You will need to replace your phone if it has already lost its signal.
Following a number of complaints about network issues affecting iPhone 18 Pro Max devices, Apple has now confirmed that there is indeed an issue. It appears the issue only affects AT&T users in the US and an iOS update is already available to fix it. That said, the update will not work for those who have already been affected by the issue. These will need hardware replacement, Apple said 9to5Mac.
What Apple says about the AT&T problem
It is not difficult to find out if your phone is infected. If so, your iPhone 18 Pro Max will display the “SOS” symbol in the status bar instead of the signal bars. Calls, texts and data over 4G or 5G will also stop working. The good news is that not all iPhone 18 Pro Max owners using AT&T were affected. Apple says this only affects a “small number” of users and has given 9to5Mac the following statement:
“We have identified an issue affecting a small number of iPhone 18 Pro Max users on the AT&T network that may cause a device to lose service and be unable to make calls. We released iOS 27.0.1 earlier this week and strongly encourage all iPhone 18 Pro Max users to update now, and are also releasing a carrier settings update today. These updates together aim to prevent this issue from occurring doesn’t happen.”
Interestingly, the iPhone 18 Pro Max is the only model sold in the US that uses a Qualcomm modem instead of Apple’s – but it’s unclear if there’s a direct link between that and the bug. If you’ve checked the boxes to get an iPhone 18 Pro Max with an AT&T SIM card, here’s what to do. First, update to iOS 27.0.1 as soon as possible. Just go to Settings > General > Software Update and check for the latest version.
If you’ve already updated, it’s also worth checking if you have the latest settings from your carrier. Also in Settingsgo to General and press About to trigger the update. If you don’t see a pop-up about updating carrier settings, you probably already have the latest version. Unfortunately, if your iPhone has already lost its cellular signal, a software update or restore won’t work. Instead, you should contact Apple or AT&T support to request a phone replacement.
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