San Francisco officials sounded the alarm today as cell service across multiple carriers went down in parts of the city, leaving some residents suddenly unable to place calls from their phones. The Department of Emergency Management said the city's 911 center was still fully operational even as customers reported trouble dialing out, and urged people to lean on backup options like Wi‑Fi calling, landlines or text‑to‑911 where available instead of repeatedly hammering emergency lines.
What The City Is Advising
In its alert, the San Francisco Department of Emergency Management named AT&T and Comcast/Xfinity among the affected providers and emphasized that 911 itself was still online. The post urged residents to turn on Wi‑Fi calling if their device and account support it, try sending a text to 911 where that service is available, use a landline or VoIP phone, or ask someone on a different carrier to call 911 on their behalf. It also specifically asked people not to place test calls to emergency lines just to see whether they go through.
Reported AT&T/Xfinity/Comcast cell outage. 911 is still operational. If not able to call, enable wi-fi calling, connect with a friend to make calls, or use text to 911.
— San Francisco Department of Emergency Management (@SF_emergency) March 30, 2026
If your phone is still not able to make a 911 call, then try connecting to a Wi-Fi network and enable Wi-Fi… pic.twitter.com/yjhPGx1V0X
How Wi‑Fi Calling And SOS Options Can Help
Wi‑Fi calling routes voice and text traffic over a broadband connection instead of a cellular voice network, which can let a phone reach emergency services when regular cell service is having a bad night, as long as the feature is enabled on both the device and the account. Carrier support pages explain how to switch Wi‑Fi calling on and note that you may be required to register an emergency address for E911 purposes. Even then, callers are urged to clearly state their exact location, since the location data on Wi‑Fi calls can be less precise than on traditional wireless 911 calls. See guidance from AT&T on Wi‑Fi calling and Xfinity's support page for details on setup and limitations.
Texting 911 Has Limits
Text‑to‑911 is still far from universal. The Federal Communications Commission and public‑safety resources note that many 911 centers across the country are not yet able to receive texts. Wireless carriers are required to send an automatic bounce‑back message if a text to 911 cannot be delivered, which means a failed attempt should trigger a reply telling you to call instead or use another method. If you must text, officials advise keeping messages short and including your location right away.
Recent Outages Set The Stage
The latest alert landed against a backdrop of recent internet and mobile hiccups across the Bay Area. Local reporting has pointed to a March Xfinity outage that hit large portions of the region, along with other carrier disruptions logged in the weeks that followed. Coverage of those earlier incidents underscored a now-familiar lesson: it is worth having more than one way to reach help when the networks you rely on decide not to cooperate.
What To Do If You Cannot Reach 911 From Your Phone
Officials advise starting by connecting your phone to a trusted Wi‑Fi network and enabling Wi‑Fi calling in your cellular settings. If that works, place a standard voice call to 911 and immediately tell the dispatcher where you are. If Wi‑Fi calling is not available, try sending a brief text to 911 if your area supports it, use a landline or a VoIP service, or have someone on a different carrier make the call for you. If none of those options are possible, the guidance is straightforward: go in person to the nearest fire station or police station to request help.
