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Is O2 down? How to check O2 network status

The quickest way to confirm an O2 outage is O2's own network status checker at status.o2.co.uk: enter a postcode or use your location to see known problems and planned work. If O2 lists a fault, switch on WiFi Calling and wait. If it shows nothing, restart your phone and toggle airplane mode before calling 202.

Check O2's official service status

O2's network status checker needs no login. You choose the problem (voice, data, text, no signal or other), then enter a postcode or address or tap Use my location, and a map shows whether O2 knows of a problem with your local mast. You can report an issue from the same page. O2 says that signing up to My Network Portal gets you status updates about its network and masts, including planned maintenance, unexpected issues and when things will be fixed.

@O2 posts outage updates

Is it O2 or your phone?

  1. Check O2's network status checker at status.o2.co.uk, or open the My Network app. If O2 lists a problem with your local mast, it is a network fault and there is nothing to fix on your phone.
  2. Ask someone nearby on O2, or on giffgaff, Tesco Mobile or Sky Mobile, which run on O2's network. If their phone works and yours does not, the problem is more likely your phone, SIM or account.
  3. Turn airplane mode on and off, then restart your phone. These are O2's first two troubleshooting steps.
  4. Check that mobile data is on and that your phone supports 4G Calling, then choose the O2 network manually in your network settings.
  5. Try your SIM in another O2 phone, or another O2 SIM in yours, and check your account in My O2. O2's online troubleshooter at diagnostics.o2.co.uk/repair-my-device walks you through device faults.
  6. If you have WiFi, make calls over WiFi Calling while you wait. Downdetector (downdetector.co.uk/status/o2/) shows whether other people are reporting O2 problems, but those are user reports, not O2 data.

Outage, or weak signal where you are?

If O2's checker shows no known problem, check how strong its signal should be at your postcode. This uses Ofcom's coverage data, not live status.

Try:

Other brands on the O2 network

These providers use O2's masts, so a O2 network outage usually affects their customers too.

giffgaff Sky Mobile Tesco Mobile

O2 not working? Fixes to try

No signal or SOS only

SOS or "Emergency calls only" means your phone cannot connect to O2. Check O2's status checker first, then turn airplane mode on and off and restart. If that fails, choose the O2 network manually in your network settings, reset your network settings, and try the SIM in another O2 phone.

Mobile data not working

Make sure mobile data is on. O2 phones normally set up the internet as soon as you insert the SIM. If not, O2's device guides give these settings: name O2 UK Internet, APN mobile.o2.co.uk, username o2, password p, MCC 234, MNC 10, authentication PAP, APN type default.

Calls not working or dropping on 3G

O2 has switched off most of its 3G network, and some areas may keep a 3G signal only into early 2026. Phones that rely on 3G can still call and text but lose mobile data. Calls on 4G and 5G need 4G Calling, which turns on automatically with a compatible phone and an up-to-date O2 SIM.

Weak signal indoors

Use WiFi Calling. O2 says it should turn on automatically on a 4G or 5G phone with a good WiFi connection, at no extra cost, and pay as you go customers get it too. It does not work outside the UK, and a 999 call over WiFi does not send your location, so be ready to say where you are.

Phone stuck on the wrong network

Open your phone's mobile network settings, turn off automatic selection and pick O2. Switch back to automatic once your signal returns, so the phone does not stay locked to a network that is out of range.

Nothing works after all the steps

Reset network settings (this forgets saved WiFi networks), then use O2's device troubleshooter at diagnostics.o2.co.uk/repair-my-device. If O2's checker shows no fault and the SIM fails in another phone too, call 202 from an O2 phone or 0344 809 0202.

O2 mobile data (APN) settings

Name
O2 UK Internet
APN
mobile.o2.co.uk
Username
o2
Password
p

Source: https://www.o2.co.uk/help/phones-sims-and-devices/samsung/galaxy-s25-android-15/connectivity-and-network/set-up-your-phone-for-internet

Past O2 outages

  • 20 April 2026

    The BBC reported that O2 users in Northowram near Halifax had been without signal for more than two months because of a problem with a local O2 mast. The damaged mast at Wyke was fixed after 11 weeks, and residents were asked to claim compensation from their own providers.

    BBC News

  • 20 October 2025

    A mast in Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire was removed at the landowner's request, leaving O2 and Vodafone users with weak or no signal and warnings that it could last into early 2026. EE users were not affected.

    ISPreview

  • 13 January 2025

    Residents of Esh Winning, County Durham had little or no signal for a month after unforeseen technical issues during an O2 mast upgrade. Tesco Mobile, Sky and Vodafone customers were affected too.

    BBC News

  • 9 January 2025

    The BBC reported that O2 and Vodafone customers in Lancing, West Sussex had been without usable phone signal since before Christmas. O2 blamed a technical fault in mast equipment caused by adverse weather.

    BBC News

  • 30 June 2023

    From late morning, Sky Mobile and giffgaff customers, both on O2's network, could not make or receive calls and texts, with around 1,000 Downdetector reports each. O2 customer support said its technical teams were aware and working on a fix.

    BBC News

Can you get compensation for a O2 outage?

Ofcom's automatic compensation scheme covers landline and broadband only, and Virgin Media O2 says only its broadband and home phone services are included, so an O2 mobile outage does not trigger an automatic payment. O2's pay monthly agreement says that after continuous or regularly recurring disruption you may be entitled to a partial credit of your monthly subscription charges. You have to report it by calling 202, and O2 assesses the claim against your usage. If the service is materially degraded for an unreasonable period, you may be able to leave without paying the early termination charge.

Fed up with O2 outages?

Switching to a brand on the same network will not help during an outage, because it uses the same masts. A SIM on a different network will. You keep your number by texting PAC to 65075.

Compare SIM-only deals O2 PAC code guide

O2 outage FAQs

Is there a problem with the O2 network today?
We can't tell you live. The official answer comes from O2's network status checker at status.o2.co.uk or the My Network app, which show known problems and planned work for your postcode or location. O2's X account, @O2, may post during big outages, and Downdetector shows whether other people are reporting problems.
Why does my phone say SOS or No service on O2?
Your phone cannot connect to O2. The cause may be a fault at your local mast, planned work, weak signal indoors, or a problem with your phone, SIM or account. Check status.o2.co.uk first. If nothing is listed, toggle airplane mode, restart, select O2 manually and try your SIM in another phone.
If O2 is down, are giffgaff, Tesco Mobile and Sky Mobile down too?
Usually, yes. giffgaff, Tesco Mobile and Sky Mobile all run on O2's network, so an O2 mast or network fault normally hits them too. On 30 June 2023 Sky Mobile and giffgaff customers lost calls and texts at the same time. A fault in one brand's own systems, such as its billing, can affect that brand only.
Why are O2 and Vodafone often down in the same place?
Many local O2 faults in the news have hit Vodafone customers too, for example in Lancing, Esh Winning and Hebden Bridge. In Hebden Bridge the mast was managed by Cornerstone, a company that runs masts used by both operators. If you are on O2 and a Vodafone user nearby also has no signal, it is probably a mast problem rather than your phone.
Will O2 compensate me for an outage?
Not automatically. Ofcom's automatic compensation scheme only covers landline and broadband. O2's pay monthly agreement says you may get a partial credit of your monthly charges after continuous or regularly recurring disruption, but you have to report it on 202. After a day-long data outage in December 2018, O2 refunded pay monthly customers two days' service and gave pay as you go customers 10% extra on top-ups, but it does not promise that for every outage.
How long do O2 outages usually last?
National faults are usually fixed within hours or a day. Local mast faults can last far longer: the Esh Winning disruption in 2025 lasted about a month, and Northowram near Halifax was without O2 signal for 11 weeks in 2026. O2's status checker shows an expected fix time when O2 has one.
Can I call 999 if O2 is down?
Usually, yes. O2 says that if you are out of range of its network, or the network isn't available for any reason, your phone may try to use another mobile network to connect your 999 call. This does not work where no network has coverage. If you call 999 over WiFi Calling, your location is not sent, so tell the operator where you are.

Sources

Checked on 24 September 2026 against O2's own pages and the news reports linked above. This page does not show live network status.