The Verizon outage that affected voice service for some wireless customers in the United States on August 8, 2026, has been resolved, according to the company. If Verizon calls are still not working, the first step is to restart the phone and then check whether a separate network problem is affecting the customer’s location. Verizon recommends both steps in its network-outage guidance.
The distinction is important for anyone searching whether Verizon is down right now. The wider August 8 incident is no longer being treated as an active unresolved outage, but that does not rule out a new local network problem, weak coverage or an issue affecting an individual device.
What Happened to Verizon on August 8?
Verizon acknowledged a wireless problem on Saturday, August 8, after customers began reporting difficulty making and receiving phone calls. The company said the issue was affecting voice services for wireless customers in some parts of the United States.
Downdetector received thousands of Verizon problem reports as the disruption intensified Saturday afternoon. Verizon later said its systems were recovering and eventually confirmed that engineers had resolved the voice-service issue. Customers who continued having problems were advised to restart their devices.
The incident was primarily identified as a voice-service problem rather than a confirmed shutdown of every Verizon wireless service. Verizon did not provide a technical root cause in the resolution information reported for the August 8 incident.
What Should You Do If Verizon Calls Are Still Not Working?
Start by restarting the phone.
Verizon says devices should normally regain a network signal automatically after an outage is restored. If problems continue, restarting the device can help it establish a new connection to the network.
After the phone reconnects, check the signal bars and try another outgoing call. It is also useful to test a text message and cellular data rather than assuming every wireless service is unavailable.
If calls still fail after the restart, check Verizon’s official network status rather than assuming the August 8 outage is still continuing.
Verizon says customers can sign in to My Verizon and look for a Network Notification when the company knows about an outage affecting their area. Customers who do not see an alert can use Verizon’s Check Network Status service to look for reported network problems around their location.
Calls Still Failing? Check What Else Is Working
The combination of services that work and fail can help determine the next step, although it cannot by itself identify the technical cause.
If mobile data and text messages work but normal phone calls fail, restart the device and test another call first. The August 8 incident specifically affected voice services for some customers, so voice-only failure resembles the service category Verizon said was disrupted. It does not, however, prove that Saturday’s outage is still active.
If calls, texts and cellular data all fail, check the phone’s signal indicator and Verizon’s network-status information. Verizon notes that a network outage is different from simply being in an area with weak or no coverage.
If the problem appears only when trying to call one particular person, test another number before concluding that Verizon is down. A failed connection to one number does not establish that the caller’s own wireless service has failed.
This distinction makes the post-outage check more useful than relying only on a nationwide Downdetector graph.
What If Verizon Shows No Outage in Your Area?
If Verizon does not report a local network outage and calls still do not work, the problem may require device-level troubleshooting.
Verizon recommends checking the phone’s signal strength, installing the latest available device software and inspecting the SIM card for visible damage as part of its network troubleshooting process.
Weak or blinking signal bars may indicate poor coverage rather than a wider network outage. Moving to an area with a stronger signal and testing the service again can help distinguish that situation.
Customers should also test the phone after restarting it before changing several network settings at once. If the problem continues while Verizon reports no known outage, Verizon’s device troubleshooting or customer support becomes more appropriate than simply waiting for the August 8 incident to be fixed again.
Can Wi-Fi Calling Help During a Verizon Service Outage?
Verizon recommends connecting to Wi-Fi and activating Wi-Fi Calling when a cellular network outage prevents normal service. Wi-Fi Calling can provide another way to place voice calls on a compatible device when a working Wi-Fi internet connection is available.
It is an alternative during a cellular service problem rather than evidence that the cellular network itself has recovered.
Customers troubleshooting network connectivity should also be aware that Verizon recommends temporarily turning off Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi Calling when checking whether the phone can connect directly to the Verizon cellular network.
Is Verizon Still Down Right Now?
Verizon says the broader August 8 voice-service outage has been resolved. Customers who are still unable to make or receive calls should not automatically assume that the same widespread outage remains active.
A separate local Verizon outage can still occur. Verizon therefore directs customers to its Network Notification and Check Network Status tools to determine whether a known problem is affecting their specific area.
For someone whose Verizon phone is still not working, the most useful order is to restart the device, test calls and other cellular services, check Verizon’s official network status, and then move to device-specific troubleshooting if no outage appears.
