Is there a way to fix iPhone stuck in SOS mode?

When dealing with an iPhone stuck in SOS mode, it's important to understand that even when the screen appears frozen on the SOS progress bar, the touch interface may still be partially responsive — you just can't see it. This means that some functions might still respond to your taps, even if the display isn't updating properly.

How to Fix iPhone stuck in SOS Mode:

1. If you previously set up Back Tap (Settings > Accessibility > Touch > Back Tap):

Double‑ or triple‑tap the back of your iPhone near the Apple logo.

This can trigger an action like Open Control Center, Notification Center, or Go to Home Screen, which may break the SOS loop.

2. If you never set up Back Tap:

You can't enable it now while frozen, but this is useful to know for next time. For now, try this variation:

Tap the back of the phone repeatedly and firmly (10–15 taps in quick succession).

On some iOS 17 builds, this inadvertently triggers the “reachability” or “attention aware” interrupt, which can knock the phone out of the SOS state.