Will my phone work during the 2024 solar eclipse? What you need to know

The total solar eclipse will pass over Bloomington on April 8, and with it, a busy day of tourism and festivities is expected.

But as the big event nears, how will cell service be affected? Can we expect to make reliable calls to emergency services during totality? Will maps and navigation services work? Will messaging and data be slow?

Since total solar eclipses are rare events (only one has occurred in the U.S. since cell phones were invented), it’s hard to answer these questions definitively. But with what we know about cell service in crowds, the advice of experts and emergency planners, and a bit of science, we can start to get a picture of what to expect when totality hits next month.

Will I be able to make phone calls during the eclipse?

The short answer is, probably, yes.

The longer answer is, yes, but you should consider if you need to.

Cell service won’t be impacted by any atmospheric changes caused by the eclipse, but the high volume of crowds expected in the Bloomington area may put a strain on cellular networks. That means that especially as Bloomington approaches and undergoes totality — from approximately 3:04-3:08 p.m. — calls could become spotty or drop more often.

Jamie Niebel, director of Monroe County Emergency Management, encourages people to text instead of call when possible to allow first responders and emergency dispatchers to better respond to calls.

Niebel says 911 calls won’t be impacted, at either dispatch centers or from cell phones, as emergency services are a high priority for networks. But she still stresses that texting instead of calling and using less data (i.e. not live streaming or sending large videos during the eclipse) can keep the burden on the network low and ensure emergency services run effectively.

Can I call 911 during the eclipse?

Yes. Dispatchers will be available during the eclipse, and emergency services are being treated as a high priority for phone calls, meaning service to 911 should not be disrupted.

If cell service isn’t working, finding a nearby landline can help.

Will my cellular data work during the eclipse?

Cellular data should generally work during the eclipse, but interruptions may occur, especially closer to the time of totality.

Spokespeople for Verizon and AT&T said they don’t expect an impact to their network during the eclipse, especially as 5G and emergency services have been expanded in recent years. Yet cellular service tends to lag in areas with large crowds, as often seen at concerts and stadiums.

Kevin Getz, Indiana State Police’s public information officer for Bloomington, said people should anticipate some issues with cell service.

“Folks just need to understand that when you have such a huge volume of traffic in that area, that certainly there’s going to be a bit of a strain on those types of services,” Getz said.

Getz encourages people to plan ahead and download maps, movies and music for the big day ahead of time to reduce the strain on cellular networks. It’s also a good idea to refrain from sending large attachments such as videos or multiple images during peak times to ensure text-based messages can be sent quickly and without interruption.

“That would certainly help with the strain that’s going to be placed upon these cell phone towers,” Getz said.

Toggling your phone on and off airplane mode can also help ensure a connection to the nearest tower if your service is spotty.

Will GPS and maps work during the eclipse?

According to NASA, solar eclipses can have a major impact on the ionosphere, the Earth’s upper atmosphere that’s responsible for reflecting and refracting radio waves.

As the moon eclipsing the sun causes rapid changes to solar radiation during totality, ionospheric anomalies can occur and radio and GPS signals can be affected.

While any potential disruptions would be reserved to the time of totality, it’s still a good idea to download maps ahead of time if you’re planning on traveling.

Can I take photos of the eclipse with my smartphone camera?

Using your phone camera to take photos during totality should be fine, but prolonged exposure to the sun (i.e. filming a time lapse of the eclipse long before totality) could cause damage to your phone’s camera lens.

NASA also notes that, like photos of the moon, photos of the eclipse from smartphone cameras can often look underwhelming and lack the details we see with our own eyes. You can consult with astronomy and photography experts to learn about best photographing practices, including special solar filters for your phone cameras.

Of course, just make sure you keep your own eclipse glasses on no matter what lens you’re looking through.

Reach Brian Rosenzweig at brian@heraldt.com.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Will cell phones work eclipse 2024 in Bloomington, Indiana