "If you see SOS or 'SOS only' in the status bar, your device isn't connected to your cellular network, but you can still make emergency calls through other carrier networks," reads an Apple support page on the feature.

You might not think about your cell service indicators on a day to day basis, but in an emergency you need to know what they mean. As technology improves and new phone software is released, there are more and more ways to get cell service.

The "huge inconvenience" experienced by Verizon customers Jan. 14 has been resolved, the company announced late last night. The service outage Wednesday lasted almost 10 hours and affected more than.